NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Funny Car driver Jason Rupert will be competing at the season-opening Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at his home track — Auto Club Raceway at Pomona — and his Bays & Rupert Ford Mustang will be adorned with the familiar logos of its loyal supporters and the addition of emerging country music artist Elvie Shane.

Shane will be onboard with Rupert Motorsports at select events in 2022 with signage on the hood and side window promoting his critically acclaimed, full-length debut album Backslider, released on Wheelhouse Records in October, which features his No. 1, Gold-certified debut single "My Boy" and the recently released "County Roads." The Kentucky-born country singer and songwriter is set to embark on his My Kinda Trouble 2022 Tour at venues throughout the United States. Tour dates and info are available at www.elvieshane.com.

“The biggest win for me is to do all this successfully enough to support my hot rod habit,” said Shane. “Music and cars are a common thread in my life, and you can hear nods to different cars through the entire Backslider record. I can’t wait to see what 300 mph looks like from the starting line.”

Rupert also has announced renewed support from Lucas Oil, a longstanding partnership that dates back to the primary sponsorship of his first Top Alcohol Funny Car in 1996 and through three consecutive Nostalgia Funny Car championships in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series. Rupert relies on Lucas 70 Plus racing oil and is a proponent of Lucas’ entire line of oils, greases, additives, fuel treatments, and appearance products.

“It’s been incredible to see Forrest Lucas’ vision materialize into what it’s become,” said Rupert. “The privilege of representing Lucas Oil for so long isn't something I take for granted, and it's a great feeling to finally begin a season in Pomona with their logo on the side of a nitro Funny Car. We learned so much last year getting our feet wet with the nitro car. We’ve been fortunate to access great parts and assistance. We really want to start the year strong at home in front of all the people who have helped us and been a part of this.”

The Southern California native enters the Winternationals with renewed support from Alliance Companies, CP-Carrillo, TMS Titanium, GRP Connecting Rods, Best of Texas BBQ Sauce, Atlas Testing, and Petrolhead Apparel. Hot rod and classic car specialist MAC Speed and Custom will be providing hospitality. Rupert also is welcoming Better Vacuum Cups, Inc., a manufacturer of top-notch vacuum cups for all CNC flat table routers. 

Rupert plans to compete at five to six events on the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, selecting events on the West Coast throughout the season in addition to traveling to Dallas later in the season for the Texas NHRA FallNationals, Oct. 13-16.