The U.S. Nationals brings out the best in every racer. It’s the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national event that everyone wants to win, and it can change your season if you’re lucky enough to be in the winner’s circle on Monday. Each of the SCAG Power Equipment nitro teams have been preparing for Indy, and they’re ready to make a run at history this weekend.

Daniel Wilkerson Is Ready for U.S. Nationals  

Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team will take on one of drag racing’s biggest stages with one goal, to win the U.S. Nationals.

The U.S. Nationals, regarded as the premier event on the NHRA schedule offers Wilkerson the chance to not only compete for a coveted Indy victory but also showcase his skills in the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, a specialty race featuring eight of the category’s top competitors.

“What can you say about Indy? There is nothing else like running there,” Wilkerson said. “The prestige, the call-out race, the extra win money puts this race on a pretty high pedestal. Plus, before we raced in St. Louis, this was my closest race to home, so I have literally missed maybe only five U.S. Nationals in my entire life.”

Wilkerson enters the event seventh in the Funny Car standings during a breakout 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. His highlights include a runner-up finish at the NHRA Winternationals, two Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victories in Richmond and Norwalk, and a career-best 3.855-second run at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals. He has also qualified in the top half of the field in nine of 13 events, including a personal-best number three start earlier this season.

With a strong season already behind him and the biggest race of the year ahead, Wilkerson heads into Indianapolis as a contender not only for a breakthrough win but also for the bragging rights that come with success on drag racing’s grandest stage.

Dave Richards Is Riding A Wave Of Confidence Into The U.S. Nationals

Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team will take on the biggest stage in drag racing this weekend at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Richards enters the event with renewed confidence following a productive test session after Brainerd, where he qualified 16th and fell in the opening round to veteran Jack Beckman. The test provided encouraging results, with four runs—three of which were planned early shutoffs that showed promising early numbers.

“I’m feeling really confident heading into this weekend’s U.S. Nationals,” Richards said. “We’ve been putting in a lot of work this year. We had a successful test session following Brainerd that has the whole team excited for the Big Go. We made four passes with three planned early shutoffs. Our early numbers were great, so I think we can look forward to some quality and consistency very soon.”

Now in only their second full season of NHRA Funny Car competition, Richards and his BlueBird team have steadily built momentum in 2025. The highlights include a career-best 325.61 mph pass at the Sonoma Nationals in July and semifinal finishes at both the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee.

Currently ranked 13th in the Funny Car standings, Richards is aiming for a top-10 finish as the season heads into the Countdown to the Championship. A strong performance at the U.S. Nationals would be a key step toward achieving that goal.

Justin Ashley Wants A U.S. Nationals Win

Justin Ashley, driver of the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster, knows how important the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals is. The Big GO is a crown jewel event and represents an important moment in the season as it marks the start of the Countdown to the Championship.

“The U.S. Nationals is the most prestigious race in the history of NHRA Drag Racing,” Ashley said. “It represents years of tradition, excellence, and the highest levels of performance. There is no place I’d rather be than at the racetrack competing with our SCAG Power Equipment team.”

Ashley enters the event ranked fourth in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Top Fuel standings. His 2025 campaign has included wins in Richmond, Virginia, and Norwalk, Ohio, along with five final-round appearances and a number one qualifying effort in Norwalk. Despite a first-round loss at the most recent event in Minnesota, Ashley has been one of the most consistent performers on tour.

Indianapolis has been a strong venue for the 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year. He scored a win at the track during the 2020 COVID-shortened season, and in both 2023 and 2024 he claimed the Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge at the U.S. Nationals. That success also helped him secure the overall season title in the specialty series.

“The key is to take it one lap at a time,” continued Ashley whose father, Mike, won the U.S. Nationals in Funny Car in 2007. “As big as the U.S. Nationals is, it’s still a drag race that’s run the same way as the others. All we can control is being our very best both on and off the racetrack. The rest will take care of itself. We’re confident and ready to perform at a high level.”