09/08/2026
Jeff Arend
Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car Driver for Jim Dunn Racing
72nd Annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals
Sept. 2-7 | Indianapolis
Event Recap
Jeff Arend, driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car:
Earned No. 12 provisional qualifying position in Q1 on Friday (4.135 ET at 300.66 mph)
Fell to No. 14 provisional qualifying position based off of Friday’s Q1 run. In Q2 on Saturday, Arend ran a 5.130 ET at 150.13 mph.
Maintained No. 14 provisional qualifying position in Q3 on Saturday (4.076 ET at 303.78 mph)
Maintained No. 14 provisional qualifying position based off of Saturday’s Q3 run. In Q4 on Sunday, Arend ran a 4.654 ET at 182.03 mph.
Secured No. 14 qualifying position based off of Saturday’s Q3 run. The team elected to not make a qualifying run in Q5 on Sunday.
Eliminated following Round 1 on Monday:
Round 1: 4.019 ET at 320.28 mph, lost to Jack Beckman (3.885 ET at 328.94 mph)
Notes of Interest
Arend represented Blaze Exhaust Probes this weekend in Indianapolis. Blaze Technical Services was founded in 1996 by Ralph and Candy Hickman in Northeast Ohio. They are a leading full-service temperature sensor manufacturer that offers solutions for even the most demanding applications. Their reputation for creating the most rugged industrial temperature sensors and high temperature thermocouple assemblies has made them a top choice in the industry. Being ISO 9001 certified since 2003 reflects their commitment to producing only the highest quality products, including their popular exhaust gas temperature probes and other industrial temperature sensors. They also specialize in high temperature thermocouple designs that perform reliably in extreme conditions, including High-temperature aerospace sensors and Soil temperature monitoring setups. They are dedicated to delivering quality products on time and at a fair price. Additionally, they document all products with CAD drawings to make future changes or reordering easy, and can provide certification on request. Their Blaze Technical Services temperature solutions are trusted by professionals across a wide range of industries.
Jim Dunn Racing earned a career-best speed of 320 miles per hour during Round 1 of eliminations on Monday.
The U.S. Nationals marked the conclusion of the NHRA’s regular season, prior to the Countdown to the Championship, where Arend finished 14th in points.
Jeff Arend, Driver of the Jim Dunn Racing Blaze Exhaust Probes Funny Car
“Jim (Dunn) had to be happy seeing the 320 miles per hour (mph) on the score board. We have been talking about it for a little while. The car has been coming around well. But, the track conditions at Indy are tricky and the car didn’t respond like we had wanted. It was really great to qualify where we did and be able to sit out the last qualifying session. This is the biggest race of the year, so it was nice to be able to qualify No. 14. I joked Jim that I saw the smile on his face. 320 mph is our career best run, so that is awesome.”
