NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Martin Family Motorsports will return to the dragstrip for the first time in nearly three seasons with the debut of its all-new nitro Funny Car. Based in Nuevo, Calif., the team will compete in back-to-back NHRA national events in Las Vegas and Pomona.

Second-generation racer and former NHRA Heritage Series champion Will Martin will drive the car in Lucas Oil Series competition at both events. The team’s return begins Oct. 29 at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“The past year has given our family many reasons to pause, reflect, and reconsider what matters most. From my wife’s battle with cancer to changes in our racing plans beyond our control, we have faced difficult choices and gained a new perspective,” Martin said. “Through it all, we have found much to be grateful for. We are happy to share this next chapter with the racing community, which means a great deal to our family.”

Martin’s Nitro Funny Car features the same technology, safety enhancements, and body style required for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The Lucas Oil Series engine program, however, operates under tighter restrictions, offering a stable, reliable platform for drivers and teams to develop. It also gives up-and-coming teams the opportunity to work with the sport’s top talent and learn how to run these cars properly. For the Martin Family, the choice of tuner was clear before the first part was ever purchased, Jason Bunker.

“This is a viable option with serious potential to increase car counts, grow both the Funny Car and Dragster classes in the Lucas Oil ranks, and create the most realistic path into the professional ranks we have seen. To me, it is a no-brainer,” Bunker said. “Parity and competition are key, and the Dragster category has maintained both for a long time. Funny Car is only recently introducing different combinations, but the early results have been solid. These are exciting times in the Lucas Oil ranks. For the first time in a long time, the future has the potential to be bright.”

“We have been fortunate to have Jason’s plan and parts selection guiding this program. The support and encouragement we have received have from people in the industry, who want to see this succeed has been overwhelming,” Martin said. “We have a first-class operation with the best parts and equipment, along with a great crew—Eric, Nick, Kyle, Pete, John, and Andrew—to execute the strategy.”

In preparation for the upcoming national events, the team recently completed a test at Tucson Dragway.

“With guidance from some incredibly talented people and a great deal of hard work, we took our new Nitro Funny Car to Tucson Dragway for an encouraging test session,” Martin said. “We made three passes, learned what the car needed, and loaded it up. On its first full pass, it reached 275 mph, so we believe the potential is there.”

Following the successful test, Martin Family Motorsports is focused on Las Vegas and Pomona as the next chapter of its racing program begins.

“For our family, this feels like the beginning of something special. We are grateful to everyone who has supported our return and eager to see where this opportunity leads,” Martin concluded. “Whether we seek the attention or not, doing something different means a lot of eyes will be on us. We will do our very best to rise to the challenge.”

Martin Family Motorsports is committed to building partnerships that support each partner’s goals while fueling the teams return to Nitro Competition. The Martin Family would like to thank Redline Oil, CP-Carrillo, Weld Racing Wheels, and DMPE for their amazing product support. The teams primary support comes from the family businesses: Martin Family HVAC, VA Mechanical, and Shopmartinfamily.com.