Are the US Nationals the Reunification that Drag Racing Needs?

After all the recent division and wild speculation in the sport, drag racing WILL reunite at this weekend’s 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Forty five Top Fuel and Funny Car entries are slated for the world’s biggest drag race, the largest collection of nitro machines at Indy in nearly 15 years. Twenty cars are expected in Pro Stock Car, as well as 19 Pro Stock Motorcycles—the most this season in the two-wheeled category.

The Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins qualifying on Friday at 6:15 p.m. ET, highlighted by the usual fantastic nitro night session. Bring back the fire bombs!

Two more rounds take place on both Saturday and Sunday, as well as the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday and the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday, leading into eliminations on Monday.

Regular season championships will be decided in each class, with nearly $400,000 on the line and $150,000 to the regular season champ in Top Fuel and Funny Car. Doug Kalitta currently holds a 67-point lead over Shawn Langdon, while Matt Hagan leads Funny Car. Greg Anderson and Richard Gadson lead the way in Pro Stock Car and PSM by 85 and 83 points, respectively.

It’s been a minute since we’ve last seen the full Pro Stock Motorcycle category, which was not invited so unaffected by what was happening with the IHRA. Richard Gadson won in June in Norwalk, giving the reigning world champ a healthy lead over teammate Gaige Herrera. That will be hard to overcome in one race, putting Gadson in the driver’s seat to win the regular season for the first time.

*Matt Smith celebrates his 2023 Indy win*

Angie and Matt Smith are 111 and 136 points back, respectively, and have enjoyed great seasons, but Gadson remains the clear favorite to take the lead into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

*John Hall celebrates his 2013 Indy win against teammate Matt Smith in the final*

They’ll all be fighting for the Indy win, of course, along with former Big Go winners Steve Johnson and John Hall, COVID Indy race winner Flyin’ Ryan Oehler, Trick-Tools racer Chase Van Sant, Jianna Evaristo, FuelTech racer Mark Paquette, Wes Wells, Kelly Clontz, Clayton Howey and many more.

The car field includes a talent-heavy group of 22 Top Fuel dragsters, including Kalitta, defending event winner Justin Ashley, as well as standouts like Tony Stewart, Langdon, Antron Brown, rookie sensation Maddi Gordon, the returning Ida Zetterström and Leah Pruett, Clay Millican and 10-time Indy winner Tony Schumacher.

On the Funny Car side, there are 23 entries in the loaded class, a number that features Hagan, reigning world champ and event winner Austin Prock, Jordan Vandergriff, J.R. Todd, Ron Capps and Jack Beckman. With four drivers within 22 points for the regular season championship (Hagan, Vandergriff, Capps and Todd) and a possible first 3-second field on the line, it should be nothing short of spectacular.

In Pro Stock Car, Erica Enders will look for a repeat win in Indy, taking on the likes of Anderson, reigning world champ Dallas Glenn, Matt Hartford and Elite Motorsports teammates Aaron and Greg Stanfield, and Jeg Coughlin Jr.

In all, more than 850 entries are ready for The Big Go— a tremendous number for the biggest weekend of the drag racing year. From Wednesday through Labor Day Monday, it’s non-stop action on the track as competitors aim to become a part of – or add to – drag racing royalty on the biggest stage. That includes more than 125 entries in Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp and Super Gas, giving fans the biggest opportunity of the year to see the standouts of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in action.

*Snake watching Capps address the media after Ron won Indy in the throwback livery*

How about these legends attending as part of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season: Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato, Shirley Muldowney, Larry Dixon, John Force, Linda Vaughn, Richard Tharp, Darrell Gwynn, Steve Torrence, Al Segrini and more.

The Sox & Martin Hemi Challenge returns as the longest-running continuous specialty race in NHRA history, featuring exciting heads-up, wheelstanding, and side-by-side racing of Hemi-powered ’68 Super Stock Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas competing in the NHRA SS/AH class.

Racing in the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and a first-time appearance from the Right Trailers Outlaw Street Category.

Pro Mod Cars! Here’s Mike Castellana at Gainesville in 2018.

A celebration of NHRA’s 75-year history with exhibition runs on Friday and Sunday from the classic Rat Trap and Bradford’s Fiat nitro Fuel Altereds. Push-start cackle cars on Friday and Sunday driven by NHRA legends. Free parking for the entire weekend. SealMaster Track Walk before Monday’s eliminations. Multiple autograph sessions throughout the weekend. A can’t-miss Hot Rod Junction.

Children 12-and-under get in free to an event offering all-day entertainment. As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

The first round of the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday, with the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final round at 3:40 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.