Jeff Arend
Mooneyes Funny Car Driver for Jim Dunn Racing
Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK
May 14-17 | Joliet, Illinois
Event Recap
Jeff Arend, driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Mooneyes Funny Car:
- Earned No. 8 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (4.050 ET at 313.88 mph)
- Fell to No. 13 provisional qualifying position in Q2 on Saturday (4.045 ET at 312.28 mph)
- Fell to No. 14 provisional qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q2 run. The team elected to not make a qualifying run in Q3 on Saturday.
- Secured No. 14 qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q2 run. The team elected to not make a qualifying run in Q4 on Saturday.
- Eliminated following Round 1 on Sunday:
- Round 1: 9.138 ET at 95.34 mph, lost to Austin Prock (3.934 ET at 330.31 mph)
Notes of Interest
- Arend represented Mooneyes this weekend in Chicago. Mooneyes products and logos are an indelible part of hot rod nostalgia, easily recognizable to gearheads and novices alike. They take pride in producing high-quality products that look great and get the job done right. Mooneyes produces Moon Fuel Blocks, Moon Tanks, Moon Discs, and Moon Valve Covers among other original parts right on site in their machine shop. They also supply various parts and accessories for hot rods and kustoms as well as an expanding like of custom motorcycle products. Located in the same place since it all started back in the 1950s, Mooneyes is located in Santa Fe Springs, California.
- Jeff Arend will return to the Jim Dunn Racing Funny Car for the remainder of the 2026 season. He stepped in for a portion of the weekend at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California and has competed for the team in previous events at Charlotte, North Carolina and Valdosta, Georgia prior to Chicago. Before 2026, Arend last drove for Jim Dunn Racing in the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
- Jim Dunn Racing will forego the next NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event at Maryland International Raceway. The NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, New Hampshire will mark their next event.
- In celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary, Jim Dunn Racing will be running special patriotic schemes for upcoming June events in Epping, New Hampshire (June 5-7), Bristol, Tennessee (June 12-14), and Norwalk, Ohio (June 25-28).
Jeff Arend, Driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Mooneyes Funny Car
“Chicago was another good weekend for Jim Dunn Racing and the Moon Equipped sponsored Funny Car. We had an overwhelming response from the fans that were all looking for Moon gear. The apparel is recognized worldwide. The car is continuing with consistent performance and we are confident that we will be turning on win lights soon. The next race for us will be in New Hampshire. We’re putting two new bodies in the trailer that will both be representing America’s 250th Anniversary along with their primary sponsors.”
Next Up
The next event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule is the NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS May 29-31 at Maryland International Raceway in Mechanicsville, Maryland. The next event that Jim Dunn Racing will compete in is the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto June 5-7 at New England Dragway in Epping, New Hampshire.
