Tim Wilkerson Racing
Wilkerson Debuts New SCAG/LRS Ford Funny Car at NHRA Season-Opener
GAINESVILLE, FL – Tim Wilkerson made his professional NHRA debut at Gainesville Raceway during the 1996 Gatornationals, and at the 
2023 NHRA Camping World Series season-opener, Wilkerson enjoyed another Gainesville ‘first,’ debuting his new SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang Funny Car. The weekend marked the start of a new era in Wilkerson’s career, as he hit the track as a co-owner of his Funny Car team after operating solely as a privateer for more than two decades.
Starting race day from the No. 12 seed, Wilkerson faced tough competition in his first-round opponent, lining up against No. 5 qualifier and three-time world champ Matt Hagan. Wilkerson launched off of the starting line and appeared to be on a good run until he neared 500 feet and his machine started hazing the tires. In the opposite lane, Hagan made a clean pass for the win, ending Wilkerson’s day early.
“We’re going to give ourselves a D-minus for performance, but we’re going to work on that,” said Wilkerson, who serves as both the driver and crew chief of his Maynard Wilkerson Racing entry, which he co-owns with Joe and Cathi Maynard. “These new parts are throwing me a curve, but we’ll get to the next race and figure out what we’re doing wrong. We hope to improve our performance a little bit at a time. Obviously, it was a disappointing weekend performance-wise, but it was great to be able to spend time with all of the SCAG folks, and meet the dealers and distributors.”
Maynard and Wilkerson Funny Car Team headed to the Gators
Gainesville, FL – Tim Wilkerson, driver of the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Mustang made his professional NHRA debut 
at the 1996 Gatornationals. The 2023 Gainesville race marks a new era in Wilkerson’s career as he will hit the track as a co-owner of his Funny Car operation, Maynard Wilkerson Racing, after competing as the sole owner/operator of his race team for more than two decades.
Wilkerson starts the season as a 49-time finalist and is looking to reach his 50th championship round at the Gainesville season-opener.
“Very excited about a new season, of course. First few runs of testing, the new parts are fighting me a little bit, along with the race track conditions, but by Friday we’ll have this thing turned around and acting like it’s supposed to. It’s not quite acting like the car I had last year just yet. That’s why I always say, ‘never brag about your kid or your car.’ But all jokes aside, we’re very excited about the whole year and hopefully, we can get it figured out by this weekend and get this season started off on the right foot.” stated Tim.
CTS Custom Trailers Pledges Support to Maynard Wilkerson Racing Funny Car Team
BROWNSBURG, IN – Veteran NHRA Funny Car racer Tim Wilkerson has a knack for retaining long-term partnerships within his team’s 
roster of sponsors, including most notably, Levi, Ray and Shoup, a backer of the fan-favorite driver since 1999, and Summit Racing Equipment, which has been along for the ride with ‘Wilk’ for 15 years. As he gears up for the 2023 NHRA Camping World Series season, Wilkerson is pleased to announce the addition of another long-term marketing partner to his Maynard Wilkerson Racing (MWR) entry. CTS Custom Trailers will join Wilkerson in his new MWR venture as an associate-level sponsor of the SCAG Power Equipment/Levi, Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang.
Owned by father/daughter duo Jason and Lakin Curry, CTS Custom Trailers is a newly-launched division of Curry’s Truck and Auto Repair, Wilkerson’s sponsor of the past 11 years. Based in Muscatine, Iowa, CTS Custom Trailers is dedicated to building customized boat trailers that fit the unique needs and lifestyle of every boat owner and manufacturer.
“Curry’s Truck and Auto Repair has been a loyal supporter of our Funny Car operation for well over a decade, and I’m proud that the Currys have decided to continue on with our Maynard Wilkerson Racing team. They’re a family-based company with strong mid-Western values, and that’s important to me. We’ve enjoyed flying the colors of Curry’s Truck and Auto for all these years, and are excited to now represent the Curry’s new CTS Custom Trailers brand,” explained Wilkerson, a lifelong resident of Springfield, Ill.
JCM Racing Teams Up with Tim Wilkerson Racing to Form Maynard Wilkerson Racing Funny Car Team, Expands Partnership with SCAG Power Equipment
BROWNSBURG, IN – JCM Racing has teamed up with 22-time NHRA Funny Car winner Tim Wilkerson, it was announced today. Effective 
immediately, Wilkerson and JCM Racing team owner Joe Maynard will serve as co-owners of Wilkerson’s Funny Car operation, which will compete as Maynard Wilkerson Racing (MWR), and will see the addition of JCM Racing partner SCAG Power Equipment as its primary sponsor.
“SCAG approached us toward the end of the 2022 NHRA season and explained that they were interested in expanding their partnership with our team and would like to have representation in the Funny Car category,” said Maynard, who, as the majority owner of the Tony Schumacher-piloted Top Fuel dragster, will now field two Camping World Series entries under the JCM Racing banner in 2023. “Naturally, we thought Tim would be an excellent fit. As a self-built business owner and someone who wears many different hats throughout his day-to-day operation, Tim is a relatable guy who appeals to the masses. He’s a hard worker, a true get-your-hands-dirty type. And let’s face it, what’s not to like about Tim Wilkerson? He’s one of the most well-liked and respected drivers in our sport.”
SCAG Power Equipment CEO Randy Gloede echoed Maynard’s sentiment, saying “Not only has Tim spent the last two-plus decades running his Funny Car operation as an owner/driver/tuner, but he also owns and operates a successful auto repair shop. Tim does it all, much like many of our 1,400 SCAG dealers across the country.”
WILKERSON TO RACE TRICK FLOW FUNNY CAR AT NORWALK
NORWALK, OH – Fan favorite NHRA Funny Car driver Tim Wilkerson will debut a Trick Flow Specialties Ford Mustang Funny Car at the 
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. The 22-time Funny Car national event winner, who most recently earned runner-up finish at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, will switch from his familiar green and black Levi, Ray & Shoup livery to Trick Flow’s dynamic blue and orange for this exciting race. Wilkerson will be chasing his second win at America’s Racetrack, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The veteran driver won the wildly popular NHRA national event in 2010, defeating John Force in the final.
“We are excited to be representing Trick Flow Specialties this weekend at Norwalk,” said Wilkerson, who has 47 career Funny Car final round appearances. “We have a great relationship with Summit Racing Equipment and Trick Flow Specialties is a great partner. This weekend will be a huge event and we will be looking to go some rounds and get back into the winner’s circle at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.”
So far this season Wilkerson has a semifinal finish at the NHRA Arizona Nationals and a final round appearance at last weekend’s Bristol Dragway. The team owner, driver and crew chief has guided his team to eight qualifying starts from the top half of the field through the first eight races. Wilkerson has enjoyed the support of Levi, Ray & Shoup and Summit Racing Equipment as he battles some of the toughest Funny Car drivers and teams in the modern era. The addition of Trick Flow Specialties for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals will give the team an added boost this weekend.
WILKERSON CAPS SEASON WITH QUARTERFINAL FINISH IN POMONA
POMONA, CA – Veteran driver, crew chief and team owner Tim Wilkerson came into the Auto Club NHRA Finals with one goal. The two-
time Funny Car winner in 2021 wanted to put on a great show for the fans and finish the season on a high note in the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Ford Mustang Funny Car.
Through two days of qualifying Wilkerson crept up on a consistent tune-up in unseasonably warm temperatures for Southern California. In the final session Wilkerson got a hold of a positive move and ran 3.990 seconds at 316.23 mph. It was not a standout run but it was enough of an improvement to give the experienced driver and crew chief something to work with on race day.
“We struggled in qualifying for sure,” said Wilkerson. “The track was hot and we didn’t get everything we wanted to out of it. I kept at it and Richard (Hartman) and I talked. I made some adjustments for Saturday night, and it improved like I hoped it would. I felt confident coming into the first round even though we didn’t have lane choice.”
Wilkerson Battles Through Thunder Valley Nationals
BRISTOL, TN – Two days of qualifying and a very cool race day challenged Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford 
Mustang Funny Car at historic Bristol Dragway. After the Friday and Saturday qualifying sessions, Wilkerson had powered his 11,000 horsepower Funny Car to the No. 4 qualifier position. He came out of the trailer on Friday with the quickest run of the day and the provisional No. 1. Throughout the two sessions on Saturday Wilkerson along with car chief Richard Hartman looked at ways to repeat that performance after track conditions began to change following overnight rains and dropping temperatures.
Neither run on Saturday moved the team to the finish line under power. The tricky track conditions kept all the Funny Car teams on their toes. Many crew chiefs and teams were discussing managing the track conditions which included an exceptional launch zone for the first 60 feet followed by a track surface that was unwieldy to the power generated by the short wheel-based Funny Cars that cover the 1,000-foot race track in less than four seconds.
On Sunday morning air temperatures barely crept above 50 degrees and track temperatures hovered around 75 degrees at the start of eliminations. A chaotic first round of Top Fuel which featured nearly half a dozen engine explosions resulting in a significant amount of down time had tuners re-evaluating their decisions. Wilkerson made some adjustments based on his two Saturday runs with the hope that he could capture the magic that put him at the top of the field on Friday night.
Tim Wilkerson’s Great Effort Upset at Texas Fall Nationals
ENNIS, TX – Coming into the Stampede of Speed at the historic Texas Motorplex two-time 2021 Funny Car national event winner Tim 
Wilkerson knew the event would be a great opportunity to throw down some quick times in his Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford Mustang. The Texas NHRA Fall Nationals featured four rounds of qualifying for the professional teams and Wilkerson took advantage of every round to fine tune his 11,000 horsepower Funny Car. As the only competitor on the tour who is a team owner, crew chief and driver the Springfield, Illinois based driver had his hands full over the four-day event.
“We had a really good handle on this Levi, Ray & Shop Summit Mustang this weekend,” said Wilkerson who has 22 Funny Car national event wins. “We ran pretty good on Friday night and I was happy with our last run. The conditions were pretty good this morning so we knew we could really get after it. That was a great run and we just got beat by a quicker run. That is how it goes sometimes.”
During the Friday Night Live! Session Wilkerson jumped into the top half of the 16-car field with a 3.936 second run at 327.27 mph and he stepped up in the final qualifying session yesterday with a stout 3.935 second pass at 322.51 mph. The reigning U.S. Nationals winner went into race day as the number nine qualifier and drew a tough match-up with 2018 Funny Car champion and number eight qualifier J.R. Todd. This was a rematch of last weekend’s first round which did not go Wilkerson’s way in St. Louis.
WILKERSON WRAPS UP MONTH OF RACES IN ST LOUIS
ST. LOUIS – After four races in four weeks Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford Mustang Funny Car established 
themselves as NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series championship contenders. Today at the NHRA Midwest Nationals Wilkerson drew a tough first round opponent racing 2018 NHRA Funny Car champion J.R. Todd. As the No. 8 qualifier he had lane choice but both lanes at World Wide Technology Raceway proved to be equally strong for the competitors.
Over two days of qualifying Wilkerson was consistently quick, posting three runs in the 3.93 seconds or quicker range. That kind of consistency has been a hallmark for the man who is the team owner, crew chief and driver of the Mustang Funny Car. His opening run of 3.905 seconds put him in the No. 5 spot heading into Saturday. Through two more sessions he made almost identical 3.93 second runs of 3.934 and 3.936 seconds and at the end of the day the reigning U.S. Nationals winner was the No. 8 qualifier.
Over the past three races Wilkerson had two wins and was looking to continue to move up the points. The first step to a third win in four races would take a win over J.R. Todd. Both drivers took off side-by-side and as they passed half-track they were welded together. Unfortunately, Wilkerson hazed the tires as Todd made a smooth run to advance to the quarterfinal. The loss kept Wilkerson in the No. 7 spot in the point standings with four races remaining.
TIM WILKERSON WINS DEWALT CAROLINA NATIONALS
CHARLOTTE, NC – In in epic display of determination and teamwork Tim Wilkerson and the Levi, Ray & Shoup Summit Racing Ford 
Mustang Funny Car won the DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals today at zMax Dragway. The independent, one-car team which is owned, tuned, and driven by Wilkerson, outlasted four Countdown competitors including three former world champions with a short-handed team during a live Fox national broadcast which shortened turnaround time for all the teams. Wilkerson, who qualified No. 8 took out Bob Tasca III, John Force, Ron Capps, and Cruz Pedregon to pick up his second win in three weeks after a five-year gap between victories.
“It was tremendous pressure today,” said Wilkerson. “It was a crazy, crazy day. It started out pretty good and we went down the track just like I wanted to. From there it kind of went bizarre. Force had me beat (before he crossed the centerline) and he ambushed me last week. It looks like I just need to qualify No. 8. I won Indy out of the No. 8 spot too. That is what I am going to do for the rest of the year, qualify No. 8.”
The quick turnaround for the live national Fox broadcast had Wilkerson’s team working at a break-neck pace. He was short-handed due to a few absences from regular crew members as well as some injuries during the event.
