Jeff Bennett campaigned the "No Mercy" Nitro Funny Car / Fuel Altered from the early 80's until 2007. Jeff is the three time winner of the AHRA Nitro Funny Car World Championship in Spokane, Washington. His son, Chris, grew up around the historic race tracks of southern California and from a very young age adopted a life-long goal to be a professional NHRA Nitro Funny Car driver. Chris began his racing career in the late 90’s with a front engine dragster while stationed overseas in England with the U.S. Air Force. Chris built an alcohol funny car in 2003 after completing Undergraduate Pilot Training and earning his wings in the US Air Force.
Chris and Jeff combined forces to build a nostalgia nitro funny car in 2007. The newly created funny car carried the name of legendary fuel altered racer, Leon Fitzgerald. The team was coined Bennett & Fitzgerald and the nostalgia nitro funny car was named “Pure Heaven IV” followed by the fuel altered “Pure Heaven V”
Bennett & Fitzgerald Motorsports campaigned the Pure Heaven IV & Pure Heaven V from 2008 to 2013 with numerous victories and accolades including the IHRA Fuel Altered World Record. They raced nationwide and despite a limited budget operated very successfully 10 - 12 times per year. As the nostalgia funny car class evolved it became more difficult to stay competitive in the midst of numerous other well-funded teams and the team decided to withhold from competition at the end of 2013.
At the completion of Chris' 20 years in the USAF, an opportunity became available for the family team to achieve a life-long goal. Chris and Jeff Bennett purchased a professional nitro funny car that had been parked after a limited season.
Lifelong friend and honorary family member, Brad Miner, became a team partner in 2016 and is a valued member of the No Mercy team. Numerous other members of the No Mercy Nitro Funny Car have been instrumental in the success of our early outings.
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
- Anatole France