A Day at the Drags
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour includes 20 events that pass through 19 cities in all regions of the United States, bringing its excitement to millions each year. The events are spectacles of speed and color, chrome and flash, and ingenuity and engineering.
Although the tracks measure the same length at each stop, each venue is different. Conditions such as elevation, weather, and time of year makes each stop a unique one.
Tickets
It’s best to buy your tickets before you get to the venue to get the best seat selection. You can buy your tickets at the box office, by phone, or online at www.nhra.com/tickets.
Kids 12 and under get in free at many of our events – so be sure to check. If you want to bring a group, we offer group tickets.
What to Expect
Unlike a typical three-hour football game or a two-hour concert, NHRA Drag Racing offers options for those looking for an all-day affair, or a shorter outing packed with action. The best advice for first time fans might well be the same advice given to the teams you're coming to watch: Come early, stay late, and be prepared.
What to bring: a hat, sunglasses, earplugs, and a blanket (to sit on or bundle up with during the awesome spectacle of night qualifying).
The weekend is typically organized this way:
Friday & Saturday – professional qualifying rounds, plus sportsman racing
Sunday – final elimination rounds
At most events, Friday and Saturday afford two qualifying shots per day, and several feature a Friday night session that transforms fuel-car racing into a sight to behold. The 16 quickest cars in the qualifying sessions make it to elimination rounds on Sunday.
Every Mission Foods Series national event includes both professional racers and competitors from the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. The fastest and most exciting rounds are the Nitro rounds, which include Top Fuel and Funny Car. In these rounds you’ll see cars going over 320mph.
Visit the Pits
Every ticket is a Pit Pass.
Drag racing is unique among motorsports because fans have direct access to the teams, watching from as close as five or 10 feet as the highly skilled mechanics "twirl the iron." Stick around a bit and you can get an autograph or a photo with your favorite driver.
Hot tip: Some of the most frantic action takes place in the first 30 minutes after a car returns to the pits. If you want a front-row seat to watch the teams at their best, head for the pits a little early. If there's a major engine meltdown on the track and you don't mind missing the rest of the action, you probably won't have to fight for elbow room. The lack of crowds also provides a good chance to snag some autographs at other pit areas.
You shouldn't restrict your pit-area adventures to the Mission Foods classes. Cruise the Lucas Oil pits. The drivers in those classes are more likely to have time to answer your questions. Often, you'll see the same kind of frantic pit-area thrashes that you witness in the Mission Foods pits: Super Stock teams changing transmissions, Comp crews swapping engines, and alcohol drivers warming their machines.