Nitro Joe Morrison is Ready for His Funny Car Debut

Drag racer Joe Morrison has kept his eyes on the prize. In this case, the prize is the Nitro Funny Car and it’s been a journey for the driver and Right2Breathe® Project founder. The Flemington, NJ native got his taste for the sport in Nostalgia Funny Car and Fuel Altereds. In 2020, he made his NHRA Top Fuel Dragster debut, campaigning 17 national events over the next three years and now, he’s added Nitro Funny Car to that list of licenses (11 active classes which also include Super Comp and Super Gas), a skill he’s been aiming for since his youth watching nitro floppers at Englishtown Raceway Park.

And this month, Morrison’s dreams are about to come true as he prepares to step behind the wheel of Paul Smith’s 2019 Dodge Hellcat Charger Funny Car at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, June 27th through June 30th, in Norwalk, Ohio.

“I’ve wanted to drive a NHRA Nitro Funny Car since the 1970’s, watching legends like Jungle Jim, Snake, Mongoose, and of course Paul Smith at E-Town. To make my competitive debut driving for Paul Smith not only is exceptionally humbling, but it just feels right. Many experienced nitro pilots have gotten their feet wet with Paul Smith for a reason, and I’m happy to join that list.”

Smith is a legend in the industry — as a driver, a tuner and a team owner and Morrison couldn’t ask for a leader in this endeavor. While Morrison found his footings in Top Fuel — both behind the wheel and within the big leagues of the NHRA events, it’s Funny Car that keeps beckoning, even with the inherent challenges of piloting something powered by nitromethane.

“The Funny Car is more unpredictable and challenging to drive,” Morrison explains, when asked about the differences between the two drag cars. “With a dragster, if you see the front end start to drift out of the groove, you just gently guide it back. With the Funny Car, if you see the front end aim out of the groove, it’s too late. You have to react to what you’re feeling and be ‘one with the car’.”

This past weekend gave the world another reminder of the risks inherent in drag racing, and funny car specifically, as veteran driver John Force suffered an engine explosion in qualifying during the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals . RacingJunk asked Joe Morrison about his biggest safety concerns following the incident and how it will shape his debut. “That was a wicked hit that Force experienced but the safety equipment these days is so much better than it used to be. I feel confident in the car, in Paul Smith, and the team. Of course I am out there to compete, but I am also there to gain experience. With that in mind, I am going to be somewhat conservative behind the wheel. If you have never driven one, you have no idea how violent and angry they can be. I’m absolutely hooked and love it, but you have to respect the power of the machine.”

Morrison has another project that will be front and center at the Summit Nationals — the “Put Your Lungs on the Dyno” Lung Health Screening Project in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic which will offer onsite lung health screenings and education to the estimated 70,000+ fans and racers through the Right2Breathe organization.

This is the second year that the event has been held in conjunction with the racing, thanks to Morrison’s leadership and connections. “Right2Breathe® believes that people can overcome great challenges when they allow their passions in life to inspire them,” noted Morrison. “Inspired by his love for NHRA Drag Racing, my dad was able to live well and enjoy his life despite having very severe COPD. We had 10 great years of racing together before he passed away in 2016. Our mission with Right2Breathe is to help others live better and live longer by getting diagnosed earlier than my dad.

“To be partnered with a world-renowned lung center, for the second consecutive year, means the world to me. I’d like to thank Brigita Smith (Director of Pulmonary Function Lab) and Stephanie McCarroll (Director of the Community Lung Clinic) for their continued support of our Mission, to provide Education, Awareness, Free Screening, and Resources for people who are currently diagnosed or at higher risk of being diagnosed with respiratory disease.”