After a season defined by frustration, Dean Dubbin and the Dubbin Motorsports A/Fuel Dragster team arrive at Brainerd with something they haven’t had much of in 2026: momentum. Persistent mechanical issues have kept the team on its heels for much of the year, forcing Dubbin to regroup, re‑evaluate, and ultimately take the car to Indianapolis Raceway Park for a two‑day test session ahead of the race in Brainerd.
The Indy session marked a turning point. With new personnel in key roles and several targeted changes to the combination, the team finally saw the consistency and responsiveness they’ve been chasing.
“We had a solid two‑day test at Indy, and I think the car is finally where it needs to be,” said team owner Dean Dubbin. “It’s been a tough year. For several races I thought we had a handle on it, and we clearly didn’t. We’ve made changes to the team and to the car, and I’m confident we’ve got things sorted out.”
For Dubbin Motorsports, Brainerd represents more than another stop on the tour. It’s the first true benchmark of whether the Indy progress translates into race‑day performance.
“Testing is one thing, but the real measure is lining up against good cars and seeing how you stack up,” Dubbin said. “We’ll find out at Brainerd how much progress we’ve actually made.”
With a productive test session behind them, the Kentex Roofing/DMP Awnings-backed team turns its focus to a race at their home track. Brainerd International Raceway has long been familiar territory for the Little Falls, Minnesota based operation, sitting just 40 miles north of the team’s headquarters. That proximity sets the stage for a weekend surrounded by family, longtime supporters, and the kind of hometown energy that always seems to elevate the team’s performance.
Driver Kirk Wolf enters Brainerd with a renewed sense of optimism following the team’s latest round of testing.
“Testing went very well, and it looks like we finally have the car where we need it,” said Wolf. “The issue was definitely in the clutch, and with help from a couple of Top Fuel crew chiefs, I think we’ve got it sorted out. I feel very confident we’re back on track with a car capable of being competitive again.”
Brainerd has traditionally been a strong venue for Dubbin Motorsports, producing multiple late‑round appearances, including a memorable 2018 Lucas Oil Nationals final‑round matchup where Dean Dubbin lost a close race to Jackie Fricke in John Finke’s A/Fuel Dragster.
But Brainerd has also delivered moments the team would rather forget. In a 2023 semifinal bout with Mike Lewis, Dubbin’s dragster powered into a wheel‑stand early in the run, forcing him to lift and surrender the round. The incident would also cause enough damage to the car that a complete front-half chassis replacement was required.
In addition to the team’s primary A/Fuel Dragster, the debut of the “A/Fuel Funster” will have the team working overtime to keep two cars serviced throughout the weekend. The Funster is a 250‑inch‑wheelbase hybrid chassis that blends a Funny Car-style back‑half with an extended dragster front section – an unconventional layout that immediately sets it apart in the Top Alcohol Dragster pits.
Power comes from a 451‑cubic‑inch Noonan combination on injected nitromethane, but the most radical departure is in the drivetrain. Instead of the class‑standard four‑disc centrifugal clutch, the Funster uses a 12.3‑inch non‑lockup Neil Chance torque converter paired with a billet Quick Drive unit. A dragster built in this Funster configuration – injected nitro and converter‑driven – has never competed in NHRA competition.
Its debut is expected to draw significant attention at Brainerd, adding intrigue to the Top Alcohol Dragster category and giving Dubbin Motorsports a second entry unlike anything the class has seen.
Brainerd has never been short on strange sights, both on the track and deep inside “The Zoo,” but this year the debut of the Funster may outdo anything fans encounter in either place. The unconventional, converter‑driven, injected‑nitro hybrid dragster is poised to be the most talked‑about oddity of the weekend.
This story was originally published on August 17, 2026.
The post Dubbin Motorsports Looking for Success in Brainerd With Two Radically Different Cars first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
