NHRA and VizionOne Honor Nitro Crew’s Hardest Worker with Grunt of the Race Award

Highlights

NHRA and VizionOne created “Grunt of the Race” award for crew members
$250 bonus awarded to Top Fuel and Funny Car divers at each event
Travis Vandermell won three bonuses supporting Shawn Langdon’s team
Former racer Rodger Brogdon owns VizionOne Hand Cleaner brand
Award recognizes bottom-end mechanics’ critical roles and tough conditions
NHRA praises VizionOne partnership for supporting teams and sport

NHRA and VizionOne Hand Cleaner launch ‘Grunt of the Race’ to honor nitro crew divers at each NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series stop across Top Fuel and Funny Car.

The program targets bottom-end mechanics who service hot engines, clutches, fuel lines, and drivelines during rapid turnarounds. Their work is decisive yet usually unseen by fans and colleagues.

Each event provides a $250 bonus to divers on the winning Top Fuel and Funny Car entries, rewarding speed, precision, and resilience under intense between-round pressure.

NHRA nitro crew members service a Top Fuel car between rounds — Image Credit: Drag Illustrated

Owned by former racer Rodger Brogdon, VizionOne backs the initiative with an all‑natural, U.S.-made cleaner developed by ER physician Dr. Ashton “Doc” Hudson.

The formula removes grease, oil, clutch dust, fuel residue, and dirt without damaging skin, matching the daily demands placed on mechanics in shops and high‑heat pit environments.

$250 bonuses are awarded to divers on the winning Top Fuel and Funny Car teams at every NHRA event.

Early results underline the impact. Travis Vandermell has earned three awards while supporting Shawn Langdon and Kalitta Motorsports through a three‑race Top Fuel winning streak.

Funny Car recognition spans teams, including Aaron Kelley with Jordan Vandergriff’s operation, Caden Gibson at Chad Green Racing, and Narciso Bravo working with Tasca Racing alongside Austin Prock.

“These divers are the ones who make things happen where few else will,” said Rodger Brogdon.

Brogdon calls them the sport’s unsung heroes, noting how they swarm the car immediately after the finish. “When that car is steaming and sometimes dripping, these divers make things happen.”

NHRA senior director of advertising Jeff Morton describes the initiative as exciting, stressing bottom‑end mechanics are fundamental to any frontrunning operation’s reliability and turnaround efficiency.

Morton also highlights VizionOne’s partnership value. Products are available at national events, channeling support back into teams and the sport’s wider ecosystem.

NHRA’s Jeff Morton calls the program exciting and vital to team success, praising VizionOne’s support of the sport.

The recognition feeds competitive margins. Faster, cleaner service reduces risk during thrashes between rounds, sustaining performance through demanding weekends like the Thunder Valley stop at Bristol weekend.

It also boosts morale and retention for specialists, as illustrated by Friday‑night turnaround intensity at Bristol Dragway, where rapid, error‑free service underpins Sunday potential.

By formalizing credit for often‑invisible work, ‘Grunt of the Race’ aligns incentives with outcomes, reinforcing the team‑first foundations underpinning nitro competition every weekend.