NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Weekend Rewind: 2023 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

From first-round upsets to Mike Salinas' blazing 338-mph speed, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, the penultimate event of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season, had plenty of action and drama. Relive it now in our Weekend Rewind video.
22 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Weekend Rewind: 2023 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
View More

Five things we learned in Brainerd

By any measuring stick, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd was an extremely competitive and highly entertaining event. Here are five things we learned from NHRA’s annual stop in Minnesota.
21 Aug 2023
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
Feature
Five things we learned in Brainerd
RON CAPPS IS THE UNDISPUTED MAYOR OF THE BRAINERD ZOO While John Force is still the all-time winnngest driver at Brainerd Int’l Raceway with an amazing 11 Funny Car titles, its actually Ron Capps that’s synonymous with the…
View More

As the Countdown to the Championship looms, so does Tim Wilkerson

with the field for the Countdown to the Championship taking shape, the 2023 Camping World NHRA Funny Car title is very much up for grabs, and Tim Wilkerson has every reason to think he’s one of the favorites.
19 Aug 2023
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
Feature
Tim Wilkerson
Take a quick look at the history of Tim Wilkerson in the Funny Car class, including 15-straight years of Top 10 finishes and a best of No. 2 in 2004 and suddenly, the notion of him winning the Camping World NHRA Funny Car final isn’t so far-fetched…
View More

Jerry Tucker doesn’t feel like a rookie, but Rookie of the Year voters might see things differently.

Team Elite Pro Stock driver Jerry Tucker scoffs at the notion of becoming NHRA’s next Rookie of the Year award recipient, but the sone cold reality is that he’s the current frontrunner for the prestigious award.
18 Aug 2023
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
Feature
Jerry Tucker
Team Elite Pro Stock driver Jerry Tucker scoffs at the notion of becoming NHRA’s next Rookie of the Year award recipient, but the sone cold reality is that he’s the current frontrunner for the prestigious award. “I’m 48 years old. That’s too old…
View More

Bob Tasca III hitting stride at ideal time approaching Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

A week after getting a back-to-back win at a track, Funny Car standout Bob Tasca III will try to accomplish that again at this weekend’s 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
17 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Bob Tasca III
A week after getting a back-to-back win at a track, Funny Car standout Bob Tasca III will try to accomplish that again at this weekend’s 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.   Tasca accomplished the feat…
View More

Five memorable moments from the history of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals has been a mainstay of the NHRA tour since 1982 and has provided fans with scores of thrills, chills, and spills in the decades since. Here's a look at five of the most memorable moments at Brainerd International Raceway.
17 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Five memorable moments from the history of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
View More

Return to roots has Greg Anderson excited about Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

For the first time since 2019, five-time Pro Stock world champ Greg Anderson will compete at Brainerd International Raceway, the track where he grew up racing, for this weekend's Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
17 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Greg Anderson
After four years away, Pro Stock is back at Brainerd International Raceway for this weekend’s 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, which means it’s the first time since 2019 that five-time world champ Greg Anderson will compete at the track where…
View More

Behind the Scenes with the winners of the 2023 Menards NHRA Nationals

Go behind the scenes with the winners of the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor as they celebrate their victories with their teams and one another.
16 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Behind the Scenes
View More

Weekend Rewind: 2023 Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor

The Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor fought the weather all weekend at Heartland Motorsport Parks, but the resulting racing and joyous celebrations more than made up for it.
15 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Weekend Rewind
View More

We review the top speeds from Topeka's House of Speed—2023 edition

Topeka’s House of Speed can handle all of the heat and any of the speeds that NHRA throws at it. Check out the qualifying run recap from the 2023 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented By PetArmor.
15 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
We review the top speeds from Topeka's House of Speed—2023 edition
View More

Bob Tasca III shared his latest Funny Car win with Ford's top car enthusiasts

The fastest Ford has ever gone is with Bob Tasca III at the wheel of his Ford Mustang Funny Car. This week Tasca shared that glory with all of Ford Motor Company.
15 Aug 2023
David Kennedy
Feature
Bob Tasca III shared his latest Funny Car win with Ford's top car enthusiasts
From the Ford Flathead V-8-powered-cars that ran on the dry lake beds in the 1940s, to the modern-day 11,000-hp nitromethane-burning Ford Mustang Funny Car, nearly all of Ford's highest horsepower and top speed records have come from racing…
View More

Five things we learned at the Menards NHRA Nationals in Topeka

The 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park will forever be burned into memory for all in attendance. For some, it was a resurgence, for others, a time to celebrate history in the best way possible. Here are five takeaways from the event.
14 Aug 2023
Kelly Wade
Feature
Five things we learned at the Menards NHRA Nationals in Topeka
The 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals at Heartland Motorsports Park will forever be burned into memory for all in attendance. For some, it was a resurgence, for others, a time to celebrate history in the best way possible. Here are five takeaways…
View More

Chris Cunningham on how critical Top Fuel power management is in 2023

Austin Prock's crew chief explains the delicate balance of making power and running up against the best tuners in the sport—without exceeding the capability of the equipment
14 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Chris Cunningham on how critical Top Fuel power management is
View More

Tuner Mike Guger focused on bringing Buddy Hull forward in Top Fuel

Success in drag racing requires a well-mixed cocktail. Proper parts and pieces, a capable crew, a strong driver, and an apt and ever-learning crew chief are all required for long-term progress and performance. Buddy Hull assembled all of those things prior to the 2023 season, including tapping veteran tuner Mike Guger as his crew chief.
12 Aug 2023
Kelly Wade
Feature
Buddy Hull
Success in drag racing requires a well-mixed cocktail. Proper parts and pieces, a capable crew, a strong driver, and an apt and ever-learning crew chief are all required for long-term progress and performance. Buddy Hull assembled all of those…
View More

Pro Stock’s Troy Coughlin Jr. looks to pick up where he left off a month ago

After nearly a month off, the Pro Stock class returns to action this weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park, which marks the perfect location for standout Troy Coughlin Jr., who claimed the most recent Pro Stock victory last month in Denver.
10 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Troy Coughlin Jr.
After nearly a month off, the Pro Stock class returns to action this weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park, which marks the perfect location for standout Troy Coughlin Jr.   The rising star claimed the most recent Pro Stock victory last month…
View More

Five memorable moments from the history of Heartland Motorsports Park

The NHRA has been holding national events at Heartland Motorsport Park since 1989, and the heroics and histrionics that have taken place could fill a book. Here's a look at just five of the memorable moments at the vaunted Kansas facility.
10 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Five memorable moments from the history of Heartland Motorsports Park
View More

Coming off successful Western Swing, Torrence's Capco boys ready for more

With a win in Seattle and a pair of victories in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Steve Torrence and the Capco team enter the final stretch of the regular season with renewed confidence and enthusiasm.
10 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Steve Torrence
View More

2023 Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals Top Sportsman winner Ted Kellner

09 Aug 2023
NHRA National Dragster staff
Feature
109:35
Ted Kellner won his first national event in Super Gas in 1990 and is still a force in Right Trailers Top Sportsman. Kellner earned career win No. 4 by just .002-second in the final round against Ken Ratzloff.
View More

Steady improvement has Funny Car’s Chad Green excited for Topeka event

With each passing race, things seem to get better and better for Funny Car’s Chad Green, who made his first career final-round appearance at the most recent race in Sonoma.
09 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Chad Green
With each passing race, things seem to get better and better for Funny Car’s Chad Green, who made his first career final-round appearance at the most recent race in Sonoma.   Heading into this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by…
View More

Confident Grubnic expects Force team to turn the corner in the very near future

Defending Top Fuel champion Brittany Force hasn’t been to a final round this season and has a win-loss record hovering around the .500 mark, but her veteran tuner David Grubnic isn’t sweating it. He’s confident that the best is still to come.
09 Aug 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
David Grubnic
David Grubnic knows how it looks. His driver, defending NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champion Brittany Force, hasn’t been to a final round this season and has a win-loss record hovering around the .500 mark, but the veteran tuner…
View More

Thirty years later, Jim Epler’s drive to 300 remains among Heartland’s highlights

Thirty years ago at Heartland Motorsports Park, Jim Epler became the first Funny Car driver to exceed 300 mph. Epler, now the Executive Vice-President of Phillips Connect, looks back on his historic achievement.
09 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Jim Epler
Like so many others in the industry, Jim Epler will mourn the loss of another racing venue this week when Heartland Motorsports Park plays host to professional drag racing for the last time with the 33rd renewal of the Menard’s NHRA Nationals…
View More

Antron Brown looks to replicate last year's success at Heartland Motorsports Park

A year ago — and in his first season as a team owner — Heartland Motorsports Park was the place for a major moment for Top Fuel star Antron Brown. The three-time world champion hopes to continue that success at this year's event.
08 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Antron Brown
A year ago — and in his first season as a team owner — Heartland Motorsports Park was the place for a major moment for Top Fuel star Antron Brown. The three-time world champion won his first race as a team owner, setting the stage for Brown’s big…
View More

Joe Maynard, Tony Schumacher reflect on the year past and the season ahead

On the one-year anniversary of the forming of JCM Racing, team patriarch Joe Maynard and his primary driver, eight-time NHRA Top Fuel world champ Tony Schumacher, discuss the past year and what lies ahead for all three of the Maynard-affiliated teams.
08 Aug 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Joe Maynard, Tony Schumacher
A year ago, Joe and Cathi Maynard fulfilled a long dream of becoming NHRA team owners by assuming control of the team of eight-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion Tony Schumacher, going from sponsoring partner of the then Don Schumacher-led team to…
View More

Western Swing Pro Stock Motorcycle recap: Sweeps and swoons on two wheels

It’s Gaige Herrera’s world, and we’re all just living in it. The Pro Stock Motorcycle sophomore became the ninth racer to sweep the Western Swing, the first to do it on two wheels, and dominated action. Here's a look at how the top riders fared. Final in a three-part series.
07 Aug 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Gaige Herrera
The three-race Western Swing is the gateway to the home stretch of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season that sets the contenders for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs and a pivotal time for teams trying to…
View More

Western Swing Funny Car recap: Hits, misses, and movement in the middle

With a full-house win/runner-up/semifinal trio of finishes, J.R. Todd was the Funny Car star of the Western Swing, even if he did not gain a massive position improvement. Here's a look at how the top Funny Car players fared. Second in a multi-part series.
04 Aug 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
J.R. Todd
The three-race Western Swing is the gateway to the home stretch of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season that sets the contenders for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs and a pivotal time for teams trying to…
View More

Back-to-back wins extend historic streak for Justin Lamb on Western Swing

Five-time Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series champion Justin Lamb won in Seattle and Sonoma to claim the trophy on back-to-back weekends, lengthening a streak that has seen at least one national event win in each season since 2012.
03 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Justin Lamb
Few racers in NHRA competition have been able to string together win after win, year after year, but for five-time Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series champion Justin Lamb, it's a streak he's been able to keep alive for 12 years running. Lamb swept in…
View More

Western Swing Top Fuel recap: Who gained ground and who lost traction

With eight round-wins — including a victory in Seattle and semifinal finishes in Denver and Sonoma — Steve Torrence led the way in Top Fuel over the three-race Western Swing and cut strongly into Justin Ashley’s points lead. Here's a look at how the top players fared. First in a multi-part series.
03 Aug 2023
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Steve Torrence
The three-race Western Swing is the gateway to the home stretch of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season that sets the contenders for the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs and a pivotal time for teams trying to…
View More

Behind the Scenes with the winners of the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals

Go behind the scenes with the winners of the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals as they celebrate their victories with their teams and one another and accept congratulations from their vanquished final-round foes.
02 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Behind the Scenes
View More

Weekend Rewind: Relive the highlights of the 2023 Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals

The Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals was the third and final event in the historic NHRA Western Swing and provided thrills and upsets for the eager fans at Sonoma Raceway. Enjoy this video recap of the weekend.
01 Aug 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Weekend Rewind
View More

Spirited rivalries aside, Alex Laughlin would prefer to let his performance do the talking

Alex Laughlin’s feud with J.R. Todd has been the talk of the drag racing world the last two weeks, but what Laughlin really wants is more on-track success.
29 Jul 2023
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
Feature
Alex Laughlin
When he feels as though he’s been disrespected, Alex Laughlin isn’t afraid to return fire, which helps explain his ongoing rivalry with Kalitta Motorsports driver J.R. Todd. The battle between the two drivers has been chronicled extensively on both…
View More