NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The wait is over for 2024 NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster world champion Julie Nataas, who will make her long-awaited nitro Funny Car debut at this weekend’s Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway. 

In national and regional competition, Nataas has nearly three-dozen NHRA Wallys to her name, and the Norwegian racer and reality television star is ready to take on what she’s openly described as her toughest challenge yet; strapping into the 12,000-horsepower Airmine Toyota GR Supra powered by DC Motorsports.

After three months of testing, Nataas finished her nitro Funny Car license requirements in early May under the guidance of team owner and tuner Del Worsham. With competitive runs in Gainesville, Phoenix, and Indianapolis, she now takes the next step in her career and will once again be backed by longtime sponsor Airmine. The Norwegian climate tech company also supported her 2024 Top Fuel debut, making this return a meaningful continuation of their partnership.

“This is a huge moment, and having a hometown brand with global reach like Airmine alongside me again makes it even more special,” said Nataas. “They’re based just down the road from where I grew up in Norway and are changing the way people understand their allergies. They use satellite data to track air quality and pollen levels around the world and are launching a U.S. app shortly, so the timing of this race is perfect.”

The debut marks Nataas’s entry into Funny Car, one of NHRA’s most popular and demanding categories. She will become the 400th different driver to enter an NHRA national event in Funny Car and first Norwegian-born racer. She is also the 15th woman in Funny Car and joins a very short list of female drivers to hold NHRA licenses in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. With additional experience in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, Nataas easily qualifies as one of the most versatile female drivers in the sport today.

The DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra has already turned heads this season, with Bobby Bode recently setting a career-best and earning a spot in the Top 10 before he returned to his family-owned Arbee team for the summer events. 

With Nataas in the seat, Del and Connie Worsham have another opportunity to showcase another of NHRA’s rising young talents in a competitive Funny Car. In what DC Motorsports has described as a transitional season, the Worshams remain committed to building winners and chasing Wallys. Their goal is to provide Nataas with a car that is capable of winning rounds and winning races.

“Julie is smart, focused, and fearless,” said Del Worsham. “She’s alarmingly self-aware and understands the car. She shares feedback from the run like a seasoned veteran.”

The NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, held at the historic Bristol Dragway and nationally televised on FOX, offers the perfect stage for Nataas’s high-profile debut.