because you want to SEE it

Travis Shumake Racing

TRAVIS SHUMAKE TO HONOR FATHER’S UPSET WIN WITH TRIBUTE CAR AT AUTO CLUB FINALS

NEW YORK, NY – 40 years after his father Tripp’s upset Funny Car win at the 1982 World Finals, Travis Shumake will return to southern California with the same goal; play spoiler. In 1982, the elder Shumake was brought in by Funny Car legend Billy Meyer as a “blocker” to defeat championship contenders Don Prudhomme and Frank Hawley. The single-race deal and Cinderella story ended with Shumake in the finals against Kenny Bernstein after taking out both Hawley and Prudhomme earlier in the day at what would be the last World Finals held at the famed Orange County International Raceway. This weekend at the Auto Club NHRA Finals Shumake wraps up a successful debut season racing the Randy Meyers owned and tuned Top Alcohol Dragster with the support of Envision RISE, an evolutionary platform that utilizes Organizational Change Management (OCM), Human Resource Management (HRM), and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) to create a powerful integration and understanding between organizations and their workforce.

“Our partnership with Travis has created a direct path for us to connect in a unique way with the NHRA fan base and our clients,” said Envision RISE’s founder and CEO, Joseph Anderson. “Travis has been a huge supporter of our mission and has worked hard to demonstrate his commitment to becoming a top NHRA driver and an advocate for opportunity derived from hard work and respect.”

Continue reading

Share

Travis Shumake and Sheetz TAD Upset Early at Betway Nationals

CONCORD, NC – NHRA rising star Travis Shumake raced his Sheetz Top Alcohol Dragster, which also enjoys support from Envision Rise to the No. 3 qualifying position at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals. It was Shumake’s best qualifying effort driving the Randy Meyer owned and tuned 270 mph dragster. Last weekend Shumake raced to the semifinals and the New York City resident was looking to continue his successful progression in his third national event as part of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

Two qualifying runs on Friday saw Shumake improve with each pass and this morning he posted his career quickest and fastest run of 5.213 seconds at 274.39 mph to secure the third quickest time out of 21 Top Alcohol Dragster competitors. Heading into the first round of eliminations Shumake, the second generation drag racer who is the son of Funny Car standout driver Tripp Shumake, was confident and relaxed.

“That final qualifying run was amazing for this Sheetz dragster with Envision Rise onboard,” said Shumake. “That was a career best run and I feel really good going into the first round. I am all about getting experience and showing off this Sheetz dragster.”

Continue reading

Share

TRAVIS SHUMAKE BRINGS SHEETZ SHOW TO BETWAY CAROLINA NATIONALS

CONCORD, NC – Following a semifinal finish at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals last weekend Top Alcohol Dragster racer Travis Shumake will bring his Sheetz backed, Randy Meyer owned and tuned 270 mph dragster to zMax Dragway this weekend. The two race Sheetz marketing program is a first in drag racing for the customer-centric destination that offers more than gas and snacks and is open 24/7/365. Shumake will be flying the Sheetz colors as well as branding from Envision Rise starting Friday in the ultra-competitive Top Alcohol Dragster class.

“We have another packed field of 21 cars this weekend and my goal is to drive this Sheetz-Envision Rise dragster into the top half of the field in qualifying,” said Shumake. “I’m excited to race at Zmax, I know it’s one of the best tracks on the circuit and Randy and the team have had great success here over the years.”

This will be Shumake’s third national event competing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and last weekend was a breakout event for the second generation drag racer. The 38-year-old New York City resident won the first and second round of racing of his professional career with new sponsor Sheetz at the Pep Boys Nationals. In the semifinals the developing driver jumped the start forcing a redlight disqualification, but his spirits were not dampened because of the mistake.

Continue reading

Share

Travis Shumake Takes Sheetz TAD to Semifinals at Pep Boys Nationals

READING, PA – Rookie Top Alcohol Dragster driver Travis Shumake of New York City took a major step forward as an up and coming drag racer racing to the semifinals of the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in just his second career national event start. Racing the Randy Meyer owned and tuned Sheetz Top Alcohol Dragster the second-generation driver qualified No. 12 in a 21 car field loaded with veteran racers.

“I learned so much this weekend,” said Shumake, at the end of the day. “I learned what it’s like to red-light. Sometimes your brain, emotions, and right foot aren’t on the same page. I got really wrapped up in my head going into that semifinal round. As a fan you watch and say, “It so easy to not red light, you just don’t go until the ambers flash” and then you’re in the car and you just…go. Whoops.”

In the first round contested yesterday afternoon Shumake upset No. 5 qualifier and former World Champion Duane Shields with a hole shot win. Shumake took a .049 to .109 second starting line advantage in the Sheetz branded dragster that pushed him to the next round with a winning time of 5.280 seconds, a career quickest run, and a major improvement from his quickest qualifying time of 5.462 seconds.

Continue reading

Share

SHUMAKE DROPS NARROW DECISION IN DEBUT

TOPEKA, KS – After driving the Randy Meyer owned-and-prepared Visit Topeka Pride Kansas A/Fuel dragster to the No. 11 qualifying position, Travis Shumake fell to Jasmine Salinas in the first round of the 33rd Menard’s Nationals presented by Pet Armor Saturday despite a massive .039 of a second starting line advantage.

The 37-year-old, whose dad Tripp was a two-time NHRA Funny Car event winner in the 1980s, made three solid qualifying runs of 5.418, 5.429 and 5.488 seconds before laying down a 5.456 at 263.41 miles per hour in the first round that brought an early end to his debut as the first openly gay driver to compete in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

With Shumake’s starting line edge, the margin at the finish was a thin .076 of a second.  Despite the early exit, the second-generation driver characterized his national event debut as a major success for himself and the LGBTQ community in a sport already widely-recognized for its diversity.

Continue reading

Share

Travis Shumake Ready for Las Vegas Divisional Debut

LAS VEGAS – Travis Shumake, son of the late NHRA Funny Car driver Tripp Shumake, will make his NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster debut this weekend at Las Vegas behind the wheel of a Randy Meyer Racing Top Alcohol Dragster. Shumake will be racing in the NHRA Division 7 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event, April 8-10.

“My goal is still to be in a Funny Car but there is so much I can learn from Randy in the A/Fuel car while gaining much needed seat time and race-day experience” said Shumake. “I had an incident here in Vegas last fall in the Funny Car and mentors Chad Head and Justin Ashley pointed me in the direction of Randy.”

In tribute to both his father and late Top Alcohol Driver Mark Niver, Shumake will race using the competition number 777-s. “I grew up in Mark’s shop down the street from my childhood home in Phoenix. For most of their careers dad and Mark rocked the 777 in whatever category they were racing. I asked Tanis Niver for permission to use the retired number with the additional ‘s’ as a tribute and she was thrilled. It’s a privilege to honor both of their legacies and impact on me and drag racing in Arizona.”

Continue reading

Share

Travis Shumake Continues Historic Journey

DALLAS – Yesterday, second-generation drag racer Travis Shumake, 37, took another major step forward in pursuing his dream of becoming a professional National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Funny Car driver while speeding into the record books as the fastest LGTBQ+ driver across all professional motorsports. Under the direction of two-time NHRA world champion driver and crew chief Del Worsham, Shumake made several passes to begin the process of earning his professional Funny Car license. On his final run of the day the unsponsored driver made a full pass under power in 4.009 seconds at 319.62 mph.  Once he has completed the process, he will become the first openly gay professional drag racer in the sports history. The New York City resident will be eligible to race at any NHRA sanctioned track or enter any NHRA national event behind the wheel of the fastest full-bodied race car on the planet, an 11,000- horsepower Funny Car.

“My goal was to have this license in my hand at the end of the day, but I don’t view this as a major setback. I crossed the centerline, disqualifying a critical pass and we just ran out of time at the end of the day,” said Shumake. “I am happy with the progress I made today with this phenomenal team. I am hoping to bring a few prospective sponsors to final races of the season so if anything, they’ll have the chance to watch me in action if I can get back in the seat to finish the final pass I need for my license in Vegas or Pomona.”

Continue reading

Share

Travis Shumake Pursues Funny Car Dream and History

NEW YORK – Second-generation Funny Car driver Travis Shumake, 36, is charting a quick path to being the first openly gay driver of an 11,000-horsepower Funny Car in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).  Already a licensed Super Comp racer, Shumake made a major move towards fulfilling his dream on June 15, earning his Nostalgia Funny Car license at the Frank Hawley Driving School in Bradenton, Florida. The New York City resident, who ironically does not own a passenger vehicle, is one step away from securing his professional Funny Car license and stepping into the history books as the first openly gay driver in the sport.

“Someone will be the first; it’s only a matter of time,” Shumake said. “I know my dad would be proud of me for breaking that barrier.”

Shumake grew up in drag racing as the son of the late Funny Car champion Tripp Shumake. His father was a dominant force in the 70s and 80s, winning multiple NHRA national events as a member of both the 5-second and the 250-mph clubs. Additionally, his mother Susie was a staple on the circuit and was recently inducted into the Arizona Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2018. Throughout his life Shumake has always felt the pull to get behind the wheel and compete at the highest level like his father.

Continue reading

Share
  • MBE Button 290x
Team/Series News
Follow Us On Facebook
Facebook Pagelike Widget