![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dragillustrated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/McKailen-Haddock_J5R_9641-1600x2000.jpeg\")
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<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\u201cWhen we go off to college, it\u2019s like there are no rules,\u201d Haddock said. \u201cAnd I got caught up in all the wrong things \u2014 drinking, partying, lying to my parents \u2014 I put myself and my friends in situations we shouldn\u2019t have been in.\u201d<\/p>\n
A serious incident involving a hospitalized friend forced Haddock to face the consequences head-on. His father stepped in, taking away privileges \u2014 including access to the Funny Car \u2014 until McKailen showed he was ready to refocus.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou want your kids to do better than you,\u201d Terry Haddock said. \u201cSometimes you have to make the hard calls to make sure they do. Racing is a privilege, not a right \u2014 and it has to be built on honesty and integrity first.\u201d<\/p>\n
With renewed focus and commitment, McKailen earned his shot earlier this year. Following the NHRA national event in Phoenix, he made four successful passes in the family Funny Car, posting a best run of 4.81 seconds at 251 mph \u2014 securing both his Nostalgia Funny Car and NHRA Alcohol Funny Car licenses.<\/p>\n
Still, Haddock remains humble about the journey ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a real driver yet,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m just the kid who held onto the wheel. Drivers like Dad, John Force, Austin Prock \u2014 they\u2019ve earned that title. I have a long way to go, and I\u2019m ready for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Determined to continue, Haddock knew he needed to secure his own funding. Drawing on relationships built through years of media and videography work, he successfully gathered the support necessary to enter his first event \u2014 the rescheduled Funny Car Chaos race at the Texas Motorplex, May 1\u20133.<\/p>\n
Josh Hart (Burnyzz Speed Shop), Cameron Goss (Bowen Electric), Steve and Natalie Torrence (Capco Contractors), Tony Schumacher, T.R. Wilson (T.R. Wilson Enterprises), and John Hale (Best of Texas BBQ Sauce) all stepped up to back his debut.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s amazing,\u201d Haddock said. \u201cI didn\u2019t even realize I was building relationships all these years \u2014 I was just trying to work hard and be respectful. It means the world to me that they believe in me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Preparation has included working closely with top drivers Justin Ashley and Austin Prock.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to be the best, you have to learn from the best,\u201d Haddock said. \u201cDad will have the car ready \u2014 it\u2019s my job to do my part behind the wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haddock plans to document the Funny Car Chaos weekend on his YouTube channel, Haddock Automotive, with a three-part series, following the release of his licensing video from Phoenix<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m incredibly thankful,\u201d Haddock said. \u201cThis is just the beginning. I\u2019m ready to work, ready to learn, and ready to give it everything I\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n
This story was originally published on April 29, 2025. ![\"Drag](\"https:\/\/dragillustrated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/DI_flat_red-e1711481551475.png\")
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The post Hard Lessons, High Hopes: McKailen Haddock Set for Funny Car Chaos Debut<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Graduating high school early, battling early missteps, and earning his Funny Car license \u2014 McKailen Haddock\u2019s journey to the starting line hasn\u2019t been easy, but it\u2019s made him tougher. Now he\u2019s ready to launch his racing career at Funny Car Chaos with a sharpened focus and something to prove. At just 16 years old, McKailen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100424\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}