Veteran Funny Car driver Chad Green is heading to Maryland International Raceway with momentum squarely on his side after scoring a statement win at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Now, Green and the CGM Bond-Coat/bproauto Ford Mustang team are looking to add another trophy to their growing collection at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS.
Green Off To Career Best Start
Green enters the seventh race of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season sitting fourth in Funny Car points, just 25 points out of the lead. With victories already secured at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals and Route 66 Nationals, the Midland, Texas-based driver has quickly established himself as a legitimate championship contender.
The Route 66 victory was especially impressive considering the level of competition Green defeated on race day. During eliminations in Joliet, Green turned on win lights against a stacked field that included Southern Nationals winner Jordan Vandergriff, three-time Funny Car world champion Ron Capps, reigning two-time Funny Car champion Austin Prock, and longtime rival Alexis DeJoria in the final round.
That performance reinforced the progress Green’s Joe Serena and Dean Marinis-led crew has made after battling early-season clutch issues.
“The whole team aspect of this sport doesn’t get enough recognition,” said Green after the Route 66 Nationals win. “This is 100 percent a team sport, just like football, basketball and any of those other sports. The driver gets a lot of the fame and glory, but to be honest, what these team guys do is just incredible. To go out there and turn on four ‘win’ lights on a Sunday is so difficult. These guys have to do everything perfectly every round, and we have to go out there and beat the best guys out there doing it. So, I can’t say enough about the team.”
The Route 66 win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Indiana-based operation. The NHRA schedule now enters one of its busiest stretches, with four races scheduled over the next five weeks. Consistency and reliability become critical during this part of the season, and Green believes the team has finally found its footing.
Two Teams Ready For Battle
The Potomac Nationals also marks another opportunity for the CGM organization to showcase its expanding two-car Funny Car operation. For the second consecutive season, Green Motorsports is fielding a second nitro Funny Car shared by veteran Blake Alexander and Green’s son, Hunter Green.
Alexander returned to NHRA national event action at Route 66 Raceway behind the wheel of the Pronto Auto Services Dodge//SRT Hellcat and immediately delivered a solid qualifying effort. The four-time NHRA national event winner believes the second team is getting closer to competing for race wins alongside Green’s championship-caliber Mustang.
“I think the Pronto Funny Car has all of the components to take wins like Chad’s car now,” said Alexander, who will compete this weekend at Maryland International Raceway. “Our team has been working hard to prepare us for the four-race stretch in the heart of the 2026 season. We qualified well at Route 66, and I believe we can continue that trend now at Maryland. Our goal now is to add to the CGM trophy collection by putting the Pronto Dodge Hellcat in the winner’s circle.”
Hunter Green, the former U.S. Nationals Top Alcohol Dragster champion, also continues developing into a future Funny Car threat. Although still early in his nitro Funny Car career, the younger Green has already demonstrated flashes of the talent needed to compete at the highest level of NHRA competition.
The inaugural Potomac Nationals presents another unique challenge for teams because Maryland International Raceway is new to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule. That means all teams will enter the weekend with limited setup data for the facility, creating an even playing field during qualifying.
Confidence is clearly building for Chad Green and the CGM operation at the perfect time. With two victories already secured and the team continuing to improve, Green has positioned himself squarely in the middle of the Funny Car championship fight as the season begins heating up.
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