Dickie Venables Bio

Residence: Avon, Ind.
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Date of Birth: March 12, 1964
Marital Status: Single
Children: None
Height/Weight: 5’7” / 180 lbs.
Started in NHRA: 1983
Hobbies: Fishing, radio-controlled cars and planes
Crew Chief Wins: 16

  • Dickie Venables joined the Al-Anabi Racing team as Del Worsham’s crew chief prior to the 2009 U.S. Nationals.  After joining the team, Venables led the Al-Anabi Funny Car  to a victory in just his fifth race with the team.  Venables is a two time NHRA Funny Car champion having won a title in 2007 as a crew chief at Pedregon Racing and in 2003 as an assistant crew chief at John Force Racing. Venables earned his racing stripes working with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, Don Garlits, Connie Kalitta and Gary Ormsby. Although he always fancied himself as a “dragster guy” having worked primarily on Top Fuel dragsters, he acquired a new appreciation for Funny Cars in 2000 when he signed on to work with John Force Racing. In 2002 when co-crew chief John Medlen was sidelined for one race for medical reasons, Venables distinguished himself by directing Pedregon to a wire-to-wire victory in Seattle that paved the way for the team’s run to a second-place finish in the Funny Car point standings. He helped Medlen guide Pedregon to the 2003 NHRA Funny Car championship and made the move to Pedregon Racing in 2004. 

  • 2004-August, 2009: Crew chief on Pedregon Racing Funny Car driven by Tony Pedregon; won 15 races and 2007 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship.
  • 1999 – 2003:  Assistant crew chief with crew chief John Medlen for Tony Pedregon’s John Force Racing Funny Car; won 2003 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship; won first race as crew chief when he filled in when Medlin missed 2002 Seattle race; first race and first win as a crew chief . 
  • 1997-98: Handled clutch duties for Cory McClenathan’s Joe Gibbs Racing Top Fuel dragster.
  • 1996: Handled cylinder heads for Whit Bazemore’s Smokin’ Joe’s Racing Funny Car with crew chief Rob Flynn. 
  • 1994-95: Handled clutch duties at Kalitta Racing with Connie Kalitta driving the Top Fuel dragster. This team won 40th annual U.S. Nationals in 1994. 
  • 1993: Handled cylinder heads for Prudhomme Racing with Don Prudhomme driving.
  • 1991 and ‘92: Assistant crew chief to Tim Richards on Pat Austin’s Top Fuel dragster.
  • 1989-’90: Handled cylinder heads and rear end during second stint with Shirley Muldowney.
  • 1985-88: Built engines for Gary Ormsby’s Top Fuel dragster
  • 1983 – ’84: Handled cylinder heads for Shirley Muldowney; worked with Don Garlits who served as a technical advisor and occasional driver. Muldowney had a bad accident in 1984 and did not race again until 1989.