Nathan Sitko will debut in the NHRA Heritage and Legends Nitro Funny Car series next season as the driver of the Canadian-based Pacemaker Racing AA/FC team. He replaces previous driver and co-owner Ryan Hodgson behind the wheel of the iconic Bubble Up entry. 

“We are pleased to announce Nathan Sitko as our new driver of the Bubble Up Nitro Funny Car,” Pacemaker Racing owner Ron Hodgson said. “Nathan has proven he can drive with the best out there; he has the right attitude and mindset to help propel us forward to more race wins. We believe we have chosen one of the top drivers of Legends Nitro Funny Cars; time will tell.

“We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with the Sitko family, one that has endured since the 1970s when George Sitko headed up a division of Pacemaker Automotive.”

A propensity for quick reaction times, added to his wealth of mechanical knowledge, the Hodgsons believe this will enable Sitko to get the most out of the car on race day.

Sitko adds his name to a list of stellar drivers to have previously wheeled the fabled Bubble Up Funny Car, joining the likes of original driver Gordie Bonin, who drove the car from 1972 to 1981, winning six national events and setting multiple speed records. Also on the list are Tom Hoover, Ed “the Ace” McCulloch, Kenny Achs, Terry Capp, and Tim Boychuk. 

“I am incredibly grateful for the chance to hop into the seat for Ryan and Ron [Hodgson],” Sitko admitted. “Their car has amazing potential, and their team has proven they can win. I’m really excited for this new chapter in my racing career.

“The car and the team have such a great history, and having had a relationship with Gordie as well makes it that much more special. He was a great guy and had a lot of good laughs at the race track when I was younger, and just being involved with that list of names that have driven that car before is really cool to be a part of; I couldn’t be more excited.” 

Sitko, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is a 3rd generation drag racer who has been deeply involved in the sport since he was eight years old, beginning in NHRA’s Jr Dragster class. He advanced to Top Alcohol Dragster in 2002, then moved to Top Alcohol Funny Car in 2004. Sitko has been campaigning his family’s Nitro Funny Car the Arctic Traveler on a limited schedule since 2011 as 2024 will mark the start of his 20th season driving Funny Cars.

Coincidentally, Sitko has been behind the wheel of the Bubble Up Funny Car before, filling in for Ryan Hogdson at the then-called California Hot Rod Reunion held at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, California, back in October of 2022, running a best of 5.653 seconds at over 251 MPH and advancing to the quarter-finals. 

Ryan Hodgson has chosen to focus on another passion of his – tuning Funny Cars. He will now be working closely with crew chief Jim Basko. 

“We are very proud of Ryan’s accomplishments during the past ten years he has been driving the car,” Ron Hodgson, also Ryan’s father, said. “Ryan was licensed in the summer of 2013. We are looking forward to supporting him in furthering his passion for tuning and his continuation as a valued member of the team.”

Hodsgon encountered success while driving, having set low ET, track records, and MPH records, securing No. 1 qualifying positions and winning both the March Meet and Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield. Likewise, he scored a convincing victory at Boise and won Edmonton’s Rocky Mountain Nationals several times. He holds both ends of the Firebird Raceway track record at 5.56 ET at 260.94 MPH. He also became the sixth member of the 260 Club – setting the record at Bakersfield at 262.28 MPH. 

Hodgson’s greatest accomplishment was capturing the NHRA Heritage Series AA/FC World Championship in 2017 – the first Canadian driver to do so.

The younger Hodgson plans to follow in the footsteps of other high-profile crew chiefs who have tuned on the Bubble Up Funny Car in the past, such as the late Gordon Jenner from Calgary, the late Dan Ferguson from California, the late Jerry Verheul from Seattle, Bob Papernik of British Columbia, Roland Leong, and current tuner Basko.

The Pacemaker Racing Bubble Up Funny Car plans to make its 2024 debut with Sitko driving at the March Meet in Bakersfield, CA.