NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Now in his fourth season in Funny Car, Chad Head continues to find a better comfort level in his Head Racing Toyota Camry. The results indicate as much during the early portion of the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, but Head will be the first to admit he still has plenty to learn and areas in which to improve.

Fresh off back-to-back semifinal performances, Head returns to zMAX Dragway for this weekend’s 7th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods. The unique race is the only one on the NHRA circuit that features four 10,000-horsepower nitro machines facing off at once, and it’s also one where Head has found success.

His first No. 1 qualifier and final-round appearance came at the 2013 edition of this race, and Head, who now has two final-round appearances, advanced to the final foursome a year ago before Jack Beckman claimed the Funny Car win. With confidence growing by the race, Head hopes for one more round-win at the unique race in 2016.

“I’m still learning, and I still have a lot of respect for these cars every time I put my foot down,” Head said. “But we’ve made 11 or 12 good runs in a row right now, and that’s just huge for your confidence. This being my fourth year, and not running all the races in those first three years, I just have a better feeling for the car and more confidence. It’s taken me three years to start, and I emphasize the word start, to feel more comfortable than ever before.”

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Larry Morgan (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Beckman as winners of the race last season. The one-of-a-kind race, the fifth of 24 events during the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season, will be televised on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Head will show up at zMAX Dragway with as much momentum as he has had in his Funny Car career.

He climbed to seventh in the points standings in the loaded class after a second straight semifinal appearance in 2016, most recently in Las Vegas. The comfort level in all aspects has been noticeable, and Head gives plenty of credit to his father, Jim Head, who serves as crew chief.

Of course, Jim is well-versed in the Funny Car and Top Fuel world; the longtime competitor is just the fourth driver to win the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. That experience, plus the strong work ethic that Chad has noticed from everyone on the team, has paid dividends.

“All the guys are working hard, and Dad is doing a great job making the calls,” said Chad, who also has six career semifinal appearances. “Everybody is working together. Our car is not the fastest, but it’s one of the more consistent, and the more times you go up and down the track, the more you’re going to learn. The more times you go to 1,000 feet, the more information you’re going to get. Everyone is doing a great job.”

The consistency has been key, but the performance has also been solid. Head has qualified in the middle of the pack all year, running in the 3.90s at every race this season. The goal is to hopefully carry that through an entire season, and Head noted he’s going to try to go as hard as he can every time he gets an opportunity.

If all goes well, that could mean a berth in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship and his first Funny Car win, but Head isn’t looking that far ahead. His focus is solely on the Four-Wide Nationals and continuing to savor the moment with his father and team. 

“We’re enjoying the start and how competitive the car is, and it says a lot for a team of our size,” Head said. “Dad runs the car the way he wants to run it, and it works for him. I think that success we’ve had this year is coming to fruition because of the work he’s done. It’s been real exciting, and it’s very rewarding for him. He’s making the calls and doing a great job, and it takes everybody to make it happen. He gives direction on what needs to happen, the guys have to implement it, and I have to go out there and not screw it up.”

That recipe for success has worked in 2016, and Head hopes it leads to another strong outing at the distinctive NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Beckman, who ended up with seven wins a year ago, broke a 54-race winless streak in Funny Car last season at the race, but Head has proven plenty capable of winning at zMAX Dragway.

But he will also have to deal with the likes of defending world champ Del Worsham, Winternationals winner Ron Capps, two-time Four-Wide Nationals winner and current points leader Robert Hight, Courtney Force, John Force, Matt Hagan, Tim Wilkerson, and Alexis DeJoria, who won the most recent event on the circuit in Las Vegas.

“It’s a great place to be and a great facility, and hopefully we can go one round further,” Head said. “It’s kind of a circus, but the spectators really like it, and if they like it, that’s what we need to do. You just have to always pay attention to who is in your quad. If you smoke the tires, you have to get back in it because you have no idea what’s going on in the other lanes.”

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 22, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, April 23, at 2 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for noon Sunday, April 24.

Be a part of the action all weekend with a three-day pass to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals starting at $107. Tickets for children 13 and younger are free with any paid adult ticket; to purchase general-admission or reserved seats, log on to zMAXDragway.com or call the box office, 800-455-FANS (3267).