NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Drivers in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports will have the chance to enjoy a massive weekend at Bristol Dragway as part of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.

The class made its first appearance at New England Dragway last weekend, but eliminations were postponed due to weather. That means a spectacular doubleheader weekend in Bristol, with the race from Epping being completed, as well as the scheduled Thunder Valley event.

It’s the fourth and fifth of 10 races during the 2023 season for the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, and this weekend’s event in Bristol is powered by Cardinal Insurance. The class will be featured during Sunday’s broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) as part of a frenetic doubleheader weekend for the NHRA Pro Mod category.
 
Following the first round of qualifying at 3:15 p.m. ET on Friday, the first round of eliminations from the NHRA New England Nationals in Pro Mod takes place during the second qualifying session in Bristol at 6:30 p.m. ET. The second round will be during the third qualifying session at 12:20 p.m. on Saturday in Bristol, with the semifinals running during the final qualifying session at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday. The final round from Epping will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday in Thunder Valley. Eliminations for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals begin at 12:40 p.m. ET on Sunday in the category.
 
It’s a unique opportunity for the fans and drivers this weekend in Bristol and Cardinal Insurance is thrilled to be part of the special weekend.
 
“Thunder Valley is a special place for drag racing, particularly NHRA Pro Mod,” said Mike McKinney, Agency Manager of Cardinal Insurance. “We believe that NHRA supports our business model when it comes to business development, relationship building and networking - all the elements of Cardinal Insurance’s customer service goals! We are family owned and pride ourselves in providing first class services by highly experienced staff.”
Pro Mod’s Stan Shelton works closely with Cardinal Insurance, but former world champion Jose Gonzalez remains the most recent winner after his Chicago triumph. Drivers will have a chance for a memorable double-up weekend in Bristol, with everything still chasing points leader Justin Bond, who has a pair of victories this year.
 
But it’s another loaded 20-car field in Bristol with a group that includes defending world champion Kris Thorne, J.R. Gray, Doug Winters, Kevin Rivenbark, multi-time world champ Rickie Smith, Manny Buginga, Jerico Balduf, Jason Lee and Khalid AlBalooshi.
Mike Thielen was the No. 1 qualifier in Epping with a run of 5.837-seconds at 244.16 mph, taking the top spot into Friday’s opening round of eliminations in Bristol.
Featuring the world’s fastest doorslammer race cars, the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports offers something unique and exciting for every drag racing fan. The class continues to grow in popularity and is highlighted by historic muscle cars and a variety of late-model American muscle cars, as well as a number of different power adders.

To purchase tickets, fans can visit www.BristolDragway.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free on Friday with a paid adult. Children 12 and under are $10 on both Saturday and Sunday, and $15 for a 3-day combo.