Tripp Tatum is among six NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing competitors on the ballot for the Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award bestowed upon the season’s top rookie driver. The Maryland native has two more opportunities to plead his case by heading west with the Lagana family’s Nitro Ninja Top Fuel dragster to do battle at this weekend’s NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas and the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Nov. 10-13.

It’s an exciting time for Tatum. The Las Vegas event marks one year since he earned his Top Fuel competition license, and his most recent effort resulted in qualifying for a tough field at the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals with his first 3.7-second run. Tatum has qualified at all three events he has attended – Gainesville, Norwalk, and Indianapolis – and scored his first round-win in his first start.

“Indy was a special thing for me,” said Tatum, whose name, Tripp, is derived from his given name, Gordon Tatum III. “46 years ago, my mom was there with my dad when she was eight months pregnant with me. My dad drove front-engine Top Fuel dragsters in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and tuned on some cars after that. It was neat to go back and do something I’ve always wanted to do at a place that my mom and my dad had been at together.

“I’m excited. After we did so well at Indy and the car made a lot of good progress, I’m excited to keep on going down the same path. I’m getting more comfortable, and everything is getting better. I can’t wait until Las Vegas and Pomona. As they gain more trust in me by me doing the right things in the car, they are able to run the car a little more aggressively and a little harder. The performance is showing it.”

Competing in Top Fuel has been an ambition of Tatum’s since he earned his Top Alcohol Dragster license at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in late 1989. While plans to put a car together didn’t materialize, he bided his time until his financial situation allowed him to compete in the alcohol ranks beginning in 2014 with Anthony Dicero’s Nitro University A/Fuel dragster. Tatum picked it up quickly and reached the final round in his first career start at the 2014 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd.

Similarly, his first start in a Top Fuel dragster resulted in a surprising performance when he was able to upset Leah Pritchett in the first round at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville. Coincidentally, Tatum and Pritchett are two of three drivers to win rounds while driving the Nitro Ninja dragster in 2016 (Dom Lagana is the other).

“In retrospect, [the weather-postponed 2014 Brainerd race] couldn’t have been any harder because we had four rounds in four different days at two tracks over two weeks,” said Tatum. “It was an awesome first experience. My debut in a Top Fuel car was awesome, too. It’s hard to win a round in a Top Fuel car.”

Tatum’s ascent from competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks to mixing it up in Top Fuel has been a snowball effect of sorts for the owner of a snow removal business. He has strived to look for the next step once each of his goals has been met.

“It’s been my dream just to drive one,” said Tatum. “Once I got my license, you move on to the next step. It would be nice to go to one race, one race turns into two, and so on. It’s happened pretty fast. A lot of times when I’ve watched myself driving on video, I’ve had to ask, ‘Is that really me doing that?’”

The guide of the Lagana family team has been integral to Tatum’s steady progress in the cockpit. The Nitro Ninja team receives support from Lucas Oil, Tom Stephens Racing, Stevaritaville, and Capco Contractors.

“I couldn’t be any happier with these guys,” said Tatum. “It is very much a family atmosphere over there. They have guided me by making sure I understand that I needed so many passes before we make the next performance step. These cars are so much faster than an alcohol car. The fastest I went in A/Fuel was 275, and I’ve been almost 287 to half-track in Top Fuel. It’s definitely a lot more of a challenge to drive this car. It’s one of those deals that will humble you quickly.

“Dom is such a talented, younger guy. I’ve never seen anybody work as hard as that kid does. He just doesn’t stop. ‘Stewie’ [nitro veteran John Stewart], Bob Szelag, Steve Giordano, Tony Gonsalves, Jake Sanders, Don Lynch, and all those guys are great to be around. They are very supportive. I firmly believe I could not be in a better situation to learn. Bobby definitely looks out for me to make sure I’m staying within myself. They make me feel like part of the family, and that’s what’s really cool about this deal.”