NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

SEASON FINALE

THANK YOU RACERS AND FANS FOR AN AMAZING 2024 SEASON OF SUPPORT AND PASSION

 

 

 

 

Keeping NHRA Fans Up to Date

Follow our coverage through our newly designed news and videos sections. Don't forget to follow our social media posts.

Fifth Third Bank signs multi-year sponsorship agreement with Kalitta Motorsports

Kalitta Motorsports has partnered with Fifth Third Bank, National Association on a multi-year sponsorship agreement.
08 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Doug Kalitta
Kalitta Motorsports has partnered with Fifth Third Bank, National Association on a multi-year sponsorship agreement. The longtime financial partner with Kalitta Air and Kalitta Charters will join NGK Spark Plugs, Mobil 1 and Osborn as new sponsors…
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Matt Hagan loses then quickly regains No. 1 qualifying spot in Funny Car

Minutes after losing their Friday qualifying lead to world champ Robert Hight, Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables regained the top spot on the final pass of Winternationals Funny Car qualifying to enter Sunday as the No. 1 qualifiers.
08 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Race coverage
Matt Hagan
Minutes after losing their Friday qualifying lead to world champ Robert Hight, Matt Hagan and crew chief Dickie Venables regained the top spot on the final pass of Funny Car qualifying to enter Sunday as the No. 1 qualifiers. Hagan’s Friday Q1…
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Brittany Force blasts to a 3.65 for No. 1 spot in Winternationals Top Fuel qualifying

Brittany Force made a monster run -– literally -– on the final pass of Top Fuel qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, powering her David Grubnic-tuned Monster Energy dragster to a stout 3.657 to grab the No. 1 qualifying position.
08 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Race coverage
Brittany Force
Brittany Force made a monster run – literally – on the final pass of Top Fuel qualifying, powering her David Grubnic-tuned Monster Energy dragster to a stout 3.657 to grab the No. 1 qualifying position. Earlier in the day, both Force and Leah…
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Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals eliminations start moved to 10 a.m. Pacific

The start of Sunday racing at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific due to pending weather.
08 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Winternationals
Mello Yello racing at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtecttheHarvest.com will now begin at 10 a.m. Pacific on Sunday due to pending weather. Racing was originally scheduled for 11 a.m.  Sunday racing begins with Top Fuel…
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Jeg Coughlin Jr. earns 33rd pole at Winternationals to kick off final Pro Stock season

Jeg Coughlin Jr. earned all 12 bonus points at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals ProtectTheHarvest.com to start the 50th Pro Stock season off to a flying start.
08 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Race coverage
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. announced his retirement Saturday morning. On Saturday night, The Natural earned the 33rd No. 1 qualifier of his career…
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Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Saturday photo gallery

NHRA National Dragster photographers Jerry Foss and Marc Gewertz were all over Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to capture the action on and off the track at the 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
08 Feb 2020
NHRA National Dragster staff
Gallery
Pomona
Great Southern California weather has brought out NHRA fans in large numbers for the season opener in Pomona. NHRA's world-famous open pits allow…
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From Top Fuel to Funny Car and back again, it's been a whirlwind ride for Shawn Langdon

Shawn Langdon spent nine years learning how to drive a Top Fueler, two learning to drive a Funny Car, and now he's back in Top Fuel, and he's the No. 1 qualifier after Friday of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. The back-and-forth transitions have kept him on his toes.
08 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Shawn Langdon
Over nine seasons, from 2009 to 2017, Shawn Langdon spent 208 events and hundreds and hundreds of runs learning the finer points of driving a Top Fuel dragster, efforts that culminated in 14 national event victories and the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello…
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Jeg Coughlin Jr. to retire from Pro Stock racing following 2020 NHRA season

The JEGS.com Elite Motorsports racer will step away from Pro Stock racing following the conclusion of the Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing season.
08 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
News
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. will retire from Pro Stock racing at the end of the 2020 Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing season.  The five-time Pro Stock world champion raced to a second-place finish in the 2019 season. He snagged a Super Gas title in 1992 to…
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Marty Robertson battling through Pro Stock learning curve

The newest member of Elite Motorsports fighting to get into first Pro Stock field of 2020
08 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Feature
Marty Robertson
Marty Robertson is no stranger to driving race cars, but the newest member of Elite Motorsports knows the challenge facing him in Pro Stock this season. He made his professional debut in the category Friday in the Curing Kids Cancer Chevy Camaro and…
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50 years later, Winternationals-winning Stocker returns to scene of its glory

Fifty years after their breakthrough victory, Richard Charbonneau and his 1970 Winternationals Stock eliminator-winning E/Stock '67 Ford Fairlane station wagon are back at the racetrack in Pomona as part of the 60th Winternationals celebration.
08 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Feature
Richard Charbonneau
Fifty years after their breakthrough victory, Richard Charbonneau and his 1970 Winternationals Stock eliminator-winning E/Stock '67 Ford Fairlane station wagon are back at the racetrack in Pomona as part of the 60th Winternationals celebration.…
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Brandon Welch learns lesson after first 3-second Top Fuel run at Winternationals

The first-year Top Fuel racer crossed a significant personal milestone Friday. He's hoping for a smoother Saturday.
08 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Feature
Brandon Welch
  Brandon Welch earned his Top Fuel dragster license in Las Vegas a week ago and made his professional debut in the category Friday at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. It didn't go quite as planned.…
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NHRA announces Launch, a new career portal platform

The National Hot Rod Association, along with Pro Stock Motorcycle legend Terry Vance and the Vance Family Foundation, have announced the official start of NHRA Launch Motorsports Careers, NHRA’s motorsports career portal. 
08 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
NHRA Launch
The National Hot Rod Association, along with Pro Stock Motorcycle legend Terry Vance and the Vance Family Foundation, have announced the official start of NHRA Launch Motorsports Careers, NHRA’s motorsports career portal.  NHRA Launch…
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Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Saturday preview

The 60th anniversary of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals continues at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
08 Feb 2020
NHRA National Dragster staff
Race coverage
Winternationals
The 60th running of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com begins the 2020 Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing season. Get all the information you need, including television broadcast time, qualifying time and how to get an…
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Don Prudhomme and Tommy Ivo star in Night of Champions at Wally Parks NHRA Museum

Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and Tommy Ivo joined Jack Beckman on stage at a special Night of Champions at the Wally Parks NHRA Museum following a great day of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
07 Feb 2020
NHRA National Dragster staff
Feature
Tommy Ivo and Don Prudhomme
The road to becoming a drag racing champion is grueling, lonely, and doesn’t come out without sacrifices.  But it does make for some unforgettable stories.  For nearly 20 years the place to hear those stories, told by the people who…
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Past world champ Shawn Langdon grabs Winternationals No. 1 spot in return to Top Fuel

Shawn Langdon spent a lot of time in the No. 1 in his nine years of Top Fuel racing before switching to Funny Car, and the former champion wasted no time reclaiming the top spot at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
07 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Race coverage
Shawn Langdon
Shawn Langdon spent a lot of time in the No. 1 in his nine years of Top Fuel racing before switching to Funny Car for a two-year stint in 2018-19, but the former Top Fuel world champ wasted no time reclaiming the top spot, grabbing the provisional…
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Matt Hagan's Dodge charges to the No. 1 spot in Funny Car Friday at Winternationals

Matt Hagan grabbed the No. 1 spot on the opening day of the Funny Car season, powering his Mopar Charger to a 3.867 in the opening session of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, and a run that lasted throughout the day.
07 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Race coverage
Matt Hagan
Matt Hagan grabbed the No. 1 spot on the opening day of the Funny Car season, powering his Mopar Charger to a 3.867 in the opening session, and a run that lasted throughout the day and the cooler second qualifying session where a number of cars…
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Jeg Coughlin Jr. takes provisional Pro Stock pole at Winternationals

Elite Motorsports holds the top two spots after the first day of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
07 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Race coverage
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. began the 50th season of Pro Stock with a pair of incredible runs at the 60th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. He went 6.530 seconds at 210.73-mph in his JEGS.com Chevrolet Camaro to take pole position after the first day of Mello…
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Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals Friday photo gallery

NHRA National Dragster photographers Jerry Foss and Marc Gewertz were all over Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to capture the action on and off the track at the 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
07 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Gallery
Photo Gallery
Fans entering the track were greeted by a vintage Winternationals sign like the one that hung over the starting line for decades. The iconic Winternationals snowflake is also…
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Nostalgia Funny Car racer Dan Horan Jr. takes a high-speed ride into sand trap

Nostalgia Funny Car racer Dan Horan Jr. took a ride into the sandtrap at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona after his parachutes failed to deploy after a 5.653, 262.59-mph pass. He was not injured
07 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Dan Horan Jr.
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It's all about the music when nitro drivers 'tune up' for Friday Prime Time program

NHRA’s Friday night Prime Time qualifying program allows Top Fuel and Funny Car drivers to choose their introduction music and few were better at it last year than J.R. Todd. Here's a look back at last year's best music pickers and their choices.
07 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
J.R. Todd
When 2018 Mello Yello Funny Car world champ J.R. Todd rolls into Friday night qualifying at this year’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, the driver of the DHL Toyota won’t be defending his Mello Yello title, but he still has a crown to defend: the…
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WATCH: Nostalgia Pro Stock at Pomona; catch the entire race on NHRA.tv

Eight vintage Pro Stock machines are making exhibition runs at the 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. Enjoy the clip and sign up to watch the entire event live on NHRA.tv.
07 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Nostalgia Pro Stock
Eight vintage Pro Stock machines are making exhibition runs at the 60th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals. presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, making wheelstanding, gear-jamming passes down the famed quarter-mile at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.…
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Brandon Welch has fiery start to Top Fuel career in opening pass in Pomona

Brandon Welch, who is making his Top Fuel debut at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, made a solid 3.84 opening pass but punctuated it with an engine explosion in his BetterDiesel.com dragster.
07 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Brandon Welch
//hide image on specific article jQuery(document).ready(function ($) { }); Brandon Welch, who is making his Top Fuel debut at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, made a solid 3.84 opening pass but punctuated it with an engine explosion…
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Take a ride on the nose of Jack Beckman's Dodge Charger Funny Car

Jack Beckman made a great run to start his 2020 Mello Yello Drag Racing season -- you've got to see this video.
07 Feb 2020
NHRA National Dragster staff
Race coverage
Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman made his first pass of the 2020 Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing season in his Infinite Hero Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with a great result. He went 1,000 feet in 3.868 seconds at 326.95 mph, just .001-second behind Don Schumacher…
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Troy Coughlin Jr. chasing Pro Stock dream after Florida test session

He'll be ready if (or when) the opportunity arises to get back into a Pro Stock car
07 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Race coverage
Troy Coughlin Jr.
Troy Coughlin Jr. earned his Pro Stock license during preseason testing in Bradenton with Elite Motorsports in his uncle Jeg Coughlin Jr.'s Chevy Camaro. He…
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Behind the scenes at NHRA's annual Media Day: Photoshoots and fun for all

Prior to the start of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals each season, NHRA drivers take part in Media Day, posing for photos and video footage to be used throughout the season. Here’s a look at some fun moments from the photoshoots.
07 Feb 2020
NHRA National Dragster staff
Feature
Leah Pritchett
Prior to the start of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals each season, NHRA drivers take part in Media Day, posing for photos and video footage to be used throughout the season. NHRA on FOX, NHRA National Dragster magazine, NHRA social media, and…
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Erica Enders talks Allen Johnson, winning third championship with Joe Castello

Erica Enders and Doug Gordon joined Joe Castello on the Auto Club stage to kick off the 60th Lucas Oil Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
07 Feb 2020
Jacob Sundstrom, NHRA National Dragster Associate Editor
Race coverage
Erica Enders
The 60th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com continued Friday at the Auto Club stage as three-time Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders and Top Alcohol Funny Car racer Doug Gordon joined NHRA announcer Joe Castello to…
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Pre-season trailer fire has Ron Capps and the NAPA team starting from behind

Every team wants to start the season on fire, but for Ron Capps and the NAPA Auto Parts Funny Car team, a trailer fire prior to pre-season testing has them starting from behind in Pomona.
07 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Ron Capps
Ron Capps and the Rahn Tobler-led Don Schumacher Racing/NAPA Auto Parts Funny Car will start the 2020 season at a bit of a disadvantage after they were forced to skip pre-season testing after a trailer fire heavily damaged their equipment.…
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Memorable Winternationals Moments, Part 3: the 2000s and 2010s

We wrap up our three-part look at memorable moments from the 60 years of the NHRA Winternationals with the two most recent decades, the 2000s and the recently completed 2010s. Great legends of the past give way to new legends in the making as the Winternationals history roared on.
07 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
DRAGSTER Insider
Winternationals
We wrap up our three-part look at memorable moments from the 60years of the nHRA Winternationals with the two most recent decades, the 2000s and the recently completed 2010s. Great legends of the past give way to new legends in the making as the…
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Brandon Welch will make Top Fuel debut in Pomona with Better Diesel backing

Former Funny Car racer Brandon Welch will make his Top Fuel debut today at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals with sponsorship from Better Diesel FBC.
07 Feb 2020
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Brandon Welch
Brandon Welch will make his Top Fuel debut today at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals with sponsorship from Better Diesel FBC. Welch, who previously competed at the Winternationals in Funny Car, switch ed to Top Fuel with a team co-owned by Welch…
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Blast from the past: 30 years after last run, Mark Maxwell's Camaro is back on track

More than 30 years after it last went down the Pomona track at the 1989 World Finals, Mark Maxwell is finally back behind the wheel of his Camaro Stocker, which had been environmentally bagged for three decades.
07 Feb 2020
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Feature
Mark Maxwell
The last time that Mark Maxwell drove his ’67 Camaro Stocker down the quarter-mile in Pomona, way back at the 1989 World Finals, he was a 19-year-old with a mouthful of braces. More than 30 years later, the La Grange, Calif., racer, who…
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