NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Mike Knott came up through the drag racing ranks, from Jr. Dragsters and bracket cars to Top Dragster, he always had his eye on the Top Alcohol Dragster category. Now 35, Knott is taking steps towards that goal after purchasing a chassis with plans to make his TAD debut in 2026.

For the last eight years, Knott has raced in NHRA and PDRA Top Dragster and in Outlaw Dragster events. He gradually progressed to 3.60-second (eighth-mile) passes.

“Things changed a little bit for me after our first heads up win,” Knott said. “I think the focus shifted from just wanting to go out there, make some passes, and learn some stuff to ‘Okay, we can actually run with some of the quickest guys in the country and make it to the winner’s circle. We need to push the limits some more. We need to be more consistent'”

Between 2021 and 2022, Knott won a handful of heads-up Outlaw 660 races, and added a win at Summit Motorsports Park’s iconic Night Under Fire, where he raced in front of tens of thousands of fans.

“The highlight to this day of my entire racing career was winning Night Under Fire, and I think we did that with a 3.73 at 195 mph,” said Knott, who’s been as quick as 3.68 in the eighth mile and 5.92 at 240 mph in the quarter mile. “That was a special deal, and we really had to work for it. Truthfully, every race we’ve won has never been from the No. 1 qualifying spot and never had any free walks into the next round. We’ve always had to battle our way through, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Given a chance to reflect on where he wanted to go next, Top Alcohol Dragster looked like the most alluring option for Knott.

“We were pushing the limits of the Top Dragster and reached a point of progression where it made sense to switch,” Knott said. “Brandon Booher’s car came up for sale and the timing couldn’t have worked out any better. I’ve followed this car for years and always admired it. There’s also a lot of value in having a known setup that works. I started working with Alan Bradshaw who had listed the car, and he put me in touch with Aaron [Booher]. The rest was history.”  

The 2010 Spitzer-built dragster made waves in NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster because it utilized a torque converter rather than the class-standard clutch. Booher won the 2013 NHRA North Central Region championship, the 2013 NHRA Carolina Nationals, and several NHRA regional races. With Kirk Wolf driving, the car recorded a 5.25 at 274 mph at the 2017 NHRA U.S. Nationals, making it the world’s quickest torque converter-equipped car for several years.

Knott plans to run nearly an identical setup in the car working with engines from his Top Dragster program combined with upgraded Top Alcohol Dragster components like a screw-type supercharger.

Knott recently took delivery of the car and plans to spend most of 2025 getting it ready to potentially hit the track before the end of the season so he can upgrade his license and test before attending his first race in 2026.

“It’s not realistic to think we’re going to pick up where the Boohers left off and start winning races right out of the gate,” said Knott, who thanked his wife, Kaylynn, as well as partners like Born Implement, Motorsports Unlimited, KB Trailer Sales, Snyder Motorsports, and retired engine builder Jeff Fowler. “We’re going to start small and make it to a handful of events a year. If we can show up and qualify and go from there, that is a huge step in the right direction.

“I’m just a regular guy who gets up and goes to work every day just like anybody else,” continued Knott, a helicopter pilot and flight instructor. “I don’t have big sponsors or unlimited funding. When I was younger, I watched guys who busted their asses go out there and compete on a limited budget and win. I think it’s important for the future of our sport that the next generation of racers see that you don’t need to be a millionaire to go out and do these things and I hope to showcase that. You just have to work hard, keep your head down, and surround yourself with good, like-minded people.”