Chris Josey: DragChamp Racer Spotlight

Chris Josey is in this week’s DragChamp Racer Spotlight. Learn all about this DragChamp Pro Member in his spotlight below!

LA MARQUE, TX – Chris Josey has been racing since he was 16 years old after being introduced to the sport by his dad and uncles. From a young age, Chris’ dad started taking him to the track, and with two racing uncles, the race track became a part of his upbringing.

Chris currently competes in the No Box class in and around the state of Texas. His home track was originally Houston Raceway Park (HRP) but with its closure, he has had to travel more to tracks in the Southern states. HRP will always hold a special place in his heart since that was where he first started racing and where he picked up his first win.

Learn more about Chris below!

Racing History

Chris’ involvement in racing began with his family – his dad and uncles initiated a small family racing team named Josey Bros Racing. As Chris got older and started participating in races himself, the team changed the name to Josey’s Racing Team.

Chris first dipped his toes into racing during his high school years, initially with a 1989 Mustang LX. This car served as a source of fun for him, hitting the track every Friday and Sunday Test and Tune night. In his Senior year of high school, he got his 2003 Mustang Mach 1.

With his Mach 1, Chris transitioned from casual racing to more serious competition, entering the Fun Ford Weekend events. Over time, he transformed his Mach 1 from a street-driven vehicle into a dedicated race car.

As he refined his skills and commitment to racing, Chris started achieving success on the track and secured several Wednesday Trophy night race wins. The turning point in his racing career came in 2008 when he clinched his first big win at the Fun Ford Weekend.

His Race Car

Chris’ current race car is a 1993 Mustang LX equipped with a 402 SBF engine built by USA Racing Engines, also known as The WOP Shop, and a Powerglide transmission. He has owned this car since 2016. If you’ve been following Fun Ford Weekend and NMRA, you might recognize his vehicle from the July 05 issue of Muscle Mustang magazine when it used to be a former Street Bandit car. Currently, he has a bracket setup in place, allowing the car to run 5.80s in the 1/8-mile, but it can run 5.60s and 5.50s when fully let loose.

Accomplishments

One major victory that will always be etched in Chris’s book is his win in the Super Pro/Electronics class (Fast Ford) at the final Fun Ford Weekend event held at Houston Raceway Park. It’s worth noting that, at that time, Chris was among the few bottom bulb racers in the class.

Outside of Racing

When Chris isn’t behind the wheel of his race car, he works as a Chief Engineer on offshore supply vessels in the oil and gas industry. In his free time, he loves to kick back and relax and spend time visiting with his family. His favorite movie is anything Marvel and his favorite TV shows are Family Guy, Spongebob, and Street Outlaws. For music, he loves to listen to 90s to early 2000s Hip-Hop, R&B, and Rap. On the internet, Chris spends the most time scrolling through Facebook and on DragChamp- we approve!

Chris’ Q&A

What’s on your bucket list, future goals, what do you hope to achieve?

Definitely to attend the OG million race and Spring Fling races in Las Vegas and Bristol, but I have my own personal bucket list of tracks I just want to go and experience racing at. My future goals and what I would like to achieve is to win a NHRA Wally and a IHRA Ironman.

What is your favorite race car, and why?

For the local guys that knows me knew I loved my last car (2003 Mustang Mach 1), but my current car is by far my favorite. It’s a lot easier to work on than my last one and it is deadly consistent. Mainly this is the kind of car my dad and I dream of having.

Who has made the biggest impact on your racing success?

I would have to say my dad and uncles.

Who do you look up to in the sport?

My uncle Joe T.  is who I looked up to ever since I was a little kid, I loved to watch him race and ride around the pits in his car. So, growing up I wanted to be like him.

Tell us what you do for a living? 

I work offshore in the oil and gas industry.  I am a Chief Engineer on Offshore Supply Vessels.

How do you support your racing, side hustle, sponsor, partner, etc.?

Basically, from my job. No sponsor, I honestly never had one but I am open to sponsorship if anyone is interested.

Who do you hate to see in the other lane, and why?

That would be my uncle because I would rather only race against him in the finals.

What’s the hardest part of drag racing?

Staying consistent or refocusing when something catches you off guard or breaks your routine. 

What’s your most embarrassing moment in a race car? 

That would be when I first started racing, I did a burnout in reverse and almost didn’t make the turnoff. Since then, I always go to the last turnoff at every track.

What are you saying to yourself just before you stage the car?

“Don’t be red”

What do you enjoy the most at the racetrack?

Mainly just being there, seeing the cars, and hearing the engines.

Are you superstitious?  If so, what are they? 

Not at all but I do go to the chiropractor before every race and only wear my new glasses when I race.

Do you love to win or hate to lose?

I would say both because who doesn’t love to win, as I start going rounds my confidence builds, but hate to lose because I knew I could have done better. 

Which are you better at the starting line or the finish line?

Starting line for sure.

What motivates you to continue racing?

The love I have for the sport of drag racing.

If money were no object, what would your racing operation look like?  Car, trailer, class, race schedule, etc.

I would keep my current car, would add a Super Stock car, upgrade my trailer, golf cart, and get a new truck or motorhome so I can travel to further tracks and compete at the NHRA national and division events

How often do you use a practice tree?

I have the Practice Tree app on my phone I use when I’m at work.

What is your daily driver?

2012 Ford Focus

What is your favorite sport?  Favorite team? 

My favorite sport to watch is College Football. My favorite team is Houston Texans.

What are you really good at?

Staying calm under any situation.

Name one thing most people don’t know about you?

I like to play the drums and owned 3 different drum sets.

Would you rather hang out with a crowd or have a quiet evening at home?

Quiet evening at home if it isn’t car or racing related.

What’s your favorite thing to eat?  Individual item, meal, or restaurant?

I love Cheeseburgers, it was something my dad started and I kept it going since but every time we go to any racing event we had to go to Whataburger either before or after it was a must

Who would you like to thank, who helps you the most?

I would like to thank my friend Jay Noto for all his help,I would like to thank my uncle for all the help with working on the car and all the things I learned from him about working on a race car. Definitely my dad who got me started, he was there with me at every race, he believed in me, cheered for me, and all the money invested in for me to live this dream. After I picked up our dream car my dad unfortunately passed away before he got a chance to see it. I would like to send thanks to Northside Mustang Car Club for all their love and support they have shown me since joining. 

What is a piece of advice you’d give to an aspiring racer?

Don’t get caught up in the fame of being known and all just enjoy being at the track and having fun win or lose 

For more DragChamp racer spotlights, click here.

Want to become a DragChamp Pro Member like Chris? Check out the details here.