Sophomore Funny Car driver Spencer Hyde, the Canadian pilot of the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol Dragway.

Hyde qualified in the top quarter of the field at the No. 4 spot, and was one of the most consistent cars on the property over the course of the weekend. 

“I feel a lot better coming into this weekend than I felt the last two weekends, just right from the start of qualifying through race day,” said Hyde, who was the 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “The car went down five out of six runs we made, and the one that it didn’t go down, it was really close to making it. It feels like we have our race car back, and I think we’re in a good spot going into the next race.”

All the teams came into Thunder Valley blind, with no data for the new track surface. The first round of qualifying was not particularly good for anyone, but after that Hyde made one steady pass after the other. Hyde qualified in the No. 4 position based off his Q2 pass, a 4.030 second, 319.07 mph run. 

In the first round, Hyde was up against 2-time Funny Car World Champion Cruz Pedregon. The run ended up being a single for Hyde, when Pedregon’s car malfunctioned and his team had to back it up from the starting line. Hyde then went on to make a 4.001 second, 316.52 mph pass, securing the round one win.  

While the first round may not have been competitive, the quarterfinals most certainly was. Hyde was able to duplicate his first round elapsed time with a 4.001 second pass, and increased his speed to 323.50 mph. Unfortunately, it was not enough against reigning Funny Car World Champion Austin Prock, who made a 3.986 second, 323.50 mph run. 

“We lost a tough one there to Austin, but I’d rather lose a good drag race like that then smoke the tires,” said Hyde. “I was a little tardy on the light, but they made a good run. Jim was going to try and go a 3.97 or 3.98, but he backed it down at the last minute, put the same tune up in as E1, it went right down the racetrack, but it just wasn’t enough.”

 Now that Hyde and the Jim Head-tuned Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car have nailed consistency, they are turning their sights ahead to the Norwalk race in two weeks – which is one of the most important and largest races on the annual NHRA season calendar.

 Hyde and the Head Contractors and Engineers Funny Car will be back in competition in two weeks at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 25-28 at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.

Posted by Elon Werner