NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Sportsman racer Kelly Harper will once again be at the helm of the Paton Racing Top Fuel dragster for this weekend's Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection.

Harper, who made his NHRA Top Fuel debut at this event back in 2023, is excited for the opportunity to again compete in the sport’s premier class.

“We are looking to build on the improvements we’ve made with the performance of the car this year, while getting a head start on the program for the 2026 season,” noted team owner Todd Paton. “Kelly's last outing in 2023 was a very impressive debut for a new driver, with four solid qualifying laps and a career-best 3.80 at 317 mph in the first round of eliminations.”

“Over the summer months, we ran a bunch of match races. As a matter of fact, we were running every weekend for quite a stretch. Fortunately, I got to spend a lot of time behind the wheel, and we were able to learn some things in the clutch department that will hopefully give us an edge when we get to Vegas.”

Harper, of Phoenix, who makes his living in the corporate aviation industry, brings support for this weekend outing from aviation partners (ATC) Aviation Tax Consultants, Wings Insurance, U.S. Aircraft Expo, and Southwest Aero Sales, as well as support from Ted Wiens Complete Auto Service. They will join the team’s long-standing partners, Performance Data Systems, Fast Eddie Speedwear, Choko Authentics, Ogilvie’s Automotive, Quality Plus Compressors, and Engineered Racing Services.