If you’re a fan of fast cars, particularly the dragster and Funny Car type, and just a good drag race, then don’t sleep on the Top Alcohol categories that reach speeds of up to 275-plus MPH and elapsed times of 5.40 seconds or quicker.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #190, the State of Drag Issue, in September/ October of 2024.]
Top Alcohol Dragster (TAD) and Top Alcohol Funny Car (TAFC) are consistently filled with seasoned veterans and new talents pushing the boundaries of performance and excitement, providing a dynamic and competitive landscape in the classes.
Qualifying orders are frequently only separated by thousandths of a second, each event usually produces a different winner, and championships are clinched by a mere tens of points.
Another added layer of interest is the internal rival within the classes – one that TAD has been familiar with for some time, but TAFC has recently been introduced to.
There are two different engine combinations available to competitors – the supercharged kind, which lends its notoriety to the class’s roots, and then the injected nitro version, which is more commonly found nowadays. Oftentimes, the injected combination finds itself at the top of the class; however, the blown-alcohol machines are not far behind and remain competitive, too, making it more exciting for racers and fans.
Jackie Fricke, a standout in the TAD category who pilots the injected Finke Racing dragster, has been aiming for a championship for several years, falling short by only 20 points in 2021.
“To win a championship, no detail can be overlooked,” says Fricke. “In 2021, the final round of our final points-earning event (after winning 11 straight rounds) ended our championship run. In reality, all of the rounds during the season make the difference.
“Every person on our team shares the same goal and is committed to winning a championship; our team owner John [Finke] said we will not quit until we get one. That is both good and bad because I want the championship, but don’t want him to hang it up when we achieve that goal,” Fricke says laughingly.
NHRA regional and national event winner James Stevens has recently introduced a second blown alcohol car as part of his team, which has been a growing trend in the class, especially for the nitro-injected dragsters.
“I really enjoy the challenge of tuning the blown alcohol combination,” says Stevens. “Some of the best and worst times have been spent at the track.”
Nick Spiegel is newer to the game and is the other half of Stevens’ Performance Truck team. He prefers the blown-alcohol combination as well, even though many newcomers veer towards the nitro-injected entry.
“The competition these days is tough – just to qualify for a race is a win in itself. Driving a blower car is a blast; you have a lot going on as a driver in just a short amount of time, compared to just smashing the gas on an A/Fuel car,” says Spiegel, who was hooked on racing at an early age.
Sean Bellemeur, driver of the Bartone Bros. Racing Top Alcohol Funny Car, is a three-time NHRA national champion and a two-time regional champion. He knows firsthand how hard it is to win a championship.
“The old adage comes to mind: if it were easy, then everyone would do it. There are so many factors. The obvious ones are having the time, money, and resources to even have the option to try,” says Bellemeur.
“The competition. Yes, there are fewer cars these days. But quality cars are everywhere. The competition itself is much tougher. If there are 12 cars at a race, 11 of them can win at any time – maybe all 12.”
He also points out the “not so obvious” challenges, like having the right tune-up for the tracks across the country that the TAFC class visits.
“Cold, hot, humid, dry, high track temp, low track temp, good prep and bad prep – you still must turn on win lights. No excuses. Treating each and every run you make with the same mentality, be as good as you can possibly be,” adds Bellemeur, “that gets taxing – mentally and physically.
“It’s a long season. This is no sprint. It’s a marathon, and over the years, I’ve learned that keeping that vision where it needs to be is critical to success,” says Bellemeur.
He even compares the run-to-run challenges of a TAFC to “two bull riders in the same ring at the same time.”
“They’re damn hard to drive. They make you look like a fool in no time,” confesses Bellemeur. “But don’t slip up because there’s Maddi Gordon, Bob McCosh, Ulf Leanders, Brian Hough, Shane Westerfield, Chris Foster, Phil Esz, DJ Cox, Kyle Smith, and so many others waiting to pounce.”
Furthering the point that the TAFC class is exciting for fans and rewarding for the competitors, Bellemeur explains what makes it all worth it.
“It’s mayhem at times; sometimes it’s harder than others, but that’s what makes the taste of victory so wonderful,” he says. “That feeling at the end of the road when you get to stand in unison with your brothers and sisters and say together, ‘We did it!’ There’s nothing better than that.”
This story was originally published on November 8, 2024.
The post 25 Reasons to Be Excited About Drag Racing: No. 11 – Top Alcohol Turns Up the Heat first appeared on Drag Illustrated.