NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Recent passings of notable figures from within the NHRA world. The NHRA extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of those we have lost. Notices of passing can be sent to nhra@nhra.com.

Joe Squires, known both for his racing exploits in the early days of Jr. Fuel and Pro Comp and behind the scenes as a tuner, engine builder, and providing customer support in his longtime role at prominent crankshaft manufacturer Bryant Racing from 1994 until he retired in 2022. passed away on Jan. 13 due to pulmonary complications. He was 82.

The mechanically savvy Squires made motorsports his livelihood in 1963. Working as a milkman in Laguna Niguel, Calif., a daily route that included delivery to legendary nitro tuner Gene Adams fostered a relationship that led to a job at Stu Hilborn Fuel Injection Engineering. During that time, Squires was part of the dominant Jr. Fuel team with Adams in which driver Don Enriquez recorded the first unblown 200-mph run in 1968 and the first such 6-second elapsed time in 1971.

Squires is a pioneer of NHRA’s Pro Comp category, which began in 1973 and was the genesis of today’s Top Alcohol classes. He served as crew chief for Dave West on the Instant Karma front-engine dragster powered by an injected nitro DeSoto in 1973. He teamed with Scott Porter in 1974 to campaign their hard-running Porter and Squires front-engine dragster that utilized a nitro-injected 392 Chrysler initially before switching to a supercharged powerplant the next season. After Porter was sidelined with health issues, Squires joined the Miller & Darien team during the 1976 season, where he built the team’s blown 417 Donovan engine.

In 1978, Squires began tuning Jim Wheat’s blown alcohol dragster, driven mostly by Enriquez, through the 1980 season. When the car was sold to Las Vegas resident JJ Mucha, Squires stayed with it and opened Squires Performance Engines Inc. Squires lent his expertise to teams throughout the category, including Dave Hage’s Land Lord entry, Tom Tupper’s Dan Dunaway-driven High Roller dragster, and others. He returned to Southern California in the 1990s and applied his engine-building knowledge to a career at Bryant Racing.

Squires is survived by wife Louise; son Tom; daughter Teresa; grandchildren Aaron, Logan, Sarah, Rebekah, Thomas, Joshua, and Jonathan; and 16 great-grandchildren.

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Mike Saye, a two-time NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world champion, passed away Jan. 12. He was 80. Saye, standout Division 2 Sportsman racer, won the Super Stock world championship in 1995 and Comp eliminator crown in 2002. In his long career, Saye scored 15 combined national event wins in Comp and Super Stock.

He is survived by his wife Gail Saye, children Michelle (Wes) Ingram and Keely Saye, grandchildren Walker, Chandler and Kinley Ingram, sister Wanda Brunson, brother Tim Saye, and many extended family members and friends who will forever cherish his memory.

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Rich Carlson, a longtime photographic standout in the Northwest and a past NHRA Division 6 Photographer, passed away Jan. 9. When Rich was in high school he took photography courses and as a result, many photos of high school events. A classmate asked him to shoot photos of a pal’s car at the Arlington Airport drag races. Although only 16 years old in 1963, he saw an opportunity to make a little money and charged racers 50 cents for a photo of their race cars. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, his life long career was beginning to take shape.

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Olan Gotcher, a foundational presence in NHRA’s Division 4, Texas Motorplex and across the NHRA national event stage, passed away Jan. 7. He was 81. Gotcher, along with his wife, Judy, were named Texas Motorplex Legends in 2024.

Gotcher’s dedication to the Motorplex, Division 4 and the NHRA national events, as well as weekend races was special. His leadership and mentorship will carry on through dozens of Texas Motorplex staffers and national event facilities who were lucky to work with him over the years. Gotcher also spent time on the track behind the wheel as an avid sportsman and local racer. He was dedicated to supporting DRAW and many other charitable endeavors, always sharing his time, heart, and great sense of humor.

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Hollis Colleasure, a longtime Southern California-based Super Gas racer known for having a pair of surfboards protruding from the rear of his roadster and acting as spoilers, passed away Jan. 2. The past Division 7 Super Gas champion had raced from coast to coast for decades. The Vietnam veteran’s Warren Brogie-built ’27-T roadster was his final machine that he drove for decades after launching his career at the original Irwindale Raceway and Orange County International Raceway, and which carried him to his lone national event win at the 2009 Pacific SPORTSnationals in Fontana, Calif.

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Bob Struksnes, who with his wife Joy campaigned a strong-running independent Top Fuel operation out of Minot, N.D., passed away Jan. 2. He was 85. Although Struksnes never won an NHRA national event, he nonetheless finished third in the 1977 world championship race and fourth in 1976, winning six divisional events over that span. He was inducted into the Division 5 NHRA Hall of Fame and the North Dakota Motor Sports Hall of Fame. [2008 interview]

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Joy; daughters, Sonja (Kevin) Struksnes Weber, Heidi (Phillip) Broderson, and Amber Struksnes; grandchildren, Miranda Struksnes, Ashlee (Landon) Possen, Kaylee Jaensch, MacKenzie Broderson, Casey (Teirney) Jaensch, Nathaniel Ferm, Brandon Broderson, and Kolby Ferm; great-grandchildren, Shaylee, Makayla, and Jayce VanWinkle, Riker, Braylee, and Kinlee Possen;; great-great grandchild, Brinlee; sister, Mary (Rodger) Zurcher; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.