Originally a line from a 1594 poem by Shakespeare, the phrase “one for all, all for one” was used famously by author Alexandre Dumas in The Three Musketeers, and it even became the unofficial motto of Switzerland. In drag racing, the familiar term can be applied no more aptly than to the Emmons Motorsports team, in which oldest brother Harvey “Speedy” Emmons III races alongside younger triplet brothers Terry, Jerry, and Gary, as well as with his own sons, third-generation drag racers Will and Landon.
While each of these gentlemen have goals of their own in racing and in life, the overarching goal in any given season is to see the group rise. Wholeheartedly campaigning the colors of Lucas Oil Products on their racing entries and the rig that hauls them across the United States to national and divisional events, each driver competes with passion and heart. They approach racing the same way that they contribute to their family business, the Emmons Autoplex automobile dealership in the Clear Lake area of Texas. The Emmons family believes that triumph for one is victory for all, particularly as the team expands to include the next generation.
“We all want to do our best and win, but it’s a team effort,” emphasized Stock Eliminator competitor Will, the eldest son of Speedy. “It’s a hard thing to do, but our goal is to get somebody to the winner’s circle every race. We try to do our best as a team and get someone as far as we can every weekend.”
Third-Gen for the Win
Twice in the 2024 season of NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the family achieved the ultimate goal and brought a trophy back to their homebase in Southeast Texas. Will earned their first victory of the year when he scored the second Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series win of his career at Thunder Valley Raceway Park in Noble, Oklahoma. Driving his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro in the A/SA class of Stock Eliminator, 24-year-old Will earned the final win light by .008-second in an incredible race with Daryl Hamlin.
At the very same event, the team was deep in the hunt for the 12th Emmons family NHRA double – with five previous national and six divisional double-ups already in the books – as Gary raced his SS/HA 1969 Camaro through the rounds. Ultimately, 13-time divisional event winner Gary finished runner-up to fellow Texan Craig Gualtiere in another thoroughly entertaining, thrilling round.
“The fact that we had multiple cars pushing to the end in Noble – it was cool that we were all doing really well,” continued Will, who went on to finish No. 6 in the Division 4 Stock standings. “That was a spectacular weekend to be part of, and at the end of the season, I could truly say that I gave 110 percent, whether it was a win or a loss. As far as what I’m really proud of, though, it’s my brother, Landon. He did really well his first year in the big car, and I was most proud of seeing him achieve all that he did.”
Prior to the team’s full-bore start to the Lucas Oil Series season, young Landon was priming for his transition to the big cars with a triple win at the Southwest Jr. Dragster Series Southwest Showdown at Evadale Raceway. There, he emerged victorious in Quick 16, the 12-17 age group, and the All Run Big Money category. In April, Landon licensed to race NHRA Stock Eliminator at Pine Valley Raceway before making his debut in Noble, where he won his first-round match in the first Stock Eliminator race of his career.
Six months after earning his license and making his debut, Landon scored the first Stock Eliminator trophy of his career with an incredibly impressive final-round victory over 1998 Stock world champion Jeff Hefler. The win took place at the rain-delayed Tulsa division race held just ahead of the FallNationals at Texas Motorplex. Piloting his A/SA Lucas Oil 1969 Camaro in the final, 16-year-old Landon matched his well-versed opponent precisely at the start with a .020 reaction time and got the nod by just .001-second, exemplifying grace and skill under pressure.
“We ran the semifinals in Tulsa before it started raining, and then we had to wait until Dallas,” recalled Landon. “I was just so excited to run the final. I was extremely confident and ready to do it in Tulsa, so it was a little disappointing to have to wait a few weeks. Honestly, it was all I could think about every day.
“I was unbelievably excited in the car when I saw my win light come on; I couldn’t stop smiling and shaking, it was just so much adrenaline, then to get lots of big hugs and support from everyone – it was awesome. Now, I’m 100 percent confident in the car, and when I go to the races, I feel like I have a shot at winning. I’m looking forward to doing better next year and turning on some more win lights.”
In his first season, Landon finished No. 3 in the very tough NHRA South Central Division Stock Eliminator standings.
Proud dad Speedy, the 1994 Stock Eliminator world champion, reached the third round at division races in both Dallas and Tulsa, and he considered the season itself a tremendous win as he raced alongside his two oldest sons. His youngest, Jace, is 12 and will step into a Jr. dragster for the first time next season.
“I love it, it’s cool,” reflected Speedy. “My dad kept us all together racing, took us as kids all over the country racing, and we’re still all together today. It’s kind of like you always hear, ‘the family that plays together, stays together,’ and that’s exactly what’s happening. We’re just tight, all just stuck together, so win or lose, you’re together having fun. That’s what it’s all about.”
Full Support
Terry, technically the oldest of the triplets, reached the quarterfinals at the spring Dallas divisional in his Lucas Oil 2005 Cavalier Super Stock entry that he runs in the SS/BS class.
It was unusual season for 1992 Division 4 Stock champion Terry, as he battled a variety of challenges, including a broken lifter in Tulsa and then engine breakage as he went through the lights during qualifying at the Dallas national event. Circumstances left his racing schedule limited to just four events in his Lucas Oil-branded modified Super Stocker, but he had no issue with stepping back to support the team.
“I actually enjoyed that,” said Terry. “I wanted to be there and take some of the load off of them, whether it’s doing the weather, dial-in predictions, battery chargers, grabbing things for heads-up rounds, cooking food – I was that ‘do it all’ guy, and I don’t mind that at all. I want to be involved at any level.
“Our expectations coming into any season are to push someone to the top. It’s cliché to say that you want to win a world championship – that’s the dream goal for everyone – but our focus this year was on making sure Landon was in the right car with the right opportunities. We wanted him to get the experience he needs and make sure he was going to be set on the right track. A win is a win for all of us, there really is no animosity or jealousy. If they win, it’s as good as me winning.”
Digging in to Diagnose
For both Jerry and Gary, their sense of pride regarding the performances of their nephews was enormous, but they saw room for improvement in regard to their own respective driving, and both were deep into analyzing their seasons before they even got home from the NHRA Finals in Pomona.
For 2021 Stock world champion Jerry, a runner-up in his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro at the fall division race in Dallas highlighted his scorecard, while a pair of semifinals performances – at the Cajun SPORTSnationals and at the Las Vegas national event in the fall – complemented his overall season.
“I’m very critical of my driving,” admitted Jerry. “I have three kids – my last son being born prior to Indy – but I was still on the practice tree every night, Monday through Friday and sometimes Saturday. I work very hard not to hit the same routine and get into a rhythm; I try to mix it up, and I was doing great. I really thought I was going to win, but those good practice sessions fooled me into thinking I did a better job than I did. Pulling back the layer on my season, I can see what I need to work on for next year.
“That being said, it was an enjoyable year for us as a team. Will and Landon share the same passion that we do, and that made going to the races even more exciting, if that’s possible. This season was a learning experience for everybody, and for me, the most critical thing is to make sure the frustrating runs don’t change my outlook and performance down the road.”
Multi-time division champion Gary raced in both Super Stock, where he was No. 10 in the Division 4 standings at year’s end, and Stock, where he was No. 14, over the course of the season. In addition to the runner-up at Noble, Gary recorded a quarterfinals finish at the Belle Rose JEGS SPORTSnationals in Super Stock and a semifinals finish in his Lucas Oil FS/A Cobra Jet Mustang Stocker at the first race of the Dallas spring divisional.
“The end of 2023, the last three races, I’d gone to the semifinals, semifinals, semifinals in my Camaro,” said Gary. “I had really high expectations and a renewed sense of confidence coming into this season. It started off good at Noble, and I felt like even though I didn’t win the race, I was driving like I should win something really soon. I thought, okay, this is going good. But after that, I just didn’t have the year I anticipated.
“That can work on your psyche, but a while back I had a shelf built in my office for some of the older Wallys. When I look at this shelf, it’s a reminder. I know I can win. Sometimes I feel like I’m the weak link in the bunch, and that eats at me, but I just have to slow down and keep my mind calm and make the right decisions at the right time.
“This year was still really special. Both of my nephews winning was just spectacular. Landon has a lot of experience racing Jr. dragsters, but I see how much he wants to race and how much he wants to win, and it reminds me of how I felt years ago. I still feel that way, but as you get older and responsibility sets in, it takes a little more to rub that shine out of you. He has such a fresh perspective on racing and winning, and it’s just so enlightening.”
Will agreed that the season was one for the books and was eager to reflect on what it meant to not just himself, but to the family as a whole.
“It’s pretty crazy how this all started with my grandfather (Harvey Emmons Jr.), dad, and uncles,” he said. “It’s just cool to follow the family tradition and be out here together. You have the competitive moments, but at the same time, you’re able to sit back and appreciate that you’re all out here together, making memories.”
The Emmons Motorsports team thanked Lucas Oil Products, Hoosier Racing Tire, Lupe Tortilla and Stan and Sheila Holt, and VP Racing Fuels for their support of the team every step of the way.
This story was originally published on December 18, 2024. 
The post Emmons Motorsports Team Illustrates Victory, Evolution and Determination in 2024 first appeared on Drag Illustrated.