Spencer Hyde Named 2025 NHRA Rookie Of The Year

You have to impress a lot of people to win NHRA Rookie of the Year, and that’s exactly what Spencer Hyde did. The Canadian driver got the call to drive for nitro legend Jim Head and used the opportunity to show his skills as a wheelman.

Hyde will be the first one to tell you that his season didn’t have a smooth start. Qualifying struggles and the learning curve of driving a nitro Funny Car hit Hyde hard early in 2025. But thanks to his talent as a driver, and the coaching provided by Head, Hyde was able to get his feet under him as the season rolled on.

The hard work paid off, and Hyde earned his stripes as a Funny Car pilot. He notched a ninth-place finish in the Funny Car points standings in 2025. At the Las Vegas Four-Wide Nationals, Hyde was able to secure the NHRA Nationals Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge win. Add in a pair of final round appearances, along with a number one qualifying effort at the Reading Nationals, and it’s easy to see why Hyde was named Rookie of the Year.

“It’s a huge feather in my cap to come out here as a nobody and do well,” said Hyde. “We’re at a 50 percent win-loss ratio, which is pretty tough to do your first year out here. You’ve got a guy like Tony Stewart who won it last year. Other big names in our sport, last race in Vegas, I lined up against Del Worsham, who was Rookie of the Year in 1991. To be added to this list is a huge honor. I hope to be another Rookie of the Year who goes on to win big races and championships.”

Hyde’s ability to learn the craft of driving a Funny Car ultimately put him in the position to win Rookie of the Year. Recent history has shown that those who win Rookie of the Year go on to do big things in the NHRA. That said, the 2026 season in Funny Car could get very interesting if Hyde is able to grow more as a driver and become an even bigger threat on race day.