A post shared by Travis Shumake (@travieshu)It was quite the homecoming for Travis Shumake. The gay drag racer made his Top Fuel debut over the weekend in his hometown of Phoenix, where he learned to love the sport from his father, Tripp, a drag-racing legend himself.
Up until four years ago, Shumake stayed away from racing. His father’s sudden passing, which coincided with his journey of self-discovery, propelled him to think about exploring other paths in life.
Shumake packed his bags, and headed east to New York City. Then he found himself locked down, with nothing but free time on his hands.
That’s when he had an epiphany: he was going to return to the family sport, but not just as a driver.Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.He was going to own his own team. “It was a quarantine dream,” Shumake told FOX 10 Phoenix. “I was sitting at home in New York City, I decided to put pen to paper and figure out a path to not only driving in the sport but owning a race team.