Jim Dunn didn’t look a day over 39, although he was celebrating his 74th birthday in Houston, Texas on Friday. The veteran Funny Car team owner has seen a lot of drag racing since he started competing back in 1949.

“I’ve seen the sport grow to where it is today,” Dunn said. “The sport has changed a lot but it’s largely the same. You still want to win every time you go to the line.”

Dunn chalks up his most memorable drag racing experience to winning at the Bakersfield March Meet. He won the revered event twice – once in a Top Fuel dragster [1964] and another time in a Funny Car [1973]. Jim Dunn didn’t look a day over 39, although he was celebrating his 74th birthday in Houston, Texas on Friday. The veteran Funny Car team owner has seen a lot of drag racing since he started competing back in 1949.

“I’ve seen the sport grow to where it is today,” Dunn said. “The sport has changed a lot but it’s largely the same. You still want to win every time you go to the line.”

Dunn chalks up his most memorable drag racing experience to winning at the Bakersfield March Meet. He won the revered event twice – once in a Top Fuel dragster [1964] and another time in a Funny Car [1973].

“The first time I won the event there was 124 dragsters entered,” said Dunn. “I was able to win both classes and that’s something no one else has been able to do.”

Dunn scratched his head and smiled when recollecting the experience.

“That’s something [Don] Prudhomme never did,” Dunn said with a laugh.