Dave Richards Set For Full Funny Car Campaign

Dave Richards will race full time on the NHRA Funny Car circuit for the first time this year. (NHRA/National Dragster photo)

MAYVILLE, Wis. – After racing part-time for a decade, Dave Richards and Paul Richards Racing will run the full NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule this year for the first time.

Richards will drive the Versatran/BlueBird Funny Car as he chases a breakthrough professional Wally in the Funny Car class.

Versatran – a division of Metalcraft of Mayville, the parent company of SCAG Power Equipment – joined Richards and brother Paul Richards during last year’s NHRA Drag Racing Series season. The team competed in 11 races, qualified in the top 16 eight times, and made it to the quarterfinals twice.

Richards finished the season 16th in the Funny Car point standings.

This year, Versatran will be joined by Metalcraft of Mayville’s newly-acquired company BlueBird – the industry’s most reliable turf care power equipment company.

“It’s a struggle to race at this level, but Paul and I, we kept doing it because we love this stuff. Our program over the years had been up and down but we got hooked up with Randy Gloede and Versatran and things are looking positive,” Richards said. “We’re building the program, building the car, getting ready to put our best foot forward.

“We don’t want to go out there and just be happy to be there, we want to be competitive, we want to win.”

Richards made his professional debut at the 2013 NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., where he qualified 16th and had a first round exit to legend John Force.

Since then, Richards has competed in a total of 52 events, qualified for 43 race days and had a total of six quarterfinal appearances.

“This is our opportunity to make a big jump. We have been working hard for years, everyone says things happen for a reason and Randy with Versatran and now Bluebird, has given us the chance to hopefully go out there and surprise some people,” Richards tipped. “We’ve always been the underdogs, but I think running this full season, we’ll learn a lot and quickly, and that will show on the racetrack.”

Part of the newly formed three-car SCAG Racing team with Daniel Wilkerson and Justin Ashley, Richards will begin the new season with testing at Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park prior to racing in the SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout from Feb. 8-10.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will kick off March 8-10 with the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway.