GROWING UP IN Odessa, Texas, Mikel McQueen didn’ t have many distractions – just baseball, work, wideopen spaces, and drag racing. Now 24, he’ s become one of the most accomplished young bracket racers in the region, collecting wins and championships at a rapid pace.

McQueen’ s path started generations before he ever sat in a car. His great-grandfather helped fund the construction of the local track. His grandfather raced and built cars. His father, Randal McQueen, continued the tradition and brought young Mikel out to the track. Baseball was his preferred pastime until he saw a Jr. Dragster for the first time. He got one of his own and raced casually while also pursuing baseball.

From ages 9 to 14, McQueen stepped out of the seat as his father joined his friend’ s Top Alcohol Dragster team on the NHRA Lucas Oil Series national tour. Mikel tagged along when he could, an experience that shaped his own ambitions.

McQueen jumped back into Jr. Dragsters at 16 when he and his father built his final Jr. Dragster from the ground up at the family’ s fabrication business. He aged out at 17 with numerous wins across West Texas and New Mexico.

Baseball had dominated his childhood, and after high school, McQueen felt lost without it. He found direction through longtime friend and 2024 DI 30 Under 30 honoree Mason McGaha, whose family welcomed him onto their NHRA Pro Stock team. The experience taught him how to work on race cars at the professional level, but it didn’ t quite scratch the itch to compete.“ It still was like I was missing something,” he says.“ After I got back in the car I was like,‘ This is what I want to do. I can’ t work on a car – I’ ve gotta be behind the wheel.’”

A Super Stock ride led to a Super Comp dragster opportunity. At his first bracket race in years, he went straight to the finals. That was the sign he needed.“ After that I just started looking for a car,” he says.“ I told my dad,‘ We’ re going to have to get into it because I gotta be behind the wheel.’”

In May 2021, he purchased his own dragster. The connection was immediate, as he notched two wins in three finals that season. But growing up around heads-up racers, McQueen struggled with the bracket racing discipline until local racers stepped in to help.“ They took me under their wing and started teaching me the art of bracket racing,” he says.

From 2021 forward, McQueen’ s momentum has been relentless. In 2022, he won four of the five finals he reached to lose the track championship

by one round. He won the championship in 2023 on the strength of five wins in seven finals, then won three titles in 2024 with seven wins in 10 finals. This season was his best yet, though. As this story was coming together, McQueen had 13 wins in 19 finals, securing one championship with another two possible. He earned a Wally in Amarillo and reached the split at the Spring Fling Million in Las Vegas.

“ I think winning the Wally meant the most,” McQueen says.“ My dad and his buddies all ran Top Alcohol Dragster, and that was my biggest dream – to win a Wally.”

McQueen has refined his bracket racing strategy through competing throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and even Florida’ s winter races.“ You’ ve got to beat that guy beside you,” he says.“ It doesn’ t matter if you’ re. 100 on the tree or

triple zero – you’ ve still got to find a way to turn on that win light.”

McQueen, who’ s studying mechanical engineering, is set to graduate the day after the 30 Under 30 ceremony at the PRI Show in Indianapolis. With school behind him, he plans to chase more big-money races while working toward a seat in Top Alcohol Dragster, the class he grew up traveling the country to watch.

“ I’ d really like to go get in a Top Alcohol Dragster and see if I couldn’ t go chase after a world championship,” says McQueen, who credits his parents, grandparents, and supporters like Mark Taliaferro, Alan Bradshaw, Mason Wright, David and Kerry James, and Brian Canady for shaping his path.“ A lot of people have helped me get to where I’ m at, and I want to make them proud.”

– NATE VAN WAGNEN DI

PHOTO: KRISTEN STEVENS