A year after surviving one of the most dramatic qualifying sessions in recent memory, Chicago firefighter and Funny Car driver Chris King is determined to write a new story at the 2025 NHRA Cornwell Tools U.S. Nationals.

In 2024, King’s Competition Products/Howards Cams Funny Car sat precariously on the bump spot in the final qualifying session, leaving the team to endure an excruciating wait before securing a place in the field. This year, King is aiming to avoid that scenario altogether with a stronger, more consistent performance.

“I don’t ever want to go through that stress again,” said King, who owns and drives the Competition Products/Howards Cams Funny Car. “We battled through so many issues to get into the show, and then to have to stand on the starting line waiting was excruciating. We have made so many strides since that race, I can’t wait to get to Indy.”

Working with crew chief Bob Peck, King has spent the season adding parts, analyzing data, and refining their combination. Strong outings in Chicago and Norwalk revealed areas for improvement, giving the team confidence heading into Indianapolis.

“We looked back at the data on some of our runs from Norwalk, and we realized we could make some small adjustments and see some big gains, hopefully,” said King. “There were some runs where we found some things that the car likes, and we plan on taking advantage of what we’ve learned from previous data. I am excited to see what Bob and the team can do when we have five qualifying runs to get ready for race day.”

King also plans on spending time with his fans and with local firefighters during the event.

“I love being able to host firefighters from around the country at the races,” said King. ‘We have taken drivers to fire stations and served meals at fire stations, but there is nothing like having the men and women who are protecting our communities at the track. When they see our Competition Products/Howards Cams Funny Car up close, they are blown away.”

The U.S. Nationals will always be a special event, and that’s why Chris King makes it a point to attend the race. If King can find some performance and a little luck, he could be a problem for the big teams come race day.