NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Travis Shumake will honor his late father, Tripp, during NHRA’s 1,000th Funny Car event, this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, as he competes in the Legacy Funny Car category with a paint scheme honoring his father’s winning livery from the 1981 NHRA Southern Nationals, the 100th Funny Car event.

The second-generation Shumake will saddle up in Funny Car veteran Dave Bejamin’s entry that will be cloaked in the famed Little Hoss colors of his father’s original car owner, Johnny Loper.

Shumake wasn’t a headline-chaser. He didn’t stack up a long list of wins. But in the pits, he was known for something just as lasting. His personality. His persistence. Known as “240 Shorty” for his height and speed, Tripp got his start alongside his wife, Susie, in the early ’70s, working and driving for legends like Dickie Harrell, Connie Kalitta, Johnny Loper, and Billy Meyer.

Susie hosted the first Racers for Christ Sunday morning meeting, a reflection of the way the Shumakes quietly brought people together wherever they went. Between race weekends, it wasn’t uncommon to find the Shumakes hosting the Bernsteins, Gliddens, Prudhommes, and Amatos out in the sand dunes, three-wheelers kicking up dust with daughter Heather.

More than four decades later, the Shumake spirit has taken on a much taller form. This weekend in Pomona, Tripp and Susie will be represented by their son, Travis, who shares more than just the name; the familiar mustache and facial features haven’t gone unnoticed in the pits.

When the younger Shumake was asked by NHRA to represent his dad during the 1,000th Funny Car race festivities, he was still sorting out his Top Fuel season. The only certainty back in January was that Pomona wasn’t on his schedule. Last month, just a few hours before the entry deadline for the NHRA Arizona Nationals, Shumake was introduced to Funny Car veteran Benjamin, and suddenly, the 2026 plan shifted into high gear. The two quickly agreed to a limited schedule in the Legacy Nostalgia Funny Car category, where Shumake already holds a license.

Benjamin has been in drag racing since the early 1960s, building a reputation as one of Funny Car’s true independents. A driver, tuner, and team owner who has pushed past the 300-mph barrier behind the wheel, he’s remained a constant across generations of the sport.

After a weekend of Funny Car reacclimation in Phoenix, Shumake will roll through the water box in Pomona in a car that looks strikingly familiar. A detailed replica of the Johnny Loper “Little Hoss” Plymouth Arrow his father drove to that 1981 win. Same colors. Same striping. Same Shumake energy.

“That Travis is a lot like his dad,” John Force said last year. “He wants it so bad, and he’s not gonna give up. He’s one hell of a guy. Everybody seems to love him out here.” 

With a Funny Car legacy that spans 55 seasons of NHRA Drag Racing, it’s one of the weekend’s storylines that will put a smile on your face. Travis’ last round-win came in Top Alcohol Dragster in 2022 with back-to-back holeshots. If he can master that shift into high gear around half track, there’s no reason we couldn’t see that “Little Hoss” Funny Car and the Shumake mustache in the winner's circle.