Julie Nataas Betting on Herself for 2025 After Making NHRA Top Fuel Debut

• The 27-year-old Nataas made her NHRA Top Fuel debut at the Midwest Nationals on Sept. 27-29,

• Next year could be interesting, as Nataas says that she won't be returning to her Top Alcohol ride with Randy Meyer Racing.

• And, no, she has nothing lined up for 2025 just yet.

Julie Nataas was part of a little NHRA history in the Top Fuel class this past weekend at the NHRA Midwest Nationals near St. Louis when she was one of a record four female racers in the Top Fuel field.

Now, Nataas just hopes her long-awaited debut in the the class was the precursor of more exciting things to come. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees.

The 27-year-old Nataas made her NHRA Top Fuel debut at the Midwest Nationals on Sept. 27-29, where she qualified 15th and lost to eventual even winner and eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher in a first-round eliminations pedalfest. There, she also joined Brittany Force, Alexis DeJoria and Jasmine Salinas in the history-making field

The weekend seat with Scrappers Racing was a long time coming.

Nataas made her Top Alcohol debut in 2019 and won the championship in the class in 2023. Surprisingly to some, not even a championship was enough to earn her a Top Fuel ride. No one came calling.

"I've always said that I've never been in a rush to get into a Top Fuel car," Nataas said. "I've seen a lot of people rushing to get to that step. I've always said that I want to be the best that I can be, and I believe that with experience with driving other classes before you get to a Top Fuel car is the best way to be the best.

"So it's not been a rush, but it's obviously something that I've been wanting to do and I've been ready for the last two or three years."

Nataas, who comes to the NHRA from Drobak, Norway even saw other drivers behind her in the standings in recent years get chances to move up ahead of her.

"I tried to not let it bother me," Nataas said. "Of the drivers that maybe passed me, it hasn't ever bothered me because they had their opportunities before me. That's the way it works in this sport. I've been in motor sport since I was a kid, and no matter where in the world you are, it takes sponsorships to get to that level and to that point."

Finally getting an opportunity to drive for Mike Salinas' Scrappers team scratched the itch. The race weekend near St. Louis was a one-off, however. There's no plan for Nataas to be back in a Top Fuel car at any of the season's three remaining events this season. Instead, she'll return to her Top Alcohol car for Randy Meyer Racing for events at Dallas, Las Vegas and Pomona.

"The weekend, for a lot of people, was a long-awaited weekend and also was for me," Nataas said of her debut. "But we all know it takes sponsors to get there and when I got the chance and had the sponsorships and partners to do it, it was great."

Next year could be even more interesting, as Nataas says that she won't be returning to her Top Alcohol ride with Randy Meyer Racing. And, no, she has nothing lined up. She has yet to secure a ride anywhere else for 2025, for that matter.

"This is one sport where we are so dependent on the sponsorship money that it's not always the best drivers that get to be in the best position to be on top," she said.

Health issues have kept Salinas from his Top Fuel ride this year. Some have surmised that maybe the 63-year-old Salinas might be ready to hang 'em up and turn the ride over to a younger driver—maybe even Nataas.

If that's a possible scenario, Nataas hasn't heard it. And she doesn't expect it.

"I'm still working on 2025," Nataas said. "I am leaving Randy Meyer Racing after this year. That's been the plan since even before the start of this year. There's nothing exciting to say about 2025 yet other than I'm trying to find the right sponsorships and partners and even the right car.

"I don't necessarily have, like a real secure fallback now. People think I'm going with Scrappers—which I'm not saying that it cannot happen—but I'm also saying that Mike Salinas wants to get back into that race car, and that's his car to drive.

"So we'll see. Hopefully their will be some exciting opportunities for next year. Everything is up in the air."

Even if Nataas doesn't find a ride for 2025, she plans to stay in the sport. In some respect, Austin Prock was in a similar position going into the 2024 season. Prock found himself without a ride after losing sponsorship at John Force Racing.

Prock was set to remain with the team and work on the crew before being promoted to one of the JFR's Funny Car rides when Robert Hight went to the sidelines with a still undisclosed health issue. Prock is now leading the Funny Car championship standings.

"I will be involved in the sport someway somehow," said Nataas, who has a college degree in marketing and business entrepreneurship. "I don't think that I'm like Austin Prock and would be a crew guy, but I am like Austin Prock and I would be in the marketing world of drag racing. That would be something for me, but I haven't really looked at that possibility yet because I am so sure that I'm going to figure something out for next year."

Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding 2025, Nataas figures it's time to take that career leap... and hope the parachute opens.

"I think I've been doing this for seven years at this point, and I feel like I have accomplished what I have been wanting to accomplish and become a good driver," she said. "I know what's what's going on in the car and I'm ready for a new challenge.

"I need to move, move forward and become even better."