Chad Green Motorsports at the Texas FallNationals

There’s something special about racing in your home state, especially when you’re competing against the best drivers in NHRA drag racing. For Chad and Hunter Green, the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex is more than another stop on the schedule. It’s an opportunity for the father-son Funny Car duo to win in front of their home-state fans and bring a pair of highly coveted trophies back to Midland, Texas.

The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series makes its only Texas appearance at the FallNationals, and the Green family has been looking forward to this event for quite some time. Getting both Chad Green Motorsports Funny Cars ready for the race hasn’t been easy.

Chad Green’s CGM Bond-Coat Ford Mustang has been working its way back to the performance that helped him win twice earlier this season. Meanwhile, Hunter Green’s team has been busy rebuilding his Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car following a massive engine explosion and crash at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals in Michigan.

Now both teams are regrouped, the race cars are ready, and the Greens have their sights set on winning the Texas Motorplex’s signature cowboy hat and an NHRA 75th anniversary Diamond Wally.

Chad Green started the 2026 NHRA season with the kind of performance every Funny Car team wants. His CGM Bond-Coat Ford Mustang was fast, consistent, and capable of winning races. Green collected victories at the NHRA Gatornationals and NHRA Route 66 Nationals, establishing himself as a serious threat in the highly competitive Funny Car category.

However, drag racing has a way of testing even the strongest teams.

Green’s operation encountered parts-related problems during the middle portion of the season. Those issues affected the Mustang’s performance and made it more difficult to maintain the consistency that had helped the team reach the winner’s circle. There were also some heartbreaking losses in extremely close races, including contests decided by less than a foot at the finish line. Fortunately, the team has been making progress.

Green recorded consistent runs in the 3.90-second range at Rockingham and St. Louis, indicating the Bond-Coat Mustang is getting back to the form it displayed earlier in the year.

“We ran into some difficulties in the middle of the season as well as losing close races at the finish line by less than a foot,” said C. Green. “The car was running fast and consistently at the beginning of the year and then we had some trouble with parts that hurt our car’s performance. But now we have started to show the car can be consistent and solid.

“I know that Hunter and I want to win this weekend since we are from Texas and this is the only NHRA national event in our state. We want to win that Texas Motorplex ‘Cowboy Hat’ plus another ‘Diamond Wally’ in the NHRA’s 75th anniversary. I know we are prepared.”

While Chad’s team has been working to improve its performance, Hunter Green’s crew has faced an entirely different challenge.

The younger Green was involved in a violent incident at the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan. Hunter’s 12,000-horsepower CGM Bond-Coat Dodge//SRT Hellcat was making a strong run when the engine exploded. The incident sent the Funny Car into the retaining wall, causing significant damage to the race car. The damage was extensive enough that the team needed to replace the entire front end of the vehicle.

For a nitro Funny Car team, that kind of setback creates a major amount of work. The car must be rebuilt and prepared to withstand the tremendous forces generated by a 12,000-horsepower engine. The Green family and its racing operation went to work gathering additional parts and rebuilding Hunter’s machine. Their goal was to have the car ready for the Texas FallNationals. That work has paid off, and Hunter is preparing to return to competition in front of his home-state fans.

Hunter Green is in his second season competing in NHRA nitro Funny Car, but he’s no stranger to winning at a high level. Before making the transition to Funny Car, Hunter won the Top Alcohol Dragster championship at the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals. That experience has helped him develop as a driver while learning to handle the unique challenges of a nitro-burning Funny Car. His second season has shown promise, even though the Michigan incident temporarily interrupted his progress.

Now Hunter is anxious to return to the driver’s seat and see what his rebuilt Dodge//SRT Hellcat can accomplish.

“We had a whole new front end put on my race car after the engine explosion,” H. Green said. “So, the new car will be ready for action, and I know my dad and I really want to go after that ‘Cowboy Hat’ and ‘Diamond Wally’ trophy this weekend. We have regrouped as a team, and we believe we can race for the win. There would be a wild celebration if a Texan wins the Texas race.”

The opportunity to return at Texas Motorplex makes the comeback even more meaningful. Hunter won’t just be getting back behind the wheel after a major crash. He’ll be doing it at the one NHRA national event held in his home state.

The road to the Texas FallNationals hasn’t been easy for Chad Green Motorsports. Chad’s team has worked through performance problems and frustrating close losses while trying to regain the consistency that produced two early-season victories. Hunter’s team has faced the challenge of rebuilding a heavily damaged Funny Car after a violent engine explosion and crash. Now both teams have an opportunity to put those challenges behind them.