NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Heading into this weekend’s Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals with mild temperatures forecast for lightning-fast Sonoma Raceway, one Top Fuel team could walk away with a $30,000 bounty for being the first to hit 300 mph at the eighth-mile mark of the track.

The Phillips Connect 300 at the 1/8 program was announced last August and so far has gone unclaimed, although reigning NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champ Brittany Force came close at last year’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals with an eighth-mile speed of 299.73 mph.

Phillips Connect Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley, who has been as fast as 298.27 mph to the eighth-mile, naturally wants to be one to indoctrinate the club.

“Being the first to join this prestigious club on behalf of Phillips Connect would be an honor," said Ashley "This is a chance for our team and so many others to place their names in NHRA history. Based on the advancements in technology within our sport, this is very much attainable.“

While the first driver to reach the triple-century mark at 660 feet will collect the $30,000 payout, a special club will honor the first 10 drivers in either Top Fuel or Funny Car to reach the speed in the eighth-mile with recognition and a bonus. 

The second driver to hit the 300-mph mark in the eighth-mile will receive $13,000, while the third gets $9,000. The fourth through 10th drivers will each receive $3,000. The purse award is unique to each driver regardless of the driver’s team affiliation and regardless of whether the driver is competing in Top Fuel or Funny Car.

NHRA and Phillips Connect, an industry leader with connected asset solutions for trailers, chassis, and containers, partnered together to create the unique program, rewarding the milestone feat of technology and engineering among the standout teams in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.