With one year of full-time driving Jim Dunn Racing’s nitro Funny Car under his belt, Jim Campbell is ready to tackle a second season with the team.

“As far as getting experience in the car, there’s nothing like seat time,” Campbell said. “Jim (Dunn) taught me a lot and I got a lot better on my staging and things like that. Yes, I had a few errors as a driver, but I was in the newer stage and now I’m not. This is going to be my second full-time season and they expect me to do my job and that’s what I’m going to do. To be around the Dunn family, they are just awesome people and they’ve taken me in like a family member and Jim has taken me under his wing and showed me a lot of the ropes and tells me what to do so he can tune the car. If I’m consistent, then he can be consistent and that is the name of the game in this sport, consistency.”

Campbell had a decent season a year ago, finishing 13th in the points standings, highlighted by his semifinal-round efforts at the Arizona Nationals Feb. 26 in Phoenix and at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver, July 23.

“I’m super excited about the upcoming season,” Campbell said. “We made some good strides toward the end of the year. I got better in the car as a driver and the whole team really came together and we expect some good things (in 2018).”

Although the 2017 campaign had its peaks and valleys for Campbell, he was proud of the fact his team was in the six-race Countdown to Championship mix up until the last regular season race – the U.S. Nationals in September in Indianapolis. The top 10 Funny Cars in the point standings after the regular season advanced into the Countdown to the Championship.

“We started out good and we slowed down a little bit as far as getting some wins, but to be involved in the Countdown all the way up to the U.S. Nationals was really exciting for me and our team,” Campbell said.

Campbell upset two-time world champion Matt Hagan in the first round of the U.S. Nationals, but could only manage to finish 12th in the regular season points.

“Our expectations (for 2018) are that we are going to run harder and we are going to run better, and Jim runs very smart,” Campbell said. “We realize that Funny Car is probably one of the most competitive classes out there and our goal is to win a race and make the Countdown. I want to put a trophy out there and get a Wally for Big Jim Dunn. Jim makes this car I drive go down the track all the time and we may not be the fastest car, but I tell you he sure knows how to get that car down the track.”