Team Norway-utøver, Julie Nataas, er klar for nok en sesong i amerikansk dragracing. Les mer i denne pressemeldingen på engelsk.
Second generation racer Julie Nataas will enter her fifth season of full-time competition with Randy MeyerRacing in the driver’s seat of the Oslo Tapet & Gulvbelegg (OTG) TopAlcohol dragster. Nataas is scheduled to run 17 races between NHRA national events and regional races to compete for her first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championship and the team’s fourth in five years.
“I’m ready to carry over our momentum from last year. It’s been a long off season and I’ve enjoyed it but it’s time to get back to work,” Nataas said. “A championship is always the goal at the end of a season and with the support of Randy Meyer Racing, Oslo Tapet & Gulvbelegg (OTG), Lucas Oil,Right Trailers and all our sponsors, I’m confident we’ll be in the fight.”
With a pair of wins in 2022 that included a prestigious double-up at the U.S. Nationals and JEGS All-Stars in Indianapolis, Nataas finished sixth in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series national points. This season, she has her sights set on more.
“We had a lot of ups and downs in 2022, we need to find consistency this year and when we find consistency, we’ll find the Wallys,” Nataas said. “I know this team can do just that. We have big goals, but we know we can reach them. I’m excited to get back on the track and get this year started. I know the team has been working hard in the shop this offseason, so I’m looking forward to starting the year off strong.”
In addition to full-time duties in the A/Fuel dragster, Nataas will continue driving RMR’s new nitro-injected A/Fuel Funny Car, which made its debut in 2022, at Funny Car Chaos races that don’t overlap with the team’s TopAlcohol Dragster schedule.
“I’m so excited to get back into the Funny Car. It’s been way too long. We realized we had a lot to work on when we brought the car outlast March. It’s definitely been a fun project, and as a driver, I’m excited and ready to expand my skills,” Nataas said. “The little taste I got from testing last year just made me want to drive it even more. I’m looking forward to getting this A/Fuel Funny Car down the track.”
As well as being recognized as a successful racer in the NHRA, Nataas’ accomplishments and competitiveness have once again been noticed in her home country of Norway. Nataas has been named to the Norway National Team for the fourth consecutive year in her career.
“It’s an honor to be recognized. I take pride in what I do and I am proud to represent my home,” Nataas said. “It’s an impressive list of drivers and I’m excited to me among them.”
Nataas and her full-time Randy Meyer Racing teammate HunterGreen who will field the Bond-Coat A/Fuel dragster at 11 races, will pre-season test in mid-February before the team’s first NHRA regional race of the seasonFeb. 24-26 at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, LA