INDIANAPOLIS — Scrappers Racing will bring out a second car and driver at the upcoming NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway In Illinois.
Julie Nataas, the current NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster world champion, will make her Top Fuel debut as part of the Scrappers Racing team alongside fellow Top Fuel driver Jasmine Salinas and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Jianna Evaristo when the team competes at WWTR later this month.
“We’ve had all the pieces in place for a second team, but plans obviously changed earlier this year with my dad having to step out of the driver’s seat,” said Salinas. “After Julie licensed with Scrappers Racing, she approached us with her sponsors about running the St. Louis race. We felt this would be the perfect opportunity to trial run a two-car team while my dad continues to heal.
“This is an exciting moment for Scrappers Racing. It is the first step towards bringing our vision of expansion to life.”
Amidst a jam-packed schedule competing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster category, Nataas has been pursuing her Top Fuel license this season with the help and support of the Scrappers Racing team. She’ll work with a second crew that was meticulously assembled throughout the season and will be led by Troy Fasching and Adem Cave.
“I am over the moon excited for this debut but I’m taking this single race opportunity very seriously,” Nataas said. “It’s no secret this has been my dream and my ultimate goal. With hundreds of laps in the A-Fuel car under my belt and several sub-three-second passes in the Scrappers Top Fueler, there’s no time like the present to throw my name in the 2025 mix by getting on the track in St. Louis.
“The field of Top Fuel drivers is getting deeper every day and it’s important to get some side-by-side experience while I hunt for sponsorship.”
Nataas’ Top Alcohol sponsor, Airmine, will be on board to support her professional debut.
The dragster will also sport the Batman logo, a special symbol for the Nataas family. Growing up in the small town of Drøbak, Norway, Julie’s father, Thomas Nataas, raced throughout Europe and adopted the logo early on.
“The Batman symbol has been on all of my cars and my dad’s,” Nataas explained. “It started when my dad built a new Pro Mod car years ago in 1997. It was all black and they didn’t really have a plan for what it was going to look like until one of his friends walked into the shop and kind of joked that it looked like the Batmobile. So they stuck a couple of Batman logos on the car and it’s been a part of our racing heritage since then.”
“Our race shop in Norway is in the basement of an old farm and we actually do have bats flying around,” remarked Thomas Nataas. “So not only did our race shop look like a bat cave when our friend walked into the shop but the newly built Pro Mod matched the Batman vibe.”
Julie Nataas’ list of drag racing accomplishments is extensive as she’s experienced success in the U.S. and Europe. She began her impressive drag racing career behind the wheel of a Jr. Dragster before moving through a series of categories including Super Comp and Super Pro ET/Top Dragster.
Not to mention, she participated in Kart racing and Formula Basic before moving to the States. She has NHRA licenses in Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Fuel, demonstrating that she’s more than ready to move into the professional ranks.