Dirt
Alex Laughlin ’ s New Chapter
The multi-talented driver talks Top Fuel plans By Rob King
Alex Laughlin has never been shy about his willingness to “ drive anything ”, and he demonstrated that trait at drag racing ’ s highest possible level during the recently completed Dodge // SRT NHRA Mile-High Nationals when he made his Top Fuel debut in the Havoline dragster fielded by fan-favorite owner / driver Scott Palmer .
On the heels of a successful initial outing , Laughlin has gone public with his plans to pursue a long-term future in Top Fuel drag racing .
“ A month ago , the last thing on my mind was Top Fuel ,” said Laughlin . “ I found myself in a situation a month ago where I needed to find a way to have a presence in Denver at the Mile- High Nationals and it sparked a relationship with Scott Palmer , who worked with me to get licensed and ultimately race his Top Fuel dragster at Bandimere Speedway .”
After securing his license in the days leading up to the event , Laughlin qualified No . 5 for the NHRA Mile-High Nationals before falling to eventual runner-up Joey Haas in the opening stanza .
“ My experience in Denver was unbelievable ,”
said Laughlin . “ The support from fans and even other Top Fuel competitors and their teams has been nothing short of amazing – almost overwhelming . People came out of the woodwork to offer their support and congratulate me on making the leap to Top Fuel . After just one weekend racing with Scott [ Palmer ] and his crew , I felt like I was really a part of the team and his family . That feeling alone , for me , was reason enough to pursue racing Top Fuel on a regular basis .”
Since 2017 , Laughlin has been a staple in the Elite Motorsports Pro Stock pits , while also dabbling in Radial vs . the World competition ( winning small tire racing ’ s marquee event in Lights Out at South Georgia Motorsports Park ) and competing regularly in Pro Modified . He earned four wins in NHRA Pro Stock competition with Elite Motorsports and qualified No . 1 three times .
“ My time with Elite [ Motorsports ] was great , and I appreciate them welcoming me to their program with open arms back in 2017 ,” continued Laughlin . “ Having teammates like Erica Enders and Jeg Coughlin Jr . was an absolute dream come true . I had the opportunity to learn from the best in the business and I wouldn ’ t change those experiences for the world . This is the closing of a chapter , but I ’ m genuinely excited as to what the future holds .”
While Laughlin hasn ’ t cemented his plans for the remainder of the 2021 season , he intends to be back behind the wheel of Scott Palmer Racing ’ s Top Fueler in short order .
“ I ’ ve not locked everything down yet , but we ’ re for sure headed to Topeka , Kansas , in a few weeks for the Menards NHRA Nationals and we ’ ll be flying the colors of Powerbuilt Tools in Top Fuel ,” concluded Laughlin . “ The folks at Powerbuilt are excited to ride with me on this new endeavor , and I am extremely thankful to them and all of my sponsors for supporting me in this transition . My goal and tentative plans are to run the U . S . Nationals in Indy , as well as the NHRA stops in Charlotte , Dallas and Las Vegas .
“ I ’ m sorting out a lot of details right now and hope to make more formal announcements in the very near future . I ’ m even thinking the time might be right for another ‘ Power of the People ’ campaign to try and make sure we make it on the entry list for Bristol or St . Louis . There ’ s plenty of moving parts right now , but I ’ ve got my head down and am focused on securing a future in Top Fuel drag racing .” DI
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT ARNOLD AND ANDRE WRIGHT / SRA PHOTO
42 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 170