Upstart Funny Car driver Dylan Winefsky will be taking his second crack at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend driving the Nitro Moose Funny Car during the Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals. This will be the third NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event for the young driver from Arizona who has raced his way from junior dragster to Nitro Funny Car. Winefsky made his NHRA debut at the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals and then made a strong effort at the Northwest Nationals in Seattle before coming back to Las Vegas to wrap up his big show Funny Car season.
“I’m excited to get back to Las Vegas for sure,” said Winefsky. “I am getting more comfortable and by the time we get to this race I will have made almost a dozen runs. Every time I get in the car, I feel more confident. Vegas is almost like a home race for us. I raced everything from Juniors to my big show car. It makes it easier on my mind because I am comfortable there.”
Since the Nitro Moose Funny Car was in action in Seattle, Winefsky and his father Robert have been busy making improvements to the car as well as getting track time at a variety of events in multiple roles.
The team has been busy prepping the Funny Car for Las Vegas which included some roll cage padding upgrades to conform to the new rules that became effective in July. Dylan crewed on Maddern’s Top Alcohol Dragster in Seattle during the August event and then again in Dallas during the Stampede of Speed and Texas Fall Nationals. Last weekend he was working with veteran Johnny West and his Plan A fuel altered at the California Hot Rod Reunion and worked his way to a win at the historic event.
“I have been working on other people’s race cars between races and it definitely motivates me to get back in the seat,” said Winefsky. “Last weekend in Bakersfield was awesome. I appreciate the opportunity to keep learning, but I love to drive and that is what we want to do. Everyone is out here looking for sponsors and trying to do a good job. I just want to keep improving and hopefully we’ll catch someone’s attention.”
During his last NHRA national event effort Winefsky overcame several issues off track with his trailer just to get ready to race. Between qualifying sessions, the team was working on the car and making sure they were ready for the next round. It was a complete team effort that saw Winefsky make the tough field of 16 as the No. 16 qualifier. In the first round he executed his burnout, and it sounded like throttle stuck. He explained when he grabbed the brake, he broke the cable and set off the fire bottles. He had to sit and watch as No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock smoked the tires on a single.
“Seattle was a tough race for us,” said Winefsky. “We had a lot going on leading up to the race and honestly just being able to make runs was a win for us. This weekend I know I will be more focused and ready to go some rounds. I know we are not in the Countdown, but this race is just like a Countdown race for our team.”
Winefsky and the Nitro Moose team will be getting back into action on Friday with two qualifying runs. They will also be participating in the fan trick or treating event throughout the day on Friday. On Saturday they will have two more qualifying runs to grab one of the 16 spots in the field with 21 competitors on the entry list. For the up-and-coming driver this will be a hearty test for his team.
“We can only go out and give it our best this weekend,” said Winefsky. “There are a ton of Funny Cars on the entry list, but I have a lot of confidence in this team. It will be tough, but we are up to the challenge.”
Fans can follow the Nitro Moose Funny Car team and Dylan Winefsky Racing on their social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
This story was originally published on October 28, 2025.
The post Dylan Winefsky Ready to Take on Vegas Again first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
