NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Florida-based NHRA Funny Car driver Dave Richards will compete in the Paul Richards Racing entry at 10 NHRA events on the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule this season, thanks to the support of Brian and Janie Mahoney and their North Carolina-based business company, Prestige Corporate Headquarters.

Since joining the class in 2013, Paul Richards Racing has run a small number of events due to limited financial support. Then the Mahoneys joined the team at a race in Charlotte last season and fell in love with the sport. They stepped up to sponsor the team for the NHRA event in Dallas and extended the partnership into 2016.

The Mahoneys will fully fund the race efforts of the team and will utilize space on the race car to raise awareness for the Alzheimer's Association, whose mission is "to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health."
 
Although logos for the Alzheimer's Association will adorn Richards' Mustang, no money will come from the organization.
 
"The sole purpose of having Alzheimer's Association on our car is to raise awareness for this organization that is working so hard to help those affected by Alzheimer's and their families," said Richards. "More than 5 million people are living with Alzheimer's now, and that number is expected to triple by 2050 without the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease. We hope that everyone who sees our car on the racetrack will take the time to go to Alz.org to see what they can do to help."
 
Richards will make his season debut at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, March 17-20, and he will continue the tour in April at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. The remainder of events on his schedule has yet to be announced.
 
"I'm just really looking forward to getting the season started in Gainesville," said Richards, who made his Funny Car debut at the NHRA New England Nationals in Epping in 2013. "It's hard to believe that it's all coming to life. Last year, I was starting to think that this was never really going to develop into something big, that we would just have to be happy going to one or two races a year. But thanks to the generosity of the Mahoney family, this is really happening. We're really doing this."
 
The financial support has allowed the team to ramp up its efforts to a more competitive level than ever before with a new race car, a '14 Ford Shelby Mustang previously wheeled by Tim Wilkerson.
 
"This is the same chassis and body style that Wilkerson just won with in Phoenix, so that makes me feel good," said Richards. "We've been able to upgrade our trailer and race car; we have new parts. It's going to be a great year. Our team has put so much work into getting everything assembled and ready. My brother Paul has been doing a great job lining everything up, taking the time to make sure we get the best deals, ordering parts, and all kinds of things to set us up for a great season. No one on this team can wait for the first qualifying session at the Gatornationals.

"This is uncharted territory for us because we've always had to race so conservatively in the past. It's different now; there is no reason we shouldn't be able to run really competitively. It's a great feeling to know that someone believes in us and that they believe in me as a driver. There's a little bit of pressure that wasn't there before because you want to live up to their expectations, but that's a good problem to have."
 
The Paul Richards Racing team will be headed, as always, by crew chief Paul Smith, who has been by Richards' side since he licensed in Funny Car. The team will again include Richards' brothers Brian and Michael, along with Kevin Fenstermaker, Danielle Fenstermaker, Chris Foster, Dave "One Time" Lindsay, and Steven Hoppe. The rest of the crew will rotate depending on the event.
 
Back at the shop, John Muruki, Steve Gruenwald, Michael Harrigan, Mike Smith, Danny Hourahan, and Tyler Kitchens have been a tremendous help in preparing the truck, trailer, and equipment for the year ahead.
 
"We have a great team, but none of us could do this without the support of our families, so I want to say thank you to all of them," said Richards. "There is a lot of time that goes into this, time in the evenings when our day jobs are done and time on the weekends. Our families sacrifice a lot for us, and I just want everyone to know how much we appreciate it.
 
"It's really special to me that we're starting our season in Gainesville because some of my best childhood racing memories are from that track and hanging out with my dad," Richards continued. "I remember standing next to the fence and watching Funny Cars doing their burnouts and thinking, ‘I want to drive one of those things.’ It took a little while, but I'm here."