The little engine that does: Weimar racer is toppling the big blocks in Top Dragster

The building on Edgewood Road in Auburn looks innocent enough. With its tidy and clean exterior, there's certainly no sign that a hurricane has hit, but it's where Hurricane Racing Engines creates horsepower for race cars that take care of business in a quarter mile, and it's where owner Dan Naylor proudly displays the mark of success in drag racing. On a shelf in the front office, sharing space with several pictures, are Naylor's "Wallys," trophies awarded on the National Hot Rod Association for winning events and championships. Naylor has four Wallys, three for events and one for winning the NHRA Pacific Division title last year. The Wallys serve as a résumé of sorts: When Naylor does well, his business does well. "My car getting in the winner's circle does sell engines," he said Friday, five days after winning the Top Dragster category at a Pacific Division race in Woodburn, Oregon, and a week before he competes in the NHRA Sonoma Nationals from July 23-25. "When I do well, we get more orders. Racing is a big part of our business. We get work there. We're there for the business." Naylor raced from 1994-2001, then took a lengthy hiatus. He returned in 2016 and jumped into the Top Dragster division. His thoughts? "Fast," Naylor says in a matter-of-fact and sincere one-word answer. It's the quickest class in what is known as bracket racing, where competitors give and receive handicap time at the Christmas tree (starting line) based on how quick each car is. "It's a neat class. You have to qualify to get in the field," Naylor says. "I like that challenge." And a challenge it is. Naylor, a big man at 6-foot-4, competes with a little engine, a 398-cubic-inch small block in a class he defines as "big-block heaven." Through Sunday night, all but one of the other 34 entries in the 32-car Sonoma field – yes, some cars will not qualify for eliminations – are rolling out big blocks, from 426 cubic inches to 824. The exception is Phillip Duerr, running an identical 398. Duerr is Naylor's son-in-law. The difference: Naylor is running twin turbos. He's the first driver in the NHRA to win a championship running a turbo (his Pacific Division title in 2020) and the first to win a Top Dragster title running a small block. "I just wanted to go out and compete and qualify," Naylor says. "I didn't know (Top Dragster) was as fast as it was. We hadn't done turbos. It was a challenge. Can I do it? And can I get the car to go fast enough?" Naylor has. After two changes to the electronic fuel-injection system, Naylor has the dragster dialed to run consistent quarter-mile times in the 6.40-second range at 205 to 210 mph. So what's it like going from a dead stop to 210 mph in 6.4 seconds? "Pretty cool," Naylor says. The motor produces up to 1,800 horsepower at 8,000 RPMs, but Naylor says, "We'll need 2,000 horsepower at Indy." Indy? While pursuing another Pacific Division championship, Naylor also is qualified for the JEGS All-Stars competition with other division champions as part of the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend. The U.S. Nationals is NHRA's top event. Naylor returned to Weimar, where he and wife Denise live, following his victory at Woodburn in third place in points in the Pacific Division. He's one point out of second and 10 out of first. Having earned a Gold Card from NHRA (his second) for winning the 2020 Pacific Division crown, Naylor and his family team are hitting the circuit this year. The Gold Card covers entry fees for the car, driver and crew. "Everything is free so I'm going," he says. Naylor grew up in Chicago Park. Denise is from Nevada City. "She's amazing," Naylor says of his wife, noting she handles the fuel (the dragster runs on alcohol) and tows the racer. As Naylor discusses the season, a customer-slash-fan enters the building. He has an appointment to get work done, but he also inquires about T-shirt and cap availability. The T-shirts aren't ready. The small-block twin-turbo-powered Top Dragsters are popular with fans. "It's a pretty big following," Naylor says. "It's humbling."