{"id":104571,"date":"2026-08-17T17:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-17T17:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/dubbin-motorsports-looking-for-success-in-brainerd-with-two-radically-different-cars\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T17:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T17:44:09","slug":"dubbin-motorsports-looking-for-success-in-brainerd-with-two-radically-different-cars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/dubbin-motorsports-looking-for-success-in-brainerd-with-two-radically-different-cars\/","title":{"rendered":"Dubbin Motorsports Looking for Success in Brainerd With Two Radically Different Cars"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a season defined by frustration, Dean Dubbin and the Dubbin Motorsports A\/Fuel Dragster team arrive at Brainerd with something they haven\u2019t had much of in 2026: momentum. Persistent mechanical issues have kept the team on its heels for much of the year, forcing Dubbin to regroup, re\u2011evaluate, and ultimately take the car to Indianapolis Raceway Park for a two\u2011day test session ahead of the race in Brainerd.<\/p>\n

The Indy session marked a turning point. With new personnel in key roles and several targeted changes to the combination, the team finally saw the consistency and responsiveness they\u2019ve been chasing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a solid two\u2011day test at Indy, and I think the car is finally where it needs to be,\u201d said team owner Dean Dubbin. \u201cIt\u2019s been a tough year. For several races I thought we had a handle on it, and we clearly didn\u2019t. We\u2019ve made changes to the team and to the car, and I\u2019m confident we\u2019ve got things sorted out.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Dubbin Motorsports, Brainerd represents more than another stop on the tour. It\u2019s the first true benchmark of whether the Indy progress translates into race\u2011day performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cTesting is one thing, but the real measure is lining up against good cars and seeing how you stack up,\u201d Dubbin said. \u201cWe\u2019ll find out at Brainerd how much progress we\u2019ve actually made.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a productive test session behind them, the Kentex Roofing\/DMP Awnings-backed team turns its focus to a race at their home track. Brainerd International Raceway has long been familiar territory for the Little Falls, Minnesota based operation, sitting just 40 miles north of the team\u2019s headquarters. That proximity sets the stage for a weekend surrounded by family, longtime supporters, and the kind of hometown energy that always seems to elevate the team\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

Driver Kirk Wolf enters Brainerd with a renewed sense of optimism following the team\u2019s latest round of testing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTesting went very well, and it looks like we finally have the car where we need it,\u201d said Wolf. \u201cThe issue was definitely in the clutch, and with help from a couple of Top Fuel crew chiefs, I think we\u2019ve got it sorted out. I feel very confident we\u2019re back on track with a car capable of being competitive again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brainerd has traditionally been a strong venue for Dubbin Motorsports, producing multiple late\u2011round appearances, including a memorable 2018 Lucas Oil Nationals final\u2011round matchup where Dean Dubbin lost a close race to Jackie Fricke in John Finke\u2019s A\/Fuel Dragster.<\/p>\n

But Brainerd has also delivered moments the team would rather forget. In a 2023 semifinal bout with Mike Lewis, Dubbin\u2019s dragster powered into a wheel\u2011stand early in the run, forcing him to lift and surrender the round. The incident would also cause enough damage to the car that a complete front-half chassis replacement was required.<\/p>\n

In addition to the team\u2019s primary A\/Fuel Dragster, the debut of the \u201cA\/Fuel Funster\u201d will have the team working overtime to keep two cars serviced throughout the weekend. The Funster is a 250\u2011inch\u2011wheelbase hybrid chassis that blends a Funny Car-style back\u2011half with an extended dragster front section \u2013 an unconventional layout that immediately sets it apart in the Top Alcohol Dragster pits.<\/p>\n

Power comes from a 451\u2011cubic\u2011inch Noonan combination on injected nitromethane, but the most radical departure is in the drivetrain. Instead of the class\u2011standard four\u2011disc centrifugal clutch, the Funster uses a 12.3\u2011inch non\u2011lockup Neil Chance torque converter paired with a billet Quick Drive unit. A dragster built in this Funster configuration \u2013 injected nitro and converter\u2011driven \u2013\u00a0\u00a0has never competed in NHRA competition.<\/p>\n

Its debut is expected to draw significant attention at Brainerd, adding intrigue to the Top Alcohol Dragster category and giving Dubbin Motorsports a second entry unlike anything the class has seen.<\/p>\n

Brainerd has never been short on strange sights, both on the track and deep inside \u201cThe Zoo,\u201d but this year the debut of the Funster may outdo anything fans encounter in either place. The unconventional, converter\u2011driven, injected\u2011nitro hybrid dragster is poised to be the most talked\u2011about oddity of the weekend.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on August 17, 2026. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Dubbin Motorsports Looking for Success in Brainerd With Two Radically Different Cars<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After a season defined by frustration, Dean Dubbin and the Dubbin Motorsports A\/Fuel Dragster team arrive at Brainerd with something they haven\u2019t had much of in 2026: momentum. Persistent mechanical issues have kept the team on its heels for much of the year, forcing Dubbin to regroup, re\u2011evaluate, and ultimately take the car to Indianapolis […]<\/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-104571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104571","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=104571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104571\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}