Image × By: Emily Gribbin As a second-generation Nitro funny car driver, 18-year-old McKailen Haddock is no stranger to the behind-the-scenes action and preparation required in drag racing. At the recent IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series event held at Darana Raceway – Hebron, he had the opportunity to compete in his first IHRA event, and to his pleasant surprise, he qualified. “We weren't expecting to qualify this car - it was just a one-run deal to get me more experience in the car,” said McKailen. "As things worked out, I got to qualify.” When asked how it felt to qualify for the first time, McKailen stated, “I'm living most everybody's dream”. As the son of Nitro Funny Car driver Terry Haddock, McKailen grew up around drag racing, but it was only four years ago that his own passion for it started to develop. When McKailen told his father he wanted to start driving, he says his father told him, “You need to work on the car first, you need to learn the car, you need to be part of the crew, and you need to earn it.” After working on the car for a few years, his father started teaching him how to drive. McKailen is now a full-time member of the crew for Terry Haddock Racing, and he is just beginning his own racing career. “The last year that IHRA ran the world championship for funny car in 2008, dad was the winner, and he never got a chance to defend the title with Funny Car not racing the following year, so when we heard that it was coming back, we were hopeful,” McKailen shared when asked what brought him to the IHRA. “We wanted to bring dad's car out and get to defend the number one, and then he decided to give me an opportunity to get in the car.” McKailen was not able to pull a win this time but was grateful for the opportunity to qualify and even just get in the car on race day. He showed a great effort, qualifying No. 7 with a time of 4.77 E.T. and beating his own time in the first round at 4.75 seconds. At only 18 years old, McKailen is off to a great start and definitely has a promising future in drag racing. Photos by: Robert Richard/BME Photography McKalien Haddock Nitro Funny Car