NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Brothers Jim and Jon Oberhofer have been involved in drag racing for their entire lives. Since attending races with their father, Dave, the Oberhofer brothers have been nearly inseparable, working with their dad on Top Fuel dragsters before eventually carving their own drag racing paths, most prominently with Kalitta Motorsports.

In 2026, Jim and Jon Oberhofer will race together as part of Rick Ware Racing (RWR) where the duo will serve as the crew chiefs for Top Fuel drivers Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican, respectively. Joining them as co-crew chief for both entries will be another NHRA veteran, Nicky Boninfante.

“When you look at what Jim and Jon have accomplished in this sport, it’s remarkable. Championships, U.S. Nationals wins, decades of experience at the highest level, but what really stands out to me is that they’ve grown up in this business together,” said Rick Ware, team owner. “There’s built-in trust and understanding that isn’t manufactured. Pair that with Nicky’s experience and success, and you’ve got three guys who have seen every scenario drag racing can throw at you.

“In NHRA, performance comes down to thousandths of a second, and chemistry matters just as much as horsepower. We feel like we’ve assembled a leadership group that gives both Tony and Clay the tools to compete for wins and contend for championships.”

Jim Oberhofer had been Millican’s crew chief since 2022 and when RWR acquired the team in 2023, Jim remained in the role and an integral part of the operation, which has gone on to win five Top Fuel event victories, including the 2024 U.S. Nationals. With the addition of eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher to RWR for the final seven races of 2025, Jim was moved to crew chief of Schumacher’s No. 15 American Communications Construction dragster. The best person to lead Millican’s No. 51 Parts Plus Top Fuel program and maintain its winning ways was, of course, another Oberhofer.

Jon Oberhofer comes to RWR from Kalitta where he rose from cylinder head specialist on the double championship-winning Top Fuel dragster of Scott Kalitta in 1994-1995 to co-crew chief for Top Fuel drivers Dave Grubnic (2004-2007) and Doug Kalitta (2007-2008), and Funny Car drivers Jeff Arend (2009-2013), Del Worsham (2014-2016) and J.R. Todd (2017-2025). In addition to the two Top Fuel titles Jim was a part of in 1994-1995, he won two Funny Car championships via Worsham in 2015 and Todd in 2018. And, like his brother, Jon has tasted victory at the prestigious U.S. Nationals, winning back-to-back with Todd in 2017-2018.

“Jim and I have worked together a lot over the years, so there’s already an understanding before you even open the trailer in the morning,” Jon said. “We don’t have to explain much because we already know what each other is thinking. Coming into Rick Ware Racing with Tony and Clay and having Nicky there too, it just felt comfortable right away. It’s competitive, but it’s also fun, and that’s usually when you do your best work.”

Jim Oberhofer began his time at Kalitta as a parts washer in 1983. After working with Frank Cook and Chuck Landers on their Alcohol Funny Car in 1984-1986 and Jay Meyer’s Top Alcohol dragster in 1987, Jim retuned to Kalitta in 1988 as a crew member for Scott Kalitta and his Top Fuel dragster. He soon took on many roles, from cylinder head specialist for Scott Kalitta to co-crew chief for Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta (2000-2003) to crew chief for Scott Kalitta (2004-2005), Hillary Will (2006-2008) and Doug Kalitta (2009-2018), all while serving as the team’s general manager for 18 years (2000-2017).

“Jon and I have spent our whole lives around these cars, so getting the chance to do this together again is pretty special,” Jim said. “We’ve both worked different paths over the years, but the approach never really changes. You pay attention to the details and take care of the people around you. Tony and Clay give great feedback, Nicky brings a steady hand across both teams, and that makes our job easier. It feels like a group that knows how to work together before the season even starts.”

Like the Oberhofers, Nicky Boninfante began his drag racing career attending races in the early 1970s with his father, Nick Boninfante Sr. Nicky has also curated an impressive resume that includes previous crossovers with the Oberhofers, as he spent two stints at Kalitta – Top Fuel in 1994-1995 as clutch specialist for Scott Kalitta before returning in 2008 as crew chief for Doug Kalitta in Top Fuel and then co-crew chief in Funny Car from 2009 through 2019 with drivers Arend (2009-2013), Worsham (2014-2016), Alexis DeJoria (2017) and Shawn Langdon (2018-2019). In 2015, Boninfante pulled double duty by also serving as crew chief for Worsham, where they won the 2015 NHRA Funny Car championship.

“After being around this sport as long as I have, you recognize when a group fits. There’s respect here. Nobody guards information and nobody panics when things don’t go perfectly. That lets you make smarter decisions, and over a long season that usually shows up on the scoreboard,” said Boninfante, who has been with RWR since 2024.