INDIANAPOLIS (September 1, 2025) — Drag racing is first and foremost a family sport, and that was never more evident for NHRA driver Buddy Hull than this weekend at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Hull was out of the driver’s seat of the Jim Dunn Racing Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car while he continues to recover from a left-hand injury that he obtained at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals a few weeks ago. But the Hull family still left victorious after son, Maverick, won the Baby Walker Nationals and Hull qualified for the Countdown.
“Highlights from the marathon that is Indy include still being able to meet with some of our partners and entertain fans,” said Hull. “The biggest thing for me, obviously, was my son. Maverick winning the Baby Walker Nationals was so cool. I’ll be able to tell him, he won at the U.S. Nationals before me. That sets me up in a place where I have to make sure I win some day.”
Buddy Hull, Maverick Hull (in walker) and Johnna Dunn raced to victory at the NHRA Baby Walker Nationals, photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography
Maverick was up against Noah Alexander (Blake Alexander’s son), Tripp Coughlin (Troy Coughlin Jr.’s son), Harper Torrence (Steve Torrence’s daughter) and Dominic Stewart (Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett’s son). From the jump, Maverick was off the starting line first, where he surged forward, diagonally, jumping a few lanes. Despite this causing him to have to walk further than all of his competitors, he was the first to the finish line, focused on the goal while his competitors dawdled behind him.
“I believe that every human being on this earth received genetics from their parents. I also believe they receive a spirit and a soul, two separate things,” said Hull. “And that kid has a unique spirit. Spirit means his natural attitude towards things, like his aggressiveness and his non-verbal communications are way different than any other kid I’ve ever been around. And I’m not saying that just because he is my kid.”
Hull stayed busy over the course of the weekend, finding himself doing Q&A’s in the Top Eliminator Club, signing autographs at multiple different displays and giving his quarterfinal elimination predictions in the announcing booth with Joe Castello and Travis Shumake.
Buddy Hull (far left) talked to a packed house in the NHRA Top Eliminator Club on Sunday at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography
HULL LEAVES U.S. NATIONALS A PROUD FATHER AND COUNTDOWN CONTENDER
INDIANAPOLIS (September 1, 2025) — Drag racing is first and foremost a family sport, and that was never more evident for NHRA driver Buddy Hull than this weekend at the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Hull was out of the driver’s seat of the Jim Dunn Racing Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car while he continues to recover from a left-hand injury that he obtained at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals a few weeks ago. But the Hull family still left victorious after son, Maverick, won the Baby Walker Nationals and Hull qualified for the Countdown.
“Highlights from the marathon that is Indy include still being able to meet with some of our partners and entertain fans,” said Hull. “The biggest thing for me, obviously, was my son. Maverick winning the Baby Walker Nationals was so cool. I’ll be able to tell him, he won at the U.S. Nationals before me. That sets me up in a place where I have to make sure I win some day.”
Buddy Hull, Maverick Hull (in walker) and Johnna Dunn raced to victory at the NHRA Baby Walker Nationals, photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography
Maverick was up against Noah Alexander (Blake Alexander’s son), Tripp Coughlin (Troy Coughlin Jr.’s son), Harper Torrence (Steve Torrence’s daughter) and Dominic Stewart (Tony Stewart and Leah Pruett’s son). From the jump, Maverick was off the starting line first, where he surged forward, diagonally, jumping a few lanes. Despite this causing him to have to walk further than all of his competitors, he was the first to the finish line, focused on the goal while his competitors dawdled behind him.
“I believe that every human being on this earth received genetics from their parents. I also believe they receive a spirit and a soul, two separate things,” said Hull. “And that kid has a unique spirit. Spirit means his natural attitude towards things, like his aggressiveness and his non-verbal communications are way different than any other kid I’ve ever been around. And I’m not saying that just because he is my kid.”
Hull stayed busy over the course of the weekend, finding himself doing Q&A’s in the Top Eliminator Club, signing autographs at multiple different displays and giving his quarterfinal elimination predictions in the announcing booth with Joe Castello and Travis Shumake.
Buddy Hull (far left) talked to a packed house in the NHRA Top Eliminator Club on Sunday at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, photo credit AJ Bohlander Photography
“I love the energy at this race. There’s a special energy this year,” said Hull. “I don’t know if it’s because I’m injured, and I couldn’t compete. I haven’t seen fans this excited in a long time. There were huge crowds and the weather was fantastic. It was just a really positive weekend.”
Jim Dunn Racing and Alex Laughlin made a representative effort during qualifying with the Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car with a 4.112 second, 270.05 mph pass made during the fourth round of qualifying. Unfortunately, this was not enough to keep them in the show, and they ended Sunday in the No. 18 qualifying position.
In a scary moment during the final qualifying session, Justin Schriefer crossed the centerline in front of Laughlin, where his deployed parachutes clouded Laughlin’s windshield. Laughlin skillfully navigated the car into what was originally Schriefer’s lane, and they avoided colliding.
“Alex did a great job driving. He couldn’t have done any better than what he did to avoid potentially destroying two nitro Funny Cars and having them both get injured. It’s situations like this where I am an advocate for every team testing before competition. Being on the sidelines watching it happen felt like an out of body experience. I look forward to my hand healing and getting back into the seat.”
The U.S. Nationals was the final race of the regular Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, and by the end of it Hull had officially qualified for his second Funny Car Countdown.
“It’s a huge blessing to say that I have made it into the Countdown for my first two Funny Car seasons,” said Hull. “I couldn’t have done this without the support of my family and our sponsors. I want to keep representing them well throughout the rest of this year in the playoffs.”
Hull and Jim Dunn Racing will keep fans updated as they evaluate Hull’s medical status going into the 40th NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish on September 11-14 at Maple Grove Raceway. For tickets or more information on the NHRA Reading Nationals visit nhra.com
