Meet Travis Shumake, the Grindr-Sponsored First Out Gay Pro Drag Racer – Out Magazine

August 17, 2022 News Editor

This month, Travis Shumake made history as the first out gay driver to compete in a national event on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) racing circuit.

His father, Tripp Shumake, started racing in the 1960s and became a legendary athlete in 1970s and 1980s as a Funny Car driver. Namely, Tripp made it to three Funny Car finals and won two of them, which solidified his name within the NHRA. Unfortunately, Tripp was killed in a hit-and-run car accident in 1999. Now, his son Travis is making history on his own terms as an out gay man in a straight-centric sport such as racing.

Outside of car racing, Travis has a boyfriend with whom he raises a beautiful dog named banks. In a few different interviews, he has talked about the importance of bringing his family back to the race track after having followed his dad, Tripp, competing for so many years back in the day. Travis has also been outspoken about his coming-out story and how he’s planning to represent the LGBTQ+ community in this sport.

Given the historic nature of Travis’ career as an NHRA driver, he has now landed a corporate sponsorship from none other than Grindr, the location-based dating app for gay men.

Scroll through to check out pictures of Travis Shumake, and follow him on Instagram – @travieshu – to see even more!