SCAG Racing
DAVE RICHARDS AND VERSATRAN/BLUEBIRD TEAM FULL OF DETERMINATION HEADING INTO NHRA THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
BRISTOL, TN – Dave Richards and the Versatran/BlueBird Funny Car team are more motivated than ever as they head into the NHRA 
Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway, the eighth of 20 events on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule.
Racing a full-time schedule for the first time, Richards and his team are learning on the fly. They’ve qualified for seven of the eight events so far and picked up their first round win of the season at the Charlotte Four-Wide event. At the most recent race, the NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., the Versatran/BlueBird machine had some gremlins early in the weekend that had the team qualified only 14th setting them up for a first-round loss to Bob Tasca III.
“We keep plucking away at it. The team is working hard, there’s no denying that. We’re getting a flow. We’ve run into some issues, some setbacks, but this Versatran/BlueBird team has managed to get past them all,” Richards said. “Each weekend is a chance for us to get better and we take advantage of each opportunity. After last weekend, we’re all happy to get right back to it.” Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON REACHES SEMIFINALS FOR SCAG RACING AT NHRA NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS
EPPING, NH – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team made their third consecutive semifinal 
appearance Sunday at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.
Wilkerson entered race day qualified in the No. 4 position, a career best for the Rookie of the Year candidate, after running a 3.899 second pass at 329.91 mph on Friday night. The SCAG Funny Car would face off with Cory Lee in the first round. Wilkerson would cross the finish line in 4.089 at 313.80 while Lee smoked the tires and pulled left into the wall.
In the second round Wilkerson would find himself racing against three-time world champion Ron Capps. Wilkerson would have another clean pass at 4.002 seconds and 320.28 mph while Capps ran into trouble for only a 7.690 at 99.06.
Facing off with points leader Austin Prock, the semifinal would be a clean side-by-side drag race. Wilkerson would come up short with a 4.013-second run at 322.27 mph to Prock’s 3.993 at 317.12. Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON MAKES SEMIFINAL APPEARANCE TO LEAD SCAG RACING AT ROUTE 66 NATIONALS
JOLIET, IL – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car battled their way to the semifinals Sunday at the 
Gerber Glass & Collision Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago.
Coming into race day qualified No. 9, Wilkerson, crew chiefed by his father Tim, started eliminations with a win over veteran and former champion Cruz Pedregon. Both Funny Cars would haze the tires, but Wilkerson would get to the finish line first at 4.222 seconds and 231.36 mph while Pedregon followed at 4.517 and 194.30. In the second round, Wilkerson would face off with points leader, Austin Prock.
Wilkerson came up with the win on a 4.086 second pass at 314.39 mph better Prock’s 4.109 at 305.01 after he put a hole out. The win put Wilkerson against 16-time champion and eventual runner-up John Force in the semifinals. Wilkerson handled his SCAG Ford to a 4.076 at 309.98 but it wasn’t enough for Force’s 3.987 at 317.94. Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND VERSATRAN / BLUEBIRD TEAM LOOKING TO KEEP UP PROGRESS AT ROUTE 66 NATIONALS
JOLIET, IL – Dave Richards and his Versatran / BlueBird Funny Car team enter this weekend’s Gerber Glass & Collision Route 66 NHRA 
Nationals at Route 66 Raceway eager to build on their recent results.
Richards and the Versatran team came away from the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway with their first eliminations round win. Richards would handle the Versatran / BlueBird machine to a 4.014-second pass at a career best 319.60 mph to beat Blake Alexander and points leader Austin Prock in the first quad. Their performance put the Versatran / BlueBird team up to 15th in the points standings, an improvement from 18th.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the seat of the Versatran / BlueBird Funny Car. We made progress in Charlotte, but these two weekends off have been too long. I’m excited to see what we can do on the track,” Richards said. “The guys have been working hard, and it’s starting to come around. We’re hoping for more improvement every run.” Continue reading
DANIEL WILKERSON AND SCAG FORD FUNNY CAR TEAM FOCUSED ON LAS VEGAS FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team can’t deny the progress they’ve made just 
three races into the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season. They head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals determined to keep it going.
Wilkerson and the SCAG team, led by Daniel’s father, Tim, are coming of a quarterfinal finish at the NHRA Arizona Nationals where they qualified in the top half of the field for the second consecutive time. Sitting 10th in the points standings, Wilkerson is looking for his first Funny Car victory in his first season racing the full NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule.
“I’m excited to get to Vegas. Coming off a weekend in Phoenix where we learned a lot and made progress, I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the SCAG Summit Ford Mustang,” Wilkerson said. “Four-wide is a little different. I have pretty limited experience racing in the four-wide format, but I think, as long as nothing crazy happens, I should be fine. We get four qualifying runs, which will help our progress continue so we can turn on a few more win lights on Sunday.” Continue reading
DAVE RICHARDS AND VERSATRAN/BLUEBIRD PREPARED FOR FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS
LAS VEGAS – Dave Richards and the Versatran / BlueBird Funny Car team enter this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at 
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the third of 20 events on tour and first of two in the four-wide format, with some renewed optimism.
Competing the full NHRA Mission Foods Series schedule for the first time, Richards and his team stayed and tested at Firebird Motorsports Park following the NHRA Arizona Nationals, the second event at which the young team qualified 17th, just shy of making the 16-car field for race day.
“This whole Versatran / BlueBird team is looking forward to Vegas. We had some disappointment in Phoenix with not qualifying, but we stayed and tested, and we’re feeling really good,” Richards said. “We made two runs and learned a lot. The car is getting happy. We’re figuring it out.” Continue reading
JUSTIN ASHLEY AND SCAG RUNNER-UP AT NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
CHANDLER, AZ – Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team raced their way to their second 
consecutive final round of the year, 20th of Ashley’s Top Fuel career Sunday at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park.
Ashley, who entered race day as the No. 11 qualifier, began his road to the finals with a rematch from the Winternationals finals against Tony Schumacher. Ashley would come up with the holeshot win again with a 3.804-second pass at 328.22 mph and a .039 reaction time to Schumacher’s 3.791 at 325.69 and .067 reaction time.
In the semifinals, Ashely would face reigning world champion Doug Kalitta and pull off a 3.825 second run at 326 mph to defeat Kalitta’s 3.866 at 307.37. The win would line Ashley up with motorsports legend Tony Stewart for the second time. Ashley would improve to 2-0 against Stewart with a 3.844 at 323.74 bettering Stewart’s 3.885 at 316.45. The win would set Ashley up with a final round against veteran racer Shawn Langdon.
DAVE RICHARDS AND VERSATRAN / BLUEBIRD TEAM CONTINUING TO BUILD HEADING INTO FIRST NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
CHANDLER, AZ – Racing a full Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule for the first time this season, Dave Richards and his 
Versatran / Bluebird Funny Car team will make their first attempt down Firebird Motorsports Park at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Richards enters this weekend sitting 17th in points standings after qualifying No. 14 out of 21 cars and having a first-round exit at the weather worn NHRA Winternationals. Their performance was an improvement from the Versatran / Bluebird team’s season debut at the NHRA Gatornationals where they narrowly missed making the 16-car field as the No. 17 qualifiers.
“We’re improving, that’s what matters. And we’re improving in ways that don’t necessarily show up on the track. This Versatran / Bluebird team, the guys, they’re working hard and really getting into the groove of working together weekend after weekend,” Richards said. “We’re just reaching race number three. We have the time and resources to make changes on the car, see what works. I know that I appreciate being able to end a weekend, take a deep breath, evaluate and then be ready to move onto the next race.”
DANIEL WILKERSON TAKING ON FIREBIRD MOTORSPORTS PARK FOR FIRST TIME
CHANDLER, AZ – Behind the wheel of his SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car, Daniel Wilkerson will make his first pass as a 
driver down Firebird Motorsports Park at this weekend’s NHRA Arizona Nationals, the third of 20 events on the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season schedule.
Despite not having driven Firebird Motorsports Park, formerly Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, as a crew chief, Wilkerson led Chad Green to a No.5 qualifying position and ultimately a semifinal finish at the Arizona Nationals in 2023. He’s also watched his father and now crew chief of the SCAG Ford Funny Car, Tim, navigate the track wearing the hat of both crew chief and driver on numerous occasions.
“It’s cool to be coming back to Arizona. You know last year they said it was going to be the final event, the ‘final pass’ so I’m happy that circumstances changed, and a new opportunity came up that allows us to be racing back at the facility,” Wilkerson said. “I’m excited to get my first lap in on Friday. I’ve been to Phoenix plenty, I know the track, but I’ve never driven it.”
JUSTIN ASHLEY AND SCAG TEAM READY TO MAKE EVERY RUN COUNT AT NHRA ARIZONA NATIONALS
CHANDLER, AZ – Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster team will have a busy weekend as they head into 
NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsport Park. Not only will they be looking for a Wally on Sunday but throughout qualifying they’ll be competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge and contest the finals of the weather delayed NHRA Winternationals.
Ashley will start his weekend competing in the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge racing against his semifinal opponent, Brittany Force, from the Winternationals during the first qualifying session. If all goes well, Ashley will race in the finals of the Challenge Saturday during the second session. In what will also count as his final qualifying attempt, Ashley will face Tony Schumacher in his fourth consecutive Winternationals final round as he chases his third straight victory of the event.
“Under normal circumstances, you’re in a very particular mindset for the first round on Sunday because it’s the first eliminations race of the weekend. In 2023 that changed a bit when we had the opportunity to get into that mindset on Saturday with the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. This weekend, that starts in Q1, so we’ll have our work cut out for us immediately but cannot wait to get started,” Ashley said. “We did well in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenges last year. It was a great experience, and we enjoyed the format. It’s exciting for the both the fans and teams to see high levels of racing throughout qualifying and race day.”
