NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The Sunday chapel service and the pre-race invocation have become as much a part of the race-day program at NHRA national events as driver introductions, the national anthem, and winner's circle celebrations, but the story of how Racers for Christ, International came to be a spiritual beacon on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series tour suggests at least a little bit of divine intervention.

RFC, which this year is celebrating its Golden Anniversary in motorsports, wasn’t active with the NHRA in 1979 when Suzi Shumake, whose late husband, Tripp, was a standout Funny Car driver in the 1970s and '80s, asked a simple question of NHRA officials attending the Labor Day U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

"I was the national media relations director for NHRA when Suzi approached me at Indy in 1979," recalled Steve Earwood, who for the last 30 years has owned and operated Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.

"She asked why we didn't have an opening prayer before eliminations and why there was no opportunity at the racetrack for people to gather for worship, especially since Sunday is the Lord's Day? I didn't have a good answer for either question.” 

Among those who overheard the conversation was the late Lou Sattelmaier, an Ohio racer and Christian counselor who used his Sonic Thunder jet Funny Car to connect with troubled young people. Sattelmaier told Earwood he would gladly conduct a service. Therein the die was cast.

“We had the first service in Indy with a group that consisted solely of me, Suzi, NHRA's Ron Rickman, and Lou's three sons," Earwood said, “but it planted the seed.”

Sattelmaier continued to conduct impromptu services for the next two seasons at the NHRA Springnationals in Columbus, Ohio, as well as the U.S. Nationals and other Midwest events not part of the 12-race national series.

"When I got to California before the '82 World Finals, I became aware of RFC and Ken Owen because, at the time, they were working out of a one-room office in Pasadena, just a half an hour away from the NHRA office," Earwood recalled. “I remember Ken conducted the first formal non-denominational services at the NHRA Winston Finals at Orange County International Raceway [Irvine, Calif.], in Alcohol Funny Car racer Chuck Beal's trailer.”

The next year, the NHRA fully embraced the RFC program and the manner in which it addressed the spiritual needs of drivers, crewmembers, officials, sponsors, and fans. In 1985, it recognized Owen as official chaplain, while also assisting with travel expenses to assure his presence at all national events and engaging him to write a column in NHRA’s National Dragster magazine, which he did for 10 years.

RFC, which today serves eight geographic regions from an expanded campus in Mesa, Ariz., this year will conduct more than 400 services at Camping World, Lucas Oil Series, and independent events at NHRA member tracks while also ministering at open-wheel, motorcycle, boat, and stock car events, tractor pulls, and car shows. Attendance at these events can be anywhere from 25 to 400-plus people.

In addition to offering the invocation prior to the start of eliminations at every NHRA event and conducting Sunday services, RFC and its team of chaplains always have made themselves available for private counseling during times of crisis, which has proven to be one of the great intangible benefits of the association.

Through current director Eddie Baugher and his three predecessors — Owen, Larry Smiley, and Craig Garland — RFC has been woven into the fabric of NHRA drag racing. It has become as much a part of the overall experience as burnouts and breakouts, ready to address the sport’s spiritual needs for the next 50 years and beyond.