NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Ryan Oehler and crew chief Alex Tutt parted ways at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. The two have been together since Oehler began racing full-time, as he chased the Auto Club Road to the Future Award in the 2018 season. Oehler was not named rookie of the year, but he did take major strides with Tutt on his team, which he continued during the 2019 season. 

“It’s all growing pains of a small team,” said Oehler. “He was great help with me, and he’ll be missed. We’ll get through this weekend no problem. I’m so used to doing this all with just me and my dad, but when you add things like fan appreciation and everything else that we do it does get very tough.”

Oehler said that he has not approached anyone to replace Tutt on staff. The next Pro Stock Motorcycle race is set for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend, giving him time to get his program in order. He plans to test following the NHRA Toyota Nationals. 

Tutt says he is not sure what his future holds. He may go back to school to pursue a degree, but that doesn’t mean he’s leaving drag racing forever. He says he has talked to multiple teams in the pits but has not made any decision on his NHRA future. 

Oehler is competing in the Mickey Thompson Pro Bike Battle for the first time in his career. He will do so with a pair of volunteer crew members. He entered the weekend seventh in the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings. You can catch the Pro Bike Battle live on NHRA.tv on Saturday.