ENNIS, Texas (October 8, 2025) – Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Ford Mustang Funny Car team are fired up to tackle Texas Motorplex this weekend at the Texas NHRA FallNationals, the pivotal fourth round of the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship.
Currently sitting 13th in the Funny Car points standings and just 96 points shy of cracking the top 10, Richards is determined to deliver consistent performances to climb the leaderboard in the season’s closing sprint.
Texas Motorplex has been a track of triumph and trial for Richards, where the team recorded a career-best 3.92-second elapsed time pass last year—while also overcoming a devastating 2023 crash that tested their resolve. Rebuilt stronger, the BlueBird Turf / Versatran squad enters the weekend ready to put on a show for a massive group of supporters.
“I’m really excited to get on the track for that first qualifying session at the Motorplex. Consistency is goal number one. We need to start the weekend off on the right foot and then lay a good run down on Friday night,” said Richards referencing the Friday night low qualifier bonus, “Battle for the Saddle.” “This is a big race for the BlueBird / Versatran team for many reasons. We’ve had highs and lows at this track. We ran our career best elapsed time here last year, but the year before we had the crash that I thought would end our racing careers. We totaled the car but fortunately were able to continue our relationship with SCAG Racing and here we are still going strong.”
“We’re not going out without a fight,” Richards continued. “We’re looking forward to a fun weekend with close to 500 SCAG Southwest dealers. The BlueBird team is planning to put on a good show for them.”
Competition at the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex begins with four qualifying sessions Friday at 4:15 and 7 p.m. and Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations are slated for a 10 a.m. start on Sunday. Television coverage of the event will begin on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with a qualifying show Sunday at 10 a.m. ET and continue with eliminations shows on FOX Broadcasting Network (FOX) at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET.
