Canadian Drag Racer, Spencer Hyde, completed his licensing process and becomes the most recent licensed NHRA Funny Car Driver. Head Racing and Spencer were one of a handful of teams that were at Gainesville Raceway for a pre-season test session this weekend. Head and Hyde attended this session with hopes of making enough successful passes to obtain a cross-over license. Hyde is already licensed and has competed in Top Fuel and Pro Mod, but had never driven a Funny Car before the test session began on Friday. 

“This Funny Car is unlike anything I’ve ever driven before”, said Hyde. “I’ve been driving race cars for most of my life starting with Jr. Dragsters, but when they say a Funny Car is a different animal, there is no exaggeration there. It got my attention quickly and I am already in love with it.” 

Hyde has plenty of experience behind the wheel of race cars in his young 33 years. He started racing Jr. Dragsters as a kid, worked his way up through the sportsman ranks but is best known for his success in the Outlaw Pro Mod scene. He has records in Canada, has won events in the US and Canada, but the event that put him on the map was the 2023 World Series of Pro Mod Championship. 

Hyde announced at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show in December that he would be the full-time driver for Jim Head Racing, but this test session was the first on-track outing for Hyde and Head, together. 

“Since we announced this deal in December, I’ve been to Jim’s shop in Ohio to get to know the guys, get acquainted with the car, but I hadn’t even warmed it up until this week’, Hyde said. 

“We made three days worth of attempts and had everything thrown at us in this first outing from tire smoke, tire shake, fuel issues, dropping holes, and more, but what a learning experience it has been. The guys worked their butts off to get the get this thing figured out and by the last run on day two, we were able to make a pretty decent rip and it was uphill from there.”

“To say I’m proud and excited to be an officially licensed Funny Car Driver is the understatement of a lifetime. This car is unlike anything you can imagine and I am looking forward to being the lucky one in the seat for the 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series. Icing on the cake was to have both Steve and Billy Torrence be the drivers to sign off on my license."

Hyde will make his official NHRA Funny Car debut back in Gainesville at the Gator Nationals in two weeks, but not before giving his ‘fan-favorite Jack and The Green Stock’ Pro Mod car one more go at the 2025 World Series of Pro Mod in Bradenton this coming weekend. 

“I’ll never be done with Pro Mod, but it will be taking a back seat to the Funny Car for the rest of the season after the World Series of Pro Mod this weekend,” said Hyde. “My crew is a volunteer group of family and friends who feel the same way I do, so this last race means more than I can ever put into words. We will be giving it all we have to head to Gainesville from Bradenton on a victory lap as the first team to ever win the event twice before it’s all Funny Car.” 

The Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Mod will be at Bradenton Motorsports Park February 27 - March 1 and will be streamed live on FloRacing.com 

For more information on the NHRA Gator Nationals, visit nhra.com