SONOMA, Calif. (July 23, 2025) – Funny Car driver Dave Richards and his BlueBird / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team are ready to hit scenic Sonoma Raceway for this weekend’s Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals.
As part of the SCAG Racing team and only in his second year racing fulltime, Richards is building on a season of growth and learning, aiming to capitalize on the fast conditions at one of the NHRA’s premier tracks. In 2024, Richards made his Sonoma debut, qualifying 12th with a 4.012-second pass at 307.09 mph but fell in the first round to teammate Daniel Wilkerson. Despite the early exit, the team earned the Never Rest Award for their efforts in preparing the car after a mechanical failure in Seattle.
“I’m excited to get back to Sonoma. Last year was my first time ever being there; it’s a great facility, and the conditions can be perfect,” Richards said. “It’s going to be fast, especially that Friday night session, and I hope we capitalize on it. It’s such a great place to race. Like I’ve been saying, we’re building up our program, and we will continue to improve. We’re learning and building data, implementing what we learn, and keeping our heads up. It’s a process, but it’s coming around.”
This season The BlueBird Turf team, currently 14th in the points standings, has made two semifinal appearances, first at the Four-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas and at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee. Richards is coming off a No. 12 qualifying performance from the NHRA Northwest Nationals just outside of Seattle where he came up short in the first round to teammate Daniel Wilkerson.
Competition at the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals begins with four rounds of qualifying Friday at 5:30 and 8:15 p.m. and Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with two qualifying shows Friday at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday at 2 p.m. ET before eliminations air at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).
