Drag racing at the highest level is one of the most rewarding and frustrating endeavors in sports. For team owner and Funny Car driver Chris King the investment of blood, sweat and money has shown flashes of greatness, but also a fair share of disappointment. This weekend at the 15th annual NAPA NHRA Midwest Nationals King narrowly missed the 16-car qualified field finishing the four qualifying sessions in the No. 17 position. His best run of 4.265 seconds, 244.34 mph was just behind veteran Dale Creasy Jr.’s 4.234 seconds at 238.17 mph pass that secured the No. 16 position.
“This weekend was disappointing but no one on this team is hanging their head,” said King. “We made a lot of changes and improvements so we knew this weekend would be a challenge. We learned what not to do also a few things we should try to improve on. Bob Peck has been great in adjusting and I think we are moving in the right direction. We will be ready for Dallas in a couple of weeks. There were a lot of people that helped us between Indy and this race, so we are super thankful to be racing at national events.”
King’s best run of the weekend was posted during the second qualifying session when his Howards Cams/Competition Products Funny Car ran 4.265 seconds at 244.34 mph. On Saturday with temperatures rising King smoked the tires in the first run of the day and in the final session he was bumped out of the field before his last run. With only one shot to get into the race his Funny Car made a 5.441 second, 147.01 mph pass that wasn’t quick enough to crack the top 16. King knew that the performance numbers are right around the corner.
“We are putting so much into this team, and I know there are improvements on the horizon,” said King. “I have been building this team for years and nothing happens overnight. Getting to race at this level against some of the best Funny Cars in the world is a great honor. This Howards Cams/Competition Products Funny Car is going to continue to get better. We will be heading to Dallas for the Stampede of Speed in two weeks. I can’t wait to get back into my race car.”
During the event King was available for fans and first responders. He is a full-time Chicago fire fighter between races and this weekend he hosted members of the Madison Fire Department in his pit all weekend. Throughout the weekend first responders were invited to sign King’s Funny Car and he arranged for members of the Madison fire department to watch qualifying from the sponsor viewing section on the starting line.
“We have been having first responders sign our Funny Car throughout the season, but this was a really cool weekend,” said King. “We had a ton of people from the Madison fire department in our pits. We were able to get them onto the starting line. That was a great experience for everyone.” On race day King spent some time with the St. Louis fans talking about what it takes to race at the highest level. The event was hosted at The Shed, which is surrounded by the World Wide Technology Raceway campground. The crowd had several questions for King, and he gave the group an entertaining experience.
“It was an early morning but I loved talking to the fans at any race,” said King. “That is what is great about NHRA drag racing. We get to spend time with fans and they can get up close to just about anyone racing out here.”
King and his Funny Car team will be back in action during the Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex October 14-18, 2026. Friday qualifying will feature two sessions including the Battle of the Saddle on Friday night sponsored by JEGS Friday Night Live. Two more qualifying sessions will follow on Saturday with final eliminations of the fourth Countdown playoff race commencing on Sunday.
The post Chris King Takes Positives From St. Louis Experience at NHRA Midwest Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
