Paul Lee Racing Names Jon Schaffer as New Crew Chief

Paul Lee Racing just made it clear that their breakout performance last year was only the beginning. The team officially brought in Jon Schaffer as the new crew chief for their nitro Funny Car entry, adding a serious heavy hitter to the roster for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Usually, when a team has their best season ever, they are terrified to touch the dial. But Paul Lee is doing the opposite by aggressively stacking the deck to ensure they stay near the top of the heap.

The team is coming off a stellar 2025 campaign where they finished sixth in the points standings and finally grabbed that long-awaited first career victory in Phoenix. Lee knows that staying competitive in this class means constantly evolving, which is exactly why this hire makes sense. He mentioned that while the momentum from last year built a strong foundation, bringing in a talent like Schaffer is a fresh start that raises the bar for our entire program. It is not about fixing what is broken; it is about taking a winning car and making it lethal every single weekend.

Schaffer isn’t walking into this alone. He will be leading the charge alongside longtime consultant John Medlen and the newly promoted assistant crew chief Seth Randall. It creates a collaborative tuning room that balances new energy with deep experience. Schaffer noted that the group has already proved they belong at the top level, and he is ready to help build on that potential. The internal promotion of Seth Randall is just as crucial, keeping the continuity alive in the pits. Randall has been grinding with the team for years and said he is more than ready to step up and keep pushing the operation forward.

With the support of partners like McLeod, FTI Performance, and Silver Sport Transmissions, the resources are there to make a run for the championship. The car is fast, the funding is solid, and the crew is locked in. The competition better be ready, because with Jon Schaffer calling the shots, this Dodge Charger is going to be a handful for anyone in the other lane.