BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Veteran crew chief Doug Kuch is returning to Foley Lewis Racing to work with driver Doug Foley and his Top Fuel team for the upcoming NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Kuch, who has worked with Foley Lewis Racing during multiple periods of Foley’s Top Fuel career, will work together with co-crew chief Lance Larsen to help the team accomplish its goals in an increasingly competitive class.
“We want to take the momentum we built up at the end of this season and build on that going into 2024,” said Doug Foley, driver and co-owner, Foley Lewis Racing. “We feel like we’re starting to turn a corner, and we feel like you have to turn a corner. When you watch what these guys are doing, you better run fast.
“Our goals are to run 3.60s and to start winning more rounds. In an effort to do that, we decided it was time to grow the team.”
Kuch and Larsen are both veterans of nitro racing with decades of experience working with some of the biggest names in the sport. Kuch was Foley’s crew chief when he competed in NHRA and IHRA Top Fuel during the mid-to-late 2000s and into the 2010s.
He also worked with the team for some time when Foley returned to Top Fuel in recent years. Larsen joined the team at the beginning of the 2023 season, which saw Foley compete in eight races. The two mechanical minds will pool their talents to improve the team’s performance on and off the track.
“Doug Kuch has really kept up with the modern technology that it takes to run competitively in Top Fuel,” Foley said. “He can help us tweak what we have so we can try to stay ahead of the curve. There’s also a lot that doesn’t change, whether it’s technology or the approach to running these cars.
“That’s where Lance Larsen comes in. He’s really good at working with the guys to make sure we’re doing everything properly in the pits to set us up for success on track. I’m confident this duo will help us become more competitive.”
Foley and the Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel team plan to compete in around half of the races during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. The team will make additional announcements regarding its marketing partners for the new season over the next few weeks.