Press Release | SHUMAKE RACING
Top Fuel newcomer Travis Shumake delivered another standout performance last weekend at the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, clocking a blistering 330.88 mph pass during the opening round of Sunday’s NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations. The run—Shumake’s new personal best—earned him the top speed of the meet in front of a soldout hometown crowd.
Facing off against former Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta, Shumake held his own down to the stripe. Though Kalitta turned on the win light, both lanes erupted in celebration as the team recognized the significance of Shumake’s speed and performance.
“It’s hard to justify being so excited when you lose,” said Shumake. “But I came up there focused on my race—my routine, my lane. I didn’t notice Doug until he turned on the top bulb. I wanted an average light, to stay in the groove, and not lift. We checked all the boxes. To leave with top speed of the day for our friends at Fry’s Food Stores? That’s a win in my book.”
The run puts Shumake in the 330+ mph club, a milestone that demonstrates the potential of his Scrappers Racing-tuned dragster and his evolution as both a driver and team owner.
“This car needs to be on the circuit more,” Shumake said. “We’re starting to give off TJ Zizzo / Tripp Tatum vibes—those high-performing part-time teams that keep the sport exciting. We’re one sponsorship check away from ruffling some serious feathers this season.”
Shumake and his team battled through qualifying challenges while testing a new clutch component—an expensive risk without the luxury of private test sessions. But by Sunday, they had the car dialed in.
“Every time I pull into the water box, it’s valuable seat time for me—and a chance to prove we’re worth a sponsor’s investment,” he said. “I can’t afford to test like the full-time teams, so those qualifying passes were our test runs. By race day, we had her on lock.”
He credits much of his progress to the support of the Scrappers Racing team who have championed his Top Fuel journey.
“Mike and Monica Salinas have really put their necks out for me. Adem [Cave] and Troy [Fasching] keep proving that Scrappers is ready to run two competitive cars when we have the funding. I’m doing everything I can to stay out there with Jasmine [Salinas]. Racing with your best friend? There’s nothing cooler.”
Off the track, Shumake continues to grow his brand and fanbase, bringing new exposure and opportunities to the sport. From his annual first pitch at a Diamondbacks game to autograph sessions at Fry’s Food Stores and campy local TV interviews, his Phoenix appearances are a hit with the sponsors —and a chance to showcase his unmistakable swagger.
For Shumake, the feather in his Phoenix cap was a shoutout from sixteen-time NHRA champion and racing legend John Force.
“Boy, Travis is quite a guy. Like his dad he wants to do this really bad and won’t give up. Reminds me of me in the early days,” said Force, from the announcers' booth Saturday.
Due to a lack of funding, Shumake has withdrawn from this weekend’s Lucas Oil Winternationals in Pomona and isn’t scheduled to compete again until late June in Norwalk, Ohio. He continues to actively seek sponsors to join longtime partners Red Line Oil, the Napp Brothers, CAS, and FCP Euro to return to the track sooner.
(Photo Courtesy Shumake Racing)
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