Scrappers Racing team owner Mike Salinas will return to Top Fuel competition later this month when he joins his daughter, Jasmine Salinas, at the IHRA Triple Crown event at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pennsylvania. The father/daughter duo will compete in the same category for the first time in their careers, with both drivers racing under the Valley Services banner.
In 2024, just one race into the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, the Scrappers Racing organization announced that Mike would be stepping back to address health issues, and Jasmine would replace him as the pilot of the 12,000-horsepower Scrappers Racing Valley Services machine. Now, depending on how the qualifying sheets shake out, the two Top Fuel drivers may have the opportunity to line up their Todd Okuhara-tuned dragsters side-by-side in eliminations.
“I’ve been working to get back in the driver’s seat since I had my surgery,” said the elder Salinas. “But I had to get healthy again. Then work has been so busy, it became my main priority, and I haven’t had the time. The last time I raced, Jasmine was ‘Mike’s daughter in A/Fuel.’ She’s been doing good in Top Fuel, and now I’m coming back as ‘Jasmine’s dad.’ When we do line up together, it will be pretty fun.”
Since making her Top Fuel debut at the 2024 NHRA Winternationals, Jasmine has come into her own as a driver and has been managing the day-to-day operations of the race team. This year, the fan-favorite is competing in a hybrid schedule of NHRA and IHRA events in order to maximize seat time on a limited budget as the team continues to seek full-time funding.
“I’m excited for my dad to get back into the driver’s seat,” added Jasmine, who raced her way to a runner-up finish at an IHRA event earlier this year in Benson, North Carolina. “He’s been working so hard to make this happen, and there’s been a lot that he’s had to prioritize, both with his health and business. We’re planning to do more races together this year, so I can’t wait to see what it’s like to line up against my dad and have him as a teammate. This has been a dream of ours for years, and I can’t wait to finally make it happen.”
The first of the IHRA Triple Crown events will take place at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pennsylvania, May 22-24. Mike Salinas plans to add more races throughout the year as his schedule allows.
The post Mike Salinas to Return to Top Fuel Competition with Daughter Jasmine at IHRA Triple Crown at Maple Grove first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
