Former NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion Julie Nataas will make her long-anticipated debut in the Nitro Funny Car category at this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals, taking place June 6–8 at Bristol Dragway. The Norwegian driver, who has earned nearly three dozen NHRA Wally trophies over her career, is stepping into one of the sport’s toughest classes behind the wheel of the 12,000-horsepower Airmine Toyota GR Supra, fielded by DC Motorsports.

Nataas completed her Nitro Funny Car licensing process in early May following a three-month testing program that included runs in Gainesville, Phoenix, and Indianapolis. Under the guidance of team owner and veteran tuner Del Worsham, she recorded strong performances that cleared the path for this weekend’s competition debut.

Her entry into the Nitro Funny Car ranks marks a historic moment, as she becomes the first driver from Norway to compete in the category. Nataas also joins a select group of female racers who actively hold NHRA licenses in both Nitro categories—Top Fuel and Funny Car—an achievement that underscores her versatility and elite status within professional drag racing.

Backed once again by longtime sponsor Airmine, a Norwegian climate technology company, Nataas continues to build on a partnership that also supported her 2024 Top Fuel debut. The Thunder Valley Nationals will serve as a new chapter in her career and further establish her as one of the most accomplished female competitors in NHRA history.

DC Motorsports has already put Bobby Bode behind the wheel of its Funny Car early in 2025. The team hasn’t made any official announcements about more races for Nataas this year.