NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Geno Scali spent weekends at the drag strip supporting his father’s quest fora t tile in a ’55 Chevy. Growing up, Scali became a regular at the Wednesday night trophy races in Union Grove, Wisconsin. The experienced fueled him to pursue racing on a professional level, and his first taste of success came in 1994 when he won the IDBA Top Gas championship on a Ray Bellucci-powered drag bike.

In 1995, Scali began racing in the NHRA and finished top 10 in the points in 1996 and 1997. He also raced in the USA Drag Festival championship in Fuji, Japan. In 1999, aboard a Cope-powered Suzuki Hayabusa, Scali set a then-record of 7.13-second at the AMA/Prostar World Finals. The following year, he reached his first final round in NHRA competition and finished in the top 5 for the first time.

In 2003, Scali held off three-time champion Angelle Sampey to win the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.

Before returning to competition in 2024 on a part-time basis, Scali’s most recent victory was the 2003 Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. He was the last rider to win an NHRA event aboard a Kawasaki, riding Pete Briggs’ bike to a win at the 2002 event in Brainerd for the first time since Dave Schultz won with the brand in 1992.