After a four-month hiatus, Top Fuel standout Jasmine Salinas is set to make her return to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series at the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, taking place Labor Day weekend at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Salinas, a fan favorite and rising star in the category, began her sophomore Top Fuel season with impressive momentum. Early performances had her inside the top five in the points standings, including a final-round appearance at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas. However, financial constraints led the Scrappers Racing team to pause their 2025 campaign in April.

“I’ve missed driving so much,” remarked Salinas. “But I’ve been trying to make the most out of my time outside of the cockpit by learning all I can about every aspect of the sport. It’s been a season of education and growth for me. I’m interested to see how it will all translate behind the wheel. When we had to take a step back earlier this year, it was very important to me that we find full-time positions for all of our crew members so they could stay actively involved in the sport. We’ve managed to put a great team together for this race, and hopefully we can continue in a few more events this season.”

Now, with the U.S. Nationals marking her first race back, Salinas is eager to resume competition at what is widely regarded as the biggest event on the NHRA calendar. The return is especially meaningful for the Indiana transplant, who relocated from California to Indianapolis to further her professional drag racing career.

That team includes respected crew chief Joe Barlam, whose resume features stints with the Torrence family, John Force Racing, and Don Schumacher Racing. He’ll be joined by Adem Cave, a long-time Scrappers Racing team member, who will serve as assistant crew chief.

Prior to the midseason break, Scrappers Racing was one of only three Top Fuel teams without a first-round loss, and there was growing buzz around Salinas as a potential championship contender. While she missed a large portion of the season, she’s hopeful to compete in the final six races of 2025.

“Getting to race in my new hometown at the biggest drag race of the season is something we’ve been trying to accomplish all year,” said Salinas. “When you’re not actively competing, it’s easy to get discouraged. I’ve had to dig deep sometimes to find the confidence to keep going. But if there’s anything that drag racing’s taught me, it’s that I can do so much more than I think I can. Surviving in this sport requires a great deal of strength, and that strength keeps you going when things get tough. We’ve put some pretty incredible sponsor packages together for the last six races of the season because I know that experience will set us up for success in the 2026 season.”