During the 66th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals the NHRA was celebrating its 75th anniversary and the running of the 1000th Funny Car race. For Top Fuel team owner and Funny Car and Top Fuel driver Travis Shumake, whose father Tripp, was a beloved driver throughout his career, the weekend was an emotional experience. The younger Shumake entered a nostalgia Funny Car with the livery his father race when he won the 1981 Southern Nationals, the 100th Funny Car race in NHRA history.
“This was an amazing opportunity to honor my father and celebrate NHRA Funny Car racing,” said Shumake, who has been a fixture in the NHRA since 2021. “Running the Johnny Loper Little Hoss Funny Car was a thrill for the fans and for me. Throughout the weekend fans came up to our pits or stopped us in the staging lanes to say nice things about my dad and seeing him race. I want to thank the NHRA for all they did this weekend to honor Tripp.”
On Friday Shumake was on the NHRA stage in the professional pits talking with FOX announcer Courtney Enders about his father’s legacy, what it was like growing up with a Funny Car dad and his own professional drag racing career. On Saturday Shumake was part of the huge autograph session representing his father along all the milestone Funny Car winners before the group was presented with framed National Dragster covers highlighting their significant wins. The presentation happened on the starting line before the third qualifying session.
“The drivers who won significant Funny Car races include some of the biggest stars in the category,” said Shumake. “I was proud to represent my dad and our family. Tripp had a great career and that win at the Southern Nationals was a special achievement for sure.”
Saturday night Shumake was one of the featured drivers at the Night of Champions event at the NHRA Auto Club Museum. Funny Car world champion Jack Beckman hosted several of the milestone Funny Car winners for a lively question and answer session. For Shumake, getting to spend a day celebrating his father and the Funny Car class was a highlight he won’t forget any time soon.
“My career has been a wild ride with ups and downs,” said Shumake. “I look at what my dad accomplished and that motivates me to keep working hard and finding sponsors so I can have a long career in drag racing. This weekend was so special because it proved that your legacy could live forever. My dad is a part of NHRA history, and I want to continue to honor his legacy and make my own special moments. Racing in the Legacy Funny Car Series is a fun experience and I am learning every pass.”
On the track Shumake was turning heads driving for Funny Car veteran Dave Bejamin, the Funny Car featured the famed Little Hoss colors of his father’s original car owner, Johnny Loper. This was Shumake’s second consecutive Legacy Funny Car Series event.
Shumake added Le Tour wines, a non-alcoholic wine that tastes like the real thing as a significant sponsor for the rest of the season. Le Tour starts with real French grapes, sourced from trusted vineyards and made using traditional winemaking methods. Through a gentle dealcoholization process, the alcohol is removed keeping the flavor and structure intact.
“Getting together with Le Tour wines for the rest of the season will be very exciting,” said Shumake. “I love wine and I love drag racing. Their dealcoholization process means I can enjoy both at the track. This is a great environment for them to activate and introduce Le Tour to a huge audience. This weekend was a great introduction to the sport for Le Tour.”
For more information on Travis Shumake and his racing program head over to www.travisshumake.com.
The post Celebratory Winternationals Weekend Highlight for Travis Shumake first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
