Duane Shields: Driver and Team Owner Career Highlights: Duane began his racing in motorcycles. He then progressed to Sand Drag racing. He had a Ken Fuller front motor, injected on nitro, dragster that brought him to "Christmas Tree" racing. In 1996, Duane bought his first alcohol dragster from David Busby. He went to Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School and received his license. It took over a year learning for the team to win a single round. The team tried to learn from each lap down the track. Finally, their first national event win came at the Autolite Nationals in Sonoma. CA in August, 1999. 2002, was the year Shields Racing achieved their best results so far with a win in Houston, followed by a win in Englishtown, NJ where Duane made the quickest run ever by a blown alcohol dragster at 5.263 seconds at 269 mph, setting the National ET record. Duane won the Car Craft All Star Award for Top Alcohol Dragster. He also won the Division 7 Championship and the team finished #2 Nationally. In 2004, Duane won the NHRA CarQuest Nationals. And in 2006, he won the NHRA Winternationals and a national event in Dallas, Texas. Shields also won the Division 7 Championship in 2007, and back to back divisional events in Arizona and the Fram Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, California. In 2008, Duane won the NHRA CarQuest Winternationals. 2009 and 2010 were also big years for the Shortline Express team as they won the Division 2 Championship both years and numerous national events but fell short of winning the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship by close margins. Then in 2011, Duane and his team took the World Championship down to the wire, winning national events in Pomona and Englishtown as well as Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional events in Atlanta, Gaineville, Maplegrove and Englishtown. In fact, Duane is undefeated in races ha has cntested in Englishtown. At the last race of 2011, the Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Duane and his team finally realized their goal of 14 years and won the NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster World Championship.
Bill Jones: Lead Crew Member Bill Jones- Lead Crew Member- Bill started racing asphalt racing in 1960's he has had altereds on the drag strip and campaigned a sand car for years. He is one of the original crew members on the Shields Racing Team. He is in charge of parts ordering, truck driving, and bottom end on the A-fuel car.
Ralph Freeman: Crew Member Ralph has a storied career. As a car owner, he won the Division 7 Super Comp Championship and won the JEGS All Star race in 1997 and 1998. He then started racing in A/Fuel working for Chess Bushy, a pioneer in the A/Fuel class. Ralph then went with the car to the Rick Henkleman team. In 2003 he moved over to the Shortline Express team. "Racers and crews are like family and we get to see them all at different races. It's a neat deal".
Chris Zedaker: Crew Member Is a Super Comp racer who oversees the Shields Racing Super Comp car and is in charge of car and clutch maintenance and head preparation on the A-fuel Car.