NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The new injected nitro Funny Car class that will debut in 2023 has garnered a lot of interest since the rules package was confirmed last fall. Now, it appears that former Top Alcohol Dragster racer Mick Steele will be one of the first drivers to take the plunge.

Steele, of Kodak, Tenn., finished No. 6 in the North Central Region Top Alcohol Dragster standings last season, but he has already sold his dragster and begun work on a new Mustang-bodied Funny Car that is scheduled to debut possibly as soon as the Baby Gators Eastern Regional opener in Gainesville.

“I’ve always been a Funny Car guy,” Steele said. “I wanted to run nitro so we went to the A/Fuel [dragster] class but as soon as [NHRA] announced this injected nitro Funny Car deal, I went back. I sold all of my dragster stuff so there’s no going back now.”

Steele’s Mustang came from John Force Racing so it’s actually a full nitro-spec Funny Car. Steele wanted the Mustang body because it’s got significantly more downforce than the Camaro body that is utilized by most of today’s Top Alcohol Funny Car racers.

“This is one of the last Ford bodies that JFR had, but I also have a Toyota body,” said Steele. “You need the downforce in these [nitro] cars. Once the clutch locks up past three seconds, you need the downforce to keep all the cylinders lit. That’s why we run such a big wing on the [A/Fuel] dragsters.”

Steele raced in the Top Alcohol Funny Car class during most of the 1990s so he’s not expecting a big adjustment, at least from a driving standpoint. Tuning an injected Funny Car might be a slightly different story, although Steele’s Mustang will use the same engine combination as he previously ran dragster, which means he’s got one less variable to deal with.

“So far, it’s been a bit of a challenge to get all of our parts together even though we have all of our injected nitro stuff,” Steele said. “Things like headers, and a driveshaft, and the injector scoop are a few things we’re dealing with.

“There are already enough unknowns with this deal but we do know what the motor does and what the clutch does. Right now, I’m waiting for Anthony Dicero at Composite Specialties to deliver an upright injector scoop. I don’t want to stray too far away from the combination we ran in our dragster. I think the scoop will ultimately be taller than the roof.”

Steele gets a lot of assistance from veteran crew chief Rick Hickman and his son, Brent. They hope to have the car ready to test in the next few weeks, hopefully making a stop at South Georgia Motorsports Park in advance of the Baby Gators Lucas Oil Series Regional event in Gainesville.

“One of our biggest issues is the percentage of nitro,” Steele said. “We’re limited to 90 percent with the Funny Car but the dragster can run 95. That’s a huge difference. We’ve been in contact with [NHRA Tech officials] and we’ve got the approval to test on 95 percent just to eliminate a variable so we can see where we’re at.”

The last time Steele drove a Funny Car was 1999, but he doesn’t anticipate a big adjustment. In fact, he believes his 6’-4” frame is better suited for a Funny Car than a dragster.

“There is going to be less to do in this car as opposed to a traditional blown Alcohol Funny Car,” he said. “You won’t have to shift gears which means you’ve got more time to concentrate on driving and keeping the car straight. And, I’m a pretty big guy, which meant it was hard to race in the dragster class which has quite a few women who are smaller and lighter. We had a hard time moving weight around. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what this car will do.”