Dave Richards Drives Bluebird Turf to NHRA Four-Wide Finals

Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car team made a big move at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, reaching the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals final quad on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Richards earned semifinal points for the first time in his racing career and finished third in a competitive Funny Car field.

Lining up alongside champions, Richards posted a 4.320-second run at 227.80 mph, moving ahead of Matt Hagan, who struggled on his pass. Paul Lee earned the runner-up spot with a 4.042 at 311.77, while Austin Prock, the defending champ, took the win at 4.009 and 316.01 mph.

After starting the day from the eleventh qualifying spot, Richards shared his quad with Spencer Hyde, Hunter Green, and Buddy Hull. His 4.163 at 292.96 mph advanced him along with Hyde, who put down a 3.994 at 320.43.

Hull and Green were eliminated with runs over five and six seconds, respectively. In the semifinals, Richards finished second with a 4.354-second run, clinching a place in the final against heavy hitters.

Hyde fell back in that round with a 10.331 at 71.54 while Cruz Pedregon was behind at 4.446. Only Prock was quicker, running a 3.964 at 322.88 to secure his own spot in the finals.

Richards, now thirteenth in the points standings, said this was his first time moving past the second round. He described the day as a “major accomplishment” for himself and his team and added they want to keep building off this strong result.

Competing through the rounds and making it to the final four brought fresh momentum to the BlueBird Turf team as they look toward the rest of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Top Fuel also brought excitement in Las Vegas. Justin Ashley took the SCAG Power Equipment Toyota dragster to the final quad.

Ashley qualified eighth, facing Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican in round one, then moving forward with a 4.022 at 280.08 mph. Kalitta had a strong 3.774 at 317.12 to move on as well.

The second round introduced Steve Torrence and Tony Stewart. Stewart advanced with a .052 reaction time and a 3.943 at 303.50, while Ashley’s 4.090 at 269.94 was enough to transfer him to the final quad again.

In the deciding race, Ashley took third-place semifinal points with a 3.965 at 304.25, behind Antron Brown and Stewart, who captured his first Top Fuel win.

Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Ford group started from eighth in Funny Car. He raced with Paul Lee, Bob Tasca III, and Chad Green in the first round, advancing with a 4.242-second pass.

Next, Wilkerson battled Lee again, plus J.R. Todd and Matt Hagan, but after a 4.249-second effort and some tire spin, he finished third of the group. Hagan and Lee advanced after running 4.126 and 4.140 respectively.

Richards’ performance in Las Vegas marks a key step for his Funny Car career and signals a stronger presence for his BlueBird Turf / Versatran team in future events. With momentum growing, the SCAG teams in both Top Fuel and Funny Car will turn their attention to the next NHRA event at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte on April 25-27.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.