All About Tripp "Zip"

Tripp "Zip" Breitkreitz drives a Jr. Dragster and competes in the Jr. Street Class for Two Bees Racing in Division 7 of the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Jr. Drag Racing League. He is a member of Team Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona and Team Tucson Dragway in Tucson, Arizona.  

Motorsports of some form have been in Tripp’s family for decades. Tripp’s life at the drag strip began at eight-months in utero, and he has been addicted since. Serving as the official “Tire Man” on his Grandfather’s 1968 Dodge Dart Super Gas car from the time he was in a walker at seven-months old, he has always had a passion for the intensity and skill involved with drag racing.

He started racing in the Big Wheel Class at Firebird International Raceway, which is now Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, in Chandler, Arizona at the age of three, and had big dreams of driving a Jr. Dragster. At the age of four, Tripp’s first Jr. Dragster was purchased. Although he could not drive competitively until the then licensing age of eight, he would practice his burnouts and running the lights on the concrete strip in front of his Grandfather’s shop. His Jr. Drag Racing career started with the 2013 season at Firebird.  


After 8 seasons of driving a Jr. Dragster with Team Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona and Team Tucson Dragway in Tucson, Arizona, and competing in the Jr. Street Program at both tracks, Tripp is now competing in Super Pro in his 1968 Dodge Dart!


Tripp’s racing achievements include:

Tripp is a Junior at Casa Grande Union High School where he is an Honors student, and is involved in the Automotive Technology & Construction Programs and Skills USA-Arizona. During the summer of 2019, Tripp attended the National Student Leadership Conference at The American University in Washington, DC, where he spent 10-days working with aerospace engineers from organizations such as NASA and Lockheed Martin.


Tripp is a Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, and has also has spent time volunteering with community service organizations such as Arizona Perinatal Trust, the March of Dimes, and the Children’s Miracle Network benefiting Phoenix Children’s Hospital.


In his free time, Tripp enjoys playing baseball, racing Traxxas R/C trucks, participating in car shows, cheering on the New England Patriots, playing Doorslammers with friends online, and archery hunting.  Tripp's future goals involve attending either Wyoming Technical Institute or Universal Technical Institute to obtain his degree in Automotive Engineering.  And of course...driving a Funny Car, like this namesake the late Tripp Shumake!

Where Did The Name Tripp "Zip" Come From?

While his Momager was 8-1/2 months pregnant with him, she attended the 2004 NHRA Arizona Nationals. When they fired the Funny Cars at the line, he pushed all of the air out of her lungs. For the rest of the day, he was very calm and relaxed. At that moment, she knew that he would love racing and that he would need a name that would sound like a racecar driver. Tripp fit the bill, and Tripp Shumake was the perfect person to be Tripp’s namesake.

The late Tripp Shumake was from Glendale, Arizona, and became an NHRA champion Funny Car driver in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. He appeared in three Funny Car finals, winning the 1981 Southern Nationals in Atlanta in Loper’s car and the 1982 World Finals at Orange County Int’l Raceway while driving a second Chief Auto Parts Funny Car. He also was a member of the Crane Cams Funny Car 250-mph Club. It has been said that Tripp Shumake was born to drive...much like Tripp “Zip” Breitkreitz. On November 13, 1999, Tripp Shumake was killed by a wrong-way, hit-and-run driver while riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. In the memoir of Tripp Shumake’s life, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme was quoted as stating, “Tripp Shumake was a hell of a racer and a really good guy and I don’t know if you could ask for more than that”.

Tripp had the opportunity to meet Tripp’s wife, Susie, and his daughter, Heather, at the 2017 NHRA Arizona Nationals, and it was moment that will never be forgotten…It was an absolute honor.

The Hard Working Crew

Amy Breitkreitz

Dottie Breitkreitz

Brianna Byrnes

Cindi Hanson

Eric Hanson


Crew Chief Emeritus

John Breitkreitz (1951-2018)

John Smith

Senior Architect

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Senior Architect

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Thank you to our Sponsors!

Big K Motorsports, Mt. Glover, VT

Fred’s Bolts & Nuts

Gallo Construction, Inc.

Hoosier Racing Tires

Infinity Travelaz

Mike Sullivan Drilling Company, Inc.

State Farm Insurance-Lorrie Carter

© 2020 Tripp Breitkreitz Racing - All rights reserved.

Last updated 9/24/2020

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