ABOUT MAYNARD FAMILY RACING
​Established in 2022, the Maynard family’s JCM Racing organization is a multi-car NHRA team founded by Joe Maynard and his late wife Cathi. JCM Racing takes pride in operating as a family unit with Joe Maynard serving as the head of the organization while Maynard’s son, Joe C. Maynard, and daughter-in-law, Andrea Maynard, also have executive roles at JCM. The executive staff operates out of Clarksville, Tennessee, while the team’s racing headquarters is located in Brownsburg, Indiana. JCM Racing owns seven national event wins to date.
Tony Schumacher, the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history, drives the organization’s full-time entry in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Piloting JCM Racing’s second Top Fuel dragster is Swedish transplant Ida Zetterström, the 2023 European FIA Top Fuel champion. In 2024, Schumacher will compete for his ninth Top Fuel championship title, while Zetterström will battle for the honors of NHRA’s Rookie of the Year during her inaugural season racing on U.S. soil. Zetterström is scheduled to run a full season campaign alongside Schumacher in 2025.
Also competing under the JCM Racing banner are Joe C. Maynard and Shelby Maynard. The father/son duo will make their NHRA debut in 2024 with Joe C. racing an A/Fuel Dragster in the Top Alcohol Dragster category, while Shelby will compete in the Jr. Dragster ranks.
In an effort to support future generations of drag racers, JCM Racing operates a Driver Development program, which currently lends support to Sportsman racers, and one Jr. Drag Racer from each of NHRA’s seven divisions.
Top Fuel Dragster
Exterior
Wheelbase | 300 inches |
Weight with Driver | 2340 pounds |
Chassis | DSR |
Goodyear Tires | 22.0 x 4.0 - 15 (Front); 36.0 x 17.5 - 16 (Rear) |
Engine
Engine Size | 500 cubic inch |
Bore and Stroke | 4.187, 4.500 |
Horsepower | 11,000+ |
Fuel Type | 90% Sunoco Nitromethane |
Supercharger | 1471 |
Fuel Capacity | 18 gallons |
Oil System | Dry Sump |
​Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Difference Between Quick and Fast?
​Quick refers to the elapsed time. E.T. is the time it takes the car to go from A to B and is measured to the thousandth of a second. Top Fuel dragsters can make a pass in approx. 3.6-3.7 seconds. Funny Cars can make a pass in approx. 3.7-3.9 seconds. The race day ladder is set based on the driver’s best E.T. from qualifying.
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Fast refers to the speed and is measured in miles per hour to the ten thousandth.
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What Does The Burnout Do?
Before every run, the driver will go through the water box and spin the tires in what’s called a burnout. This helps warm and clean the rear tires and puts rubber on the track for better traction.
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What Is Staging And What Is The Christmas Tree?
The electronic device that starts each race is commonly called the Christmas Tree. On each side of the tree are six lights; a circle of small blue lights at the top (the top half for pre-staging and the bottom half for staging), three larger amber bulbs, a green bulb, and a red bulb.
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Two light beams cross the starting line area and connect to trackside photocells, which are wired to the tree and electronic timers in the control tower. When the front tires of the car break the first light beam, the pre-stage beam the pre-stage lights up on the tree and indicate that the driver is about seven inches from the starting line.
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When the driver rolls into the stage beam, the front tires are exactly on the starting line. The stage bulbs light, indicating that the car is ready to race. When both cars are fully staged, the starter will activate the tree, and each driver will focus on the three amber bulbs on his/her side of the tree.
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In the nitro classes, all three amber lights will flash simultaneously, followed by four-tenths of a second later by the green light.
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What Type Of Fuel Do Top Fuel Dragsters And Funny Cars Run On?
Nitromethane, known as Nitro. CH3NO2 is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane.
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How Much Fuel Do You Go Through In A Run?
Our cars have an 18 gallon fuel tank and we fill it approximately 14-16 gallons. From firing engines to burnout to staging, the car uses approximately 10 gallons of nitromethane. The quarter mile run uses approximately 5-6 gallons.
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What Does It Mean To Drop A Cylinder?
When a cylinder runs too rich (too much fuel in the air/fuel mixture) and prevents the spark plug(s) from firing. When a spark plug fails to ignite, it substantially decreases the total power output by the engine. A dropped cylinder is often distinguishable by raw fuel spewing from the exhaust header.
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What Does It Mean To Smoke The Tires?
When a car loses traction, the tires begin to slip and this causes tire smoke. This is usually caused by trying to apply the clutch too fast on a run.
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What Does It Mean To Win On A Holeshot?
When a driver with a slower elapsed time (E.T.) wins an elimination round because he or she had a better reaction time, thus leaving the starting line first.
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