{"id":97631,"date":"2024-12-19T21:18:27","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/chris-king-balancing-firefighting-and-nitro-funny-car-dreams\/"},"modified":"2024-12-19T21:18:27","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T21:18:27","slug":"chris-king-balancing-firefighting-and-nitro-funny-car-dreams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/chris-king-balancing-firefighting-and-nitro-funny-car-dreams\/","title":{"rendered":"Chris King: Balancing Firefighting and Nitro Funny Car Dreams"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Chris King isn\u2019t behind the wheel of his nitro Funny Car, he\u2019s on the frontlines as a professional firefighter. It\u2019s a balance between two adrenaline-fueled worlds that demand precision, focus, and courage\u2014qualities King brought to the 2024 NHRA season with impressive results.<\/p>\n

The 2024 season marked a turning point for King, who began a new chapter with Bob Peck as his crew chief. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe started fresh with Bob, rebuilt the car, and made some great strides,\u201d King said. \u201cWe ran career-best numbers, hit career-best speeds, and built up a solid parts inventory. My driving improved significantly, and while we had our struggles, the positives far outweighed the negatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

King\u2019s performance improvements weren\u2019t just on paper. With his retooled car and steady progress, he set the stage for bigger things in 2025. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got this car figured out. It\u2019s going to keep getting better and better, and we\u2019ll be in the threes in no time,\u201d he said confidently.<\/p>\n

While King dreams of running a full schedule, his program remains significantly self-funded, with limited sponsor backing. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to race every event, but right now, we\u2019re planning for five or six races,\u201d King shared. \u201cWe\u2019ll kick things off in Gainesville and focus on our Midwest swing, with stops in Chicago, Norwalk, Indy, and St. Louis. Brainerd is tentative, depending on how things go, but we\u2019re looking to keep it manageable.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, King\u2019s sponsorship lineup includes brands like Howard\u2019s Cams, NGK Spark Plugs, Fire Department Coffee, Goodson, Impact, and Reid Rocker Arms. Despite his hustle to secure additional funding, he acknowledges the challenges. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a tough year sponsor-wise for many teams, not just us. But regardless, we\u2019ll be out there for at least four or five races unless something major happens,\u201d King said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
NHRA professional drivers (l to r) Travis Shumake, Krista Baldwin, Chris King, Buddy Bull and Cody Krohn following firehouse experience in Romeoville, Innovation Creative Experts\/Katie Krohn photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

King\u2019s dual roles as a firefighter and Funny Car driver offer unique synergies, particularly through his partnership with Fire Department Coffee. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are tons of parallels between the two,\u201d he explained. \u201cBoth are insanely dangerous and exciting, which is why I love them. Who better to represent Fire Department Coffee than the only professional firefighter in the nitro ranks?\u201d<\/p>\n

King hinted at plans to expand this partnership, potentially collaborating with fellow Fire Department Coffee driver Antron Brown. \u201cWe\u2019d like to team up and do more in the NHRA space. It\u2019s a great match, and I think there\u2019s a lot of potential there,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

King credits much of his 2024 progress to seat time and the expertise of his crew chief, Bob Peck. \u201c<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no substitute for seat time,\u201d King said. \u201cThese cars are insanely unpredictable, so the more laps you make, the more comfortable you get. Bob\u2019s been giving me a great car to drive, which makes my job easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to on-track experience, King focuses on maintaining peak physical and mental fitness. \u201cStaying in shape and staying sharp mentally are critical,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m working on reaction times and consistency because we\u2019re aiming to go A-to-B every time.\u201d<\/p>\n

King\u2019s underdog status hasn\u2019t stopped him from making a name for himself in the nitro ranks. \u201cThe big teams know we\u2019re not a duck anymore,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cWe proved ourselves last year, and we\u2019re coming out swinging. If you don\u2019t go down the track, we\u2019ll beat you.\u201d<\/p>\n

All King needs is one break. \u201cA little financial help, and we\u2019ll be a team to watch,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re consistent, we\u2019re improving, and we\u2019re ready to ruin someone\u2019s day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chris King\u2019s journey is fueled by passion, determination, and a relentless drive to succeed\u2014qualities that make him a standout both on the track and in his firefighting career. As he gears up for 2025, one thing is clear: Chris King is just getting started.<\/p>\n

This story was originally published on December 19, 2024. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Chris King: Balancing Firefighting and Nitro Funny Car Dreams<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Chris King isn\u2019t behind the wheel of his nitro Funny Car, he\u2019s on the frontlines as a professional firefighter. It\u2019s a balance between two adrenaline-fueled worlds that demand precision, focus, and courage\u2014qualities King brought to the 2024 NHRA season with impressive results. The 2024 season marked a turning point for King, who began a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97631","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"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}