Top Alcohol Dragster Champion Reunites with Airmine for Thunder Valley National
Indianapolis, IN (June 3, 2025) — The wait is over. NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Champion Julie Nataas will make her Nitro Funny Car debut at this weekend’s Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, June 6–8. With nearly three dozen NHRA Wallys to her name, the Norwegian racing and reality television star is ready to take on what she’s openly described as her toughest challenge yet—strapping into the 12,000-horsepower Airmine Toyota GR Supra powered by DC Motorsports.
After three months of testing, Nataas finished her Nitro Funny Car license requirements in early May under the guidance of team owner and tuner Del Worsham. With standout runs in Gainesville, Phoenix, and Indianapolis, she now takes the next step in her career—backed once again by longtime sponsor Airmine. The Norwegian climate tech company also supported her 2024 Top Fuel debut, making this return a meaningful continuation of their partnership.
“This is a huge moment, and having a hometown brand with global reach like Airmine alongside me again makes it even more special,” said Nataas. “They’re based just down the road from where I grew up in Norway and are changing the way people understand their allergies. They use satellite data to track air quality and pollen levels around the world and are launching a US app coming up, so the timing is perfect.
The debut marks Nataas’s entry into one of NHRA’s most explosive and demanding categories—Nitro Funny Car—where she becomes the first Norwegian driver to compete in the class. She also joins a very short list of female drivers to hold active NHRA licenses in both Nitro categories: Top Fuel and Funny Car—a rare and elite distinction. With additional credentials in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car, Nataas stands as one of—if not the—most versatile and credentialed female drivers in the sport today.
The DC Motorsports Toyota GR Supra has already turned heads this season, with Bobby Bode driving it to career-best runs and a spot inside the Top 10 before returning to his family team for the summer. Now, with another standout like Nataas in the seat, Del and Connie Worsham continue to do what few in the sport are positioned to do—give deserving, talented drivers a real shot in a competitive Funny Car. In a transitional season for DC Motorsports, the Worshams remain committed to building winners and chasing Wallys. Their goal isn’t just getting Julie in the show—it’s putting her in position to win.
“Julie is smart, focused, and fearless,” said Worsham. “She’s alarmingly self-aware and understands the car. She shares feedback from the run like a seasoned veteran.”
The Thunder Valley Nationals, held at the historic Bristol Dragway and nationally televised on FOX, offers the perfect stage for Nataas’s high-profile debut.
