NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

READ THE ISSUE

The October 2026 issue of NHRA National Dragster, packed with racing action from four major NHRA series with championship implications, is now online in digital format and in the mail in its traditional print format to NHRA Members around the world.

The six-race NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship is underway, and the issue takes us halfway home through the first three with results coverage from the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by Mopar in Martin, Mich.; the NHRA Nationals at The Rock in Rockingham, N.C.; and the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals outside of St. Louis.

Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon swept all three of the races and, counting the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals before that, is riding a four-race, 16-round winning streak. All of his success, and that of the other event champions from the Pros to the Sportsman, are jampacked into this monster issue.

Langdon’s victory in St. Louis came over first-time finalist Will Smith, who shares the secret to his success in the Countdown in our regular Five Minutes With … interview.

National Dragster Editor Phil Burgess writes about the great overall success of the Rockingham event and others this season, echoing comments made by three-time Funny Car world champ Ron Capps.

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series coverage includes a pair of doubleheader events in Divisions 4 and 7 that helped heat up the championship battles, and we’ve got our world champion columnist Luke Bogacki to update the biggest movers and shakers in those points contests.

Brad Plourd, who continued to experience great success this season, is saluted as our Peak Performance Sportsman Racer of the Month for September.

We also preview the annual Sportsman spectacular known as the JEGS Allstars, which will play out this weekend at the Texas NHRA FallNationals. We’ve got pocket bios on every driver in every class who will be taking part in the annual event.

The NHRA Summit Racing Equipment E.T. Series Finals presented by Hoosier went into full swing, crowning divisional champions who will now head to Las Vegas later this month to compete for overall season championships. In this issue, we provide coverage from Divisions 2, 5, and 7.

The Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League is also feted in this issue with a pair of features saluting fast-rising stars of the series in Allison Bolle and the Green brothers, Nate, Alex, and Jack.

Our Race Tech column takes a hard look and a deep dive into the amazing performance and technology behind the new SIXPACK Dodge Charger.

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