Mike Dunn was a darn good driver when he was competing in either Top Fuel or Funny Car, but he’s clearly found a home behind the microphones of the ESPN network. His insightful commentary on the POWERade broadcasts has probably expanded the sport’s reach to a new audience. We caught up with him in the pits, figuring if he was interviewing people, we could, like, turn the tables on him for a change. Mike Dunn was a darn good driver when he was competing in either Top Fuel or Funny Car, but he’s clearly found a home behind the microphones of the ESPN network. His insightful commentary on the POWERade broadcasts has probably expanded the sport’s reach to a new audience. We caught up with him in the pits, figuring if he was interviewing people, we could, like, turn the tables on him for a change.

COMPPLUS: What’s new in the media world?

DUNN: We’re just waiting to see how this new partner thing (with HD Partners) develops. We (ESPN) have a five year contract with NHRA with an option for two more, I believe, that we signed last year. My personal contract coincided with that, so this is my first year on the new deal, so we’re just going along normally, from what I’m hearing. We’ll just wait and see what happens.

COMPPLUS: Would you like to race again?

DUNN: You know, I’m just not sure. Bazemore said to me in Chicago that someone had come up and asked him if I wanted to race again. Bazemore told the guy that ‘Dunn misses driving, but doesn’t want to deal with car owners,’ so the guys says, ‘Then I guess he doesn’t want to drive that badly.’ I told Bazemore the guy was exactly right. I don’t want to deal with car owners and the politics with the sponsors. I got kid of burned out on that on some older deals, and I don’t want to get put in that position again, so basically, I’m pretty much done unless somebody walks and hands me $15 million dollars for five years to run my own fuel deal, which isn’t going to happen, and I’m not looking for it to happen. I’ll just keep doing TV.


COMPPLUS: Is your family happier with you doing TV instead of racing?

DUNN: Well, I’m home more! Even though we work the same races, and even though the TV’s probably more hectic and intense once we start the first production meeting on Friday night until we finish on Sunday night, once we’re done you’re done. I don’t have to do any appearances, which is a good thing. We have to do two appearances a year, one for POWERade in Atlanta and then another one at the awards banquet, but that’s it. That’s what makes it nice. That gives me more time at home, but it’s taken me five years to figure this out. I never had a hobby, never did anything but racing. Now I get to play baseball with my son and stuff, and I’ve gotten to the point where I say, Ya know what, there are other things to do besides drag racing. Don’t get me wrong, I love drag racing and everything I’ve done with it, but I do realize there are other things in life.


COMPPLUS: What do you think of this facility?

DUNN: I’ve been here twice before and it’s always been a first class facility. It’s the cleanest race track on the circuit. We knew coming in this was going to be a great place, because they do it right here. I think Warren Johnson put it best when he said he thinks the Baders and the Banidimeres are the best track operators in the country. They both do everything right. Everybody should be looking at them as examples of how you should do things.