NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Jasmine Salinas is poised to return to the NHRA Top Fuel wars in 2026. The fan-favorite drag racer will compete in at least 10 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Salinas will kick off her 2026 drag racing season next month at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. True to their name, the Scrappers team is piecing together a schedule that will work on a limited budget as they continue pursuing a long-term sponsor partnership.

After a storybook start to her sophomore season last year, Salinas and her team made the tough decision to sideline the Valley Services/Scrappers Racing Top Fuel dragster until they could secure more funding. Leaving the series while sitting fifth in points was a gut-check moment for Salinas. But the temporary setback did little to dampen her spirits or derail her determination.

“Cutting our season short last year was really tough, but I’ve learned a lot,” said Salinas. “Driving a Top Fuel dragster isn’t the job. Driving a Top Fuel dragster is the reward. The job is everything else you have to do to get there. I’m really hungry for that first win, and that takes more seat time, which is why I’m going to compete in a few IHRA events in between the 10 NHRA Mission Foods Series races we plan to run. Every lap counts as we continue to seek full-time funding. I am eager to get out there and grateful for the opportunity to pursue this dream. I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough to Valley Services, Pleasanton Ready Mix, Adams Pools, and Red Line Oil for their continued support.”

Veteran crew chief Todd Okuhara will lead the Scrappers Racing team with the help of assistant crew chief Adem Cave and car chief Cole Fergen. Okuhara has more than three decades of experience tuning both Top Fuel and Funny Car engines for championship-caliber teams, including many years serving as the director of racing for Don Schumacher Racing, overseeing one of the largest fleets of nitro-burning machines the sport has ever seen.

“This crew is no joke,” commented Salinas. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with several high-caliber crew chiefs like Rob Flynn and Joe Barlam during my short time in Top Fuel so far. Now, being able to add Todd Okuhara to our crew is very exciting. I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can from him. I think he’s going to be invaluable to our program. This is a team that the driver believes in, and a team that believes in their driver.”

While not all plans are finalized at this point, Salinas has confirmed that her dragster will roar to life at the iconic Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend in her adopted hometown of Brownsburg, Ind.