Hull Leaves Seattle with Positive Attitude
Patience is a virtue that is often rewarded, and Funny Car driver Buddy Hull will continue to be patient. The rookie Funny Car driver for Jim Dunn Racing extended his four-race streak of solid, consistent runs that he is confident will soon turn into round wins at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, situated in the Seattle area. Racing with Alo and Jenji Boba Tea, the two wildly popular organic beverages adorning the rear wing of the Lescure Funny Car for the next two events Hull and the Jim Dunn team were looking to continue to put up strong performance numbers.
“I don’t think I could explain enough the confidence our team has had these last three races versus the first five or six of the year. It’s a completely different team,” said Hull. “And it’s because almost every run we’re going down the racetrack. We’re not running three second runs yet, but we’re running low fours. It’s only a matter of time before we make our first three-second run and before our first round win.”
The Dallas-native qualified in the No. 13 spot during his inaugural appearance at Pacific Raceways. For the first time, he faced J.R. Todd in the first round on race day. Todd is the seventh different Funny Car driver Hull has raced against this season.
“In that run against J.R., we must have left pretty close, and it had to have been a good race because I could hear him, but I couldn’t see him,” said Hull. “We’re approaching the Countdown and we’re already thinking about U.S. Nationals. We’re still moving in the right direction, and solid runs like that one will help us get to where we need to be.”
Hull’s best run of the weekend came during the second round of qualifying, with a 4.076 second, 312.57 mph pass. What set this weekend apart from the others is an improvement in parts on the car.
“A lot of these new parts that we got started this year are doing what they’re being told to do now, and we found some little things in the racecar that weren’t so obvious initially, but were holding us back,” said Hull. “We have a brand-new supercharger we put in for this race, and it did exactly what it was supposed to do, making more boosts and it’s significantly more efficient than what we were running before. So all of that is really positive.”
When reflecting on his experience out West, Hull has only an optimistic outlook. This was the first of two races where he competed with a Lescure Mechanical Services car body, and he’s confident next weekend at the Sonoma Nationals he’ll be able to make his season-long sponsor even prouder.
“This was my first time at this track and in this area, and the first word that comes to mind is that it’s beautiful,” said Hull. “My wife’s family’s is from around here, so it was a cool opportunity to see a little bit of the area and many of her family members. And the owners of this racetrack are incredible. They truly care about their racetrack, the racers and the fans. All weekend I saw their passion, and I already can’t wait to come back next year. Each race is getting better and better, just like we are.”
Hull and the Jim Dunn Racing team will be back in competition at the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. on July 26-28 at Sonoma Raceway. There will be two qualifying sessions on Friday, July 26 and two qualifying sessions on Saturday, July 27. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Sonoma Nationals visit nhra.com.
This story was originally published on July 22, 2024.
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