Dubbin Motorsports and driver Kirk Wolf will make their first start at US 131 Motorsports Park this week, at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals, Sept. 18-20 in Martin, Michigan. The event opens the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs for Mission Food Series competitors and marks the first NHRA national event held in Michigan in 66 years.
The DMP Awnings / Kentex Roofing‑backed team arrives in Michigan following a productive Brainerd weekend, where Wolf qualified 12th after three steady qualifying sessions before falling to Mitch Kalitta in round one of eliminations during Kalitta’s NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster National Event debut.
Team owner Dean Dubbin says Brainerd delivered the data the team needed to address a persistent issue in the clutch‑can – one that has plagued the program throughout the 2026 season.
“We had a good race in Brainerd,” Dubbin said. “We’re slowly correcting the problems that have plagued this car for almost a year. We finally have the data we need to get the car back where it needs to be to be competitive again.”
“The car is becoming more stable and predictable, which lets us focus on performance instead of just trying to make it repeat,” added Dubbin. “Consistency doesn’t help you if it isn’t paired with performance. With what we found in Brainerd, we expect to be more competitive this weekend.”
The team has also worked through a restructuring of crew roles in recent weeks, with personnel settling into new and expanded responsibilities heading into the Michigan race.
“Right now we’re doing the same amount of work with fewer people, but it seems to be working,” Dubbin said. “It’s always nice to have more hands on the car, but we’re making it work with the good people we have. It’s a solid group. We’re working hard and having fun.”
Dubbin is also tracking conditions for race day, eager to come out of the trailer with a strong showing early in qualifying.
“I’ve been watching the weather closely, and I want the right combination for Q1 so we have the best chance of getting solidly into the show,” said Dubbin. “Once we’re comfortably in, that’s when we can start leaning on it – making more power and getting the car to react more aggressively earlier in the run to give Kirk the best chance of turning on win lights.”
Wolf is just as eager to get to Michigan, hungry to finally put the clutch issues that have plagued the team for more than a year in the rear‑view mirror and get back to the business of winning rounds and winning races.
“At the Brainerd race we learned a lot,” Wolf said. “We’ve had a tough year chasing an issue we could never quite pin down, and it’s been frustrating for everyone. But we believe we’ve finally found and fixed the problem in the clutch. US 131 is a huge race for us, and we’re going into it with a lot of confidence. When we make that first pass, we’ll know for sure whether the clutch problems are truly behind us.”
“I’m always excited to run in cool conditions,” Wolf continued. “We have a car that really responds well to the weather forecast for the weekend. If the track is in good shape and our clutch issues are truly behind us, I believe we can run near the top of the field.”
Cooler fall conditions typically work in favor of the Dubbin Motorsports A/Fuel dragster, and the team will make its first lap at US 131 Motorsports Park early Friday at approximately 10:30 a.m., with Q2 later Friday afternoon around 4:30 p.m.
The unofficial event schedule features two qualifying sessions on Friday and one on Saturday, ahead of eliminations beginning Saturday afternoon and continuing through Sunday. All sessions and eliminations will stream live on NHRA.tv.
Dubbin Motorsports also debuted its second Top Alcohol Dragster entry – the hybrid “Funster” – at Brainerd, with Dubbin himself behind the wheel. Issues in the drive unit kept the car from making a competition pass, but Dubbin says the program is already planning additional testing later in the year, weather and travel permitting.
“People have been anxious to see more of the ‘Funster.’ We had planned on going to Brainerd’s last bracket race to get a few hits, but I will be out of town now, so we will have to travel somewhere to do some testing,” Dubbin said. “Maybe we can get that done before the end of the year, but we’ll see.”
This story was originally published on September 14, 2026.
The post Dubbin Motorsports, Kirk Wolf Head To Michigan Looking For Breakthrough Weekend At NHRA Great Lakes Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
