WATCH: IndyCar prodigy Nolan Siegel gets startled at NHRA Funny Car event at Norwalk: "That was insane"

109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 - Practice and Previews - Source: Getty
Nolan Siegel at the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Practice and Previews - Source: Getty

IndyCar prodigy Nolan Siegel attended his first NHRA event on Saturday. He was a guest of Funny Car driver Chris King at the 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals.

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Siegel got the opportunity to be trackside during King's run in one of the four qualifying sessions. King, also a firefighter and an entrepreneur, shared a video of the Arrow McLaren driver's reaction to the blazing start of his Funny Car run on Instagram. He captioned the post:

"First dose of @nhra Nitro Funny Car Racing for @nolansiegel! Welcome my friend."

In the video, Nolan Siegel is seen immediately flinching as the drag race gets underway with a loud boost.

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"Oh sh*t," he said, turning to the camera. "I don't even know. That was insane."
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Siegel, who was recording the moment on his phone camera, shared a video of it on his Instagram story.

"Insane. So fast it almost knocked me over," the 20-year-old wrote.
A snapshot of Nolan Siegel's Instagram story (@nolansiegel)
A snapshot of Nolan Siegel's Instagram story (@nolansiegel)

Unfortunately for Chris King, he failed to qualify for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. His time of 4.267 seconds with a speed of 249.72 mph didn't make the cut.

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IndyCar and NHRA were caught in a controversy earlier this year. Funny Car driver Bob Tasca called out FOX for marketing IndyCar as the 'Fastest Racing on Earth'.

"I want to say it to the fans: I'm very disappointed with FOX Sports," he said. "All winter I got to hear, 'The fastest motorsports in the world.' And I looked up and I didn't see the PPG Mustang. And I didn't see [Austin] Prock's car. I saw an IndyCar. And the fact is that we are the fastest motorsport. I think it's an insult to the drivers and the fans. And truthfully, I didn't think Fox was the Fake News Network."
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The discussion fizzled out after a few weeks as FOX chose not to officially address Tasca's fiery comments and follow-ups.


Nolan Siegel gives his verdict on Scott McLaughlin's ex-race strategist joining his McLaren squad

Nolan Siegel at the IndyCar XPEL Grand Prix at Road America - Source: Getty
Nolan Siegel at the IndyCar XPEL Grand Prix at Road America - Source: Getty

Nolan Siegel will have a new race strategist on his No. 6 Arrow McLaren squad beginning with the next IndyCar race at Mid-Ohio. Team Principal Tony Kanaan signed Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin's former strategist, Kyle Moyer, who was axed by Roger Penske following the team's Indy 500 controversy.

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After the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America on June 22, Siegel spoke about the new addition to his team.

"I've never met Kyle, but I'll meet him this week, try and spend a lot of time with him, get to know him, and I've heard nothing but good things," he told reporter Bob Pockrass. "Obviously, I've heard of him, known of him, and I'm very, very excited to get to work with him. That's a huge pleasure and learning opportunity for me."
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Kyle Moyer's switch from serving Scott McLaughlin to Nolan Siegel became part of an interesting storyline. The two drivers butted heads at the Detroit GP and the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. Siegel sparked a big controversy after an incident at the latter by ranting against Team Penske on his team radio.

On the results side, the 20-year-old rookie has scored two Top 10 finishes in nine races so far. He sits 20th in the standings before the next race at Mid-Ohio.

Stay updated with the 2025 IndyCar schedule, standings, qualifying, results today, series news, and the latest IndyCar racing news all in one place.

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Edited by Mitali
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