THE BEST OF 30 UNDER 30
Jonnie Lindberg 2015 & 2016
Just a month after appearing on
the cover of the second 30 Under 30 Issue in 2016 , two-time NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world champion Jonnie Lindberg announced he was moving up to nitro Funny Car with Jim Head ’ s Head Contractors team . It was a dream come true for the Swedish driver , who previously raced alcohol Funny Cars and Pro Mods in Europe with his brother , Johan .
Lindberg went to three finals in 2017 , including back-to-back finals in Gainesville and Las Vegas to start the year . He raced with Head again in 2018 and was released from driving duties at the end of the season , allowing Lindberg to get back to his own program .
“ It ’ s a big honor , of course , to be able to drive for Jim Head ,” Lindberg says . “ We did pretty good the first year , went to three finals and ran pretty good . It ’ s something I probably want to do again in the future . It was awesome to do it , but I missed doing my own thing at the same time .”
Lindberg kept a foot in the Top Alcohol waters throughout the nitro experience , though , tuning Jay Payne ’ s alcohol flopper in 2017 before starting to work with Brian Hough in late 2018 . A conversation with competing team owner Mike Gordon led Lindberg down a new path : building chassis .
“ Everything happened by accident ,” Lindberg says . “ Brad Hadman stopped building cars . Gordons talked about building a new car . I said , “ I ’ ll build you a car . I think I know what I ’ m doing .” They took a big risk with me and I built them a car . It just happened . Now I ’ m crazy busy and I have a full-blown chassis shop .”
That first car Lindberg built for Doug Gordon , JLM chassis No . 001 , won the 2020 NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car world championship on the strength of three national event wins and four regional race victories .
The Jonnie Lindberg Motorsports chassis shop team , which includes Justin Deaton , Dan Murphy , Nick Casertano and Richie Crampton , built a new car for Steve Burck and a back-up car for Gordon , while a fourth car rolled out of the Brownsburg , Indiana , shop in November . Another four or five cars are already on order .
“ It ’ s exciting that people believe in my product ,” Lindberg says . “ I try to improve every car I build . I race them and build them , so I know what I want in a car . I think that helps a lot .”
While the chassis shop keeps Lindberg busy , he also continues to tune Hough ’ s Top Alcohol Funny Car . The group finished third in national points this year , and they plan to chase the championship in 2021 . Lindberg , who ran three NHRA races and two Mid-West Drag Racing Series events in his own car this year , also plans to drive at a handful of events next season .
The 31-year-old is solely focused on methanol-burning Funny Cars for the time being , whether it ’ s driving , tuning or building them . But don ’ t count out the possibility of seeing him back in a nitro car . He got the call to fill in for Bob Tasca III at the NHRA ’ s first Indy race this year . His talent and proximity to the nitro teams in Indy make him an ideal fill-in driver , but he has visions of fielding his own nitro car someday .
“ My big goal is to get back in a nitro Funny Car . After you ’ ve done it once , you want to get back to it . My dream is kind of to be like a Tim Wilkerson . I want to build a car , drive it and tune it , and hand-pick a team of good guys . That ’ s my long-term plan , to have my own nitro Funny Car one day . Maybe . If I ever find the funding ,” he laughs . – NATE VAN WAGNEN DI
86 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 162