Spencer Hyde, Funny Car driver of the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car, continued to build a rhythm in his sophomore season at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, qualifying ninth in a stacked 16-car field and gaining valuable data despite an early loss on race day.
Hyde delivered a strong 3.981 second pass at 319.67 mph during Friday qualifying to secure his position. He also picked up two bonus points with that pass, since it was the second-quickest run of the qualifying session.
“It’s kind of becoming our thing to come out really strong in Q1 and pick up bonus points,” said Hyde. “I don’t hate it. Every point in the battle for the championship matters, and those bonus points add up quickly.”The weekend carried added meaning, as Jim and Janet Russell of The Caine Group stepped in as primary sponsors with a special livery to honor their late son, Caine, whose passion for racing continues to inspire. Hyde, the only full-time Canadian professional racer on the NHRA tour, emphasized his appreciation for the weekend’s meaningful partnership.
“Having The Caine Group on board as our main sponsor this weekend meant a lot to all of us,” said Hyde. “Jim and Janet Russell’s son was a very special guy, and we were proud to carry his name on our car. We wish we could’ve gone more rounds for them, but we’ll keep pushing to make them proud the rest of the season.”
On race day, Hyde faced a formidable opening-round quad that included No. 1 qualifier and three-time world champion Ron Capps, No. 8 qualifier and recent Gainesville winner Chad Green, and two-time reigning world champion Austin Prock. Hyde’s run was cut short by traction issues, preventing advancement to the next round. Capps went on to win the race.
Despite the outcome, the second-year driver and 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year remains encouraged by the progress his team is making.
“We learned a lot this weekend, and that’s what’s important,” said Hyde. “This track can be tricky, especially in the four-wide format, but Jim Head and this entire team gave me a great car. That 3.98 run shows what we’re capable of, and we’re getting closer to putting it all together on race day.”
Hyde leaves Charlotte seventh in the NHRA Funny Car points standings and now turns his focus to the next event, the NHRA Southern Nationals, a new addition to the schedule that presents a fresh opportunity for every team in the field.
“It’s exciting heading into a brand-new race,” said Hyde. “Nobody has notes, so it really levels the playing field. We’ll take what we learned here, apply it and come out swinging. I’m confident in this team and ready to see what we can do.”
Hyde and the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car will be back in competition next weekend at the NHRA Southern Nationals on May 1-3 at South Georgia Motorsports Park. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, May 1 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, May 2. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Southern Nationals visit www.nhra.com.
The post Spencer Hyde Makes Early Exit in Charlotte first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
