New Funny Car tethers for 2026

[DixonFan]

WILKERSON SAYS NHRA HAS APPROVED NEW 2026 FUNNY CAR TETHER SYSTEM WITH ROOTS IN HIS OUTLAWED 2013 DESIGN | Competition Plus

This project is a collaboration between Wilkerson and one of the most trusted chassis builders in drag racing, Murf McKinney.

competitionplus.com

 

[Butch]

You only loose when you stop trying.
I'm glad to see someone is trying to do something with the tether system.

 

[NitroLuver]

From the article.

"The veteran driver-tuner confirmed the design has echoes of a 2013 proposal he once submitted, a system later outlawed because it was believed to offer a performance advantage."

How the heck can a tethering system be a performance advantage? Someone please educate me.

 

[65 Goatboy]

"The earlier design was sidelined after it was believed to alter the car’s aerodynamics." ???
Typical Nhra bull s**t. Who wants to try and research the facts on this one? Alan R. are you out there?

 

[NitroLuver]

"The earlier design was sidelined after it was believed to alter the car’s aerodynamics." ???
Typical Nhra bull s**t. Who wants to try and research the facts on this one? Alan R. are you out there?

Great minds (bell dinging aside).

 

[Just Paul]

"The earlier design was sidelined after it was believed to alter the car’s aerodynamics." ???
Typical Nhra bull s**t. Who wants to try and research the facts on this one? Alan R. are you out there?

LOL

The issue people had was under body air being vented to the outside, kinda like ground effects if you will. People thought it was an aero advantage under normal operation. It didn’t have anything to do with a tether, it had to do with pressure relief.

It’s amazing reading some of this stuff. Click on one post, and NHRA is awful because costs are out of hand and not under control, yadda yadda.

Click on another post, NHRA is awful because they are keeping everybody from having to spend a bunch of money to re-tin all their bodies due to a perceived performance advantage by 1 team.