So much about NHRA Drag Racing is focused on fierce intensity captured in a handful of seconds, and a lot of attention is placed on the past in a meaningful way that celebrates the history of the fastest sport in the world. For Chad Green, the words “steady” and “intentional” have been the building blocks to his success.
Early Career and Pro Mod Success
Spurred on by his interest in Funny Cars, the elder Green obtained his Alcohol Funny Car license through Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School. Chad went overseas to Bahrain for a Pro Mod event in 2017 and was put in touch with 16-time NHRA champion John Force. “I went to the spring training in Arizona that year to make my first few runs, then finished up my license at Charlotte later in the year,” recalled Chad, who kept up with the demands of driving a nitro-fueled monster by making a few hits each year in Wilkerson’s ride at the annual Arizona event.
Green made his nitro Funny Car debut at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, and on the very same weekend, he showed his effectiveness at multitasking by scoring his first career win in Pro Mod.
Transition to Funny Car
Before he made his Funny Car debut, he had made nearly two dozen runs spread out over several years. With Wilkerson’s team housing his fuel car operation and handling the required maintenance in between outings, Chad raced at two events in his first season.
Green launched hard into Funny Car, purchasing a car and starting a team that operated initially with the help of Wilkerson and son Daniel, who tuned Green for his first few seasons.
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Team Dynamics and Leadership
The 2024 season brought a major shift, though, as Daniel was tapped to drive Wilkerson’s Funny Car, but Green saw it as an opportunity. “Dean is one of the sharpest, smartest guys in drag racing, and pretty soon, everybody is going to realize that,” said Green. “Joe had been with Tim [Wilkerson] for years, he’s the most tenured guy on our team, and they’ve both been big leaders for the last several years. This is our sixth year racing together now, and it was a totally natural transition for us.
2025: Gatornationals Victory and Beyond
Chad Green couldn’t have picked a better way to begin the 2025 NHRA season. Green, competing in his 70th nitro Funny Car race, snared his second Wally at the season-opening AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., on Sunday. Green clocked a 3.921-second elapsed time at 329.18 mph to defeat three-time NHRA world champion Ron Capps, who smoked the tires early in the run and slowed to 6.500 seconds.
They finished in the Top 10 in their first season with new leadership, and at the first race of 2025 - the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals - the consistently solidifying team won the season opener in strong fashion.
On March 9, Green’s victory march consisted of wins over Paul Lee, Buddy Hull, Matt Hagan and Capps. “That was nerve-wracking,” getting to the staging lanes on time to face Hagan, Green said. “Let me tell you, we threw a rod out on the run before, so we had to do a complete motor swap, and it was just tight. Like when we had our second crew from next door coming over to help us, and I had to just jump in the car and go 90 mph to the water box. But when I got there, everything was calm, everything was good, I felt good, and we made a monster run” against Hagan.
Although this was Green’s second Funny Car Wally, it was his first with crew chiefs Dean Marinis and Joe Serena tuning his Bond-Coat Ford Mustang.
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Green will have some time to celebrate before trying to make it two in a row at the Arizona Nationals on March 21-23 near Phoenix. “I mean momentum, you win a race that gives you all the momentum and to start off the year winning the first race, it’s just huge. Like I said, the first race is I think one of the most important races because if you start off bad the first race, you’re behind the eight-ball.
Family Involvement and a Multicar Team
In addition to bringing new crew chiefs to the nitro ranks, Green’s son, Hunter, has been on a journey of his own. Hunter worked with his dad on the Pro Mod and Funny Car teams and eventually licensed in Super Gas, then moving up to race a dragster in the alcohol class. This year is yet another chapter as Hunter made his debut in a nitro Funny Car alongside his dad at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas.
Chad Green Motorsports is rounding out as a multicar team, and not just for those with blood relations. This season it was announced that Blake Alexander would race under the banner with his Pronto Auto Services colors adorning a Chad Green Motorsports Funny Car.
“Our ultimate goal is to have a three-car team,” said Green, who has finished in the Top 10 the past two seasons, including a fifth-place finish in the 2023 standings. “Right now, Blake and Hunter are sharing driving duties, but the goal is to get more funding and have all three of us racing. We don’t rule out Top Fuel; Hunter would drive either one, but he’s really enjoying driving the Funny Car right now. All options are open for us.
Hunter Green's Journey
Now newly licensed to run in NHRA Top Fuel, Hunter Green was once adamant against ever getting behind the wheel of a drag car. Hunter, however, had been helping Chad for years already - especially on the Pro Modified side of things. The 27-year-old handles everything from marketing and social media to packing the parachutes and learned the racing ropes as he went.
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“When I first started watching my father, I thought there was no way I could ever do it… especially because he had a couple crashes early on in his Pro Mod career,” laughed Hunter, whose hesitation didn’t last long.
Admittedly nervous to be behind the wheel, Hunter’s first run was a bit hectic, but his second was stronger and bolstered his confidence. Hunter soon obtained his Top Alcohol Dragster license during preseason testing with Randy Meyer Racing.
“I’ve always gravitated towards the sleek look of a dragster,” shared the young man of his second experience in early 2021. Roughly six short months later, he found himself stepping up to another level yet again. “Tim Wilkerson got a Top Fuel dragster, and we were in Ennis [Texas] after the [NHRA] race and he asked if I wanted to make a few hits.
Back in Arizona in early 2022, Hunter made seven runs in the Randy Meyer Racing A/Fuel dragster. Just a few weeks later, Hunter made his NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster debut at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the 4-Wide Nationals.
Chad was actually more comfortable with the idea of Hunter driving the nitro-injected rocket than a doorslammer, as he knows the Pro Mod cars can be tougher to drive and believes Top Fuel is safer by comparison. Hunter shares the same sentiments and knows there are some inherent perks to being the boss’s son.
Racing Philosophy and Team Growth
“Drag racing is something I’m passionate about, and having my kids and my family involved in it makes it even better,” he said. "I love racing with my son and never pushed him to be a drag racer. I believe if you’re going to do this, you need to have a passion for it that no one else can give you,” Chad said.
Although his father didn’t urge him to follow in his footsteps, it was Hunter that pushed Chad to go for it. “The Pro Mod was expensive, and I figured if we were going to spend that much, we might as well go fuel car racing,” joked Hunter. “This is the most fun we’ve ever had, and on a big stage.
Together with help from the Team Wilkerson Racing group, the two Green men are working towards a future where they each have their own NHRA nitro team.
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