NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The drag racing world lost another legend with the passing last week of Dode Martin, who ran one of the sport's first dragsters. He is remembered in this week's Dragster Insider, where we also mourn the passing of Gary "Mr. C" Cochran and Steve Hodkinson.

For more than five decades, NHRA National Dragster's famed Tricky Tipster has tested his prognosticating skills prior to each national event. This week, Tricky Tipster handicaps the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.

The surreal feeling of winning the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion will be apparent when Butner returns to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona to kick off the 2018 NHRA season at this weekend’s Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.

On the eve of the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals and the launch of the 2018 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, both USA Today and the Los Angeles Times included features on NHRA. USA Today focused on new Funny Car driver Shawn Langdon while the Times profiled the Force family and women in the NHRA. 

A/Fuel Dragster driver Krista Baldwin will begin her season collaborating with Wix Filters, Bumper to Bumper and Hanson Distributing at her home track during the Lucas Oil Winternationals.

Denso Products and Services Americas, Inc., will serve as the primary sponsor for Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Angie Smith in the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Denso also will serve as an associate sponsor of Matt Smith, Angie’s teammate and husband.

Jim Dunn Racing and Mooneyes will be bringing out a new version of the white and black Moon Equipped Funny Car during the NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals

The Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, remains special for reigning Funny Car world champ Robert Hight, whose first event and both a fan and a racer came in Pomona.

A half-century ago, Al Joniec made history when he debuted the Ford Cobra Jet Mustang with a win in Pomona. That feat was repeated in 2009 by John Calvert in the new Cobra Jet.

Brittany Force is set to return to Auto Club Raceway at Pomona just three months after winning her first Top Fuel world championship, and the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series star could not be more excited.

Beal Racing will return to NHRA Funny Car competition at the upcoming NHRA Lucas Oil Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com to honor the team’s late founder, Chuck Beal. 

During a hectic and short offseason, Del Worsham concentrated on updating his parts, servicing his car, and mentally preparing to attack the 2018 Mello Yello campaign with aggressive confidence, while also positioning C2C Industries as his primary partner for the Pomona race.

Ashley Sanford joined NHRA reporter Lewis Bloom via Skype in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio delivered by Papa John’s to talk about her goals of racing Top Fuel in 2018 and beyond. 

In addition to her fulltime role as a Top Fuel driver for Don Schumacher Racing, NHRA Mello Yello star Leah Pritchett will also race a Dodge Challenger Drag Pak in all seven School of Automotive Machinists & Technology NHRA Factory Stock Showdown events in 2018.

Leah Pritchett unofficially ran the fastest Top Fuel pass on Saturday at NHRA Nitro Spring Training at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Matt Hagan and Erica Enders also posted best-in-class runs as teams prepared for the 2018 NHRA Drag Racing season.

Leah Pritchett (3.664), Matt Hagan (3.841), and Erica Enders (6.570) had the best runs on the final day of pre-season testing at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Courtney Force, Doug Kalitta, and Erica Enders ran the best times of the day in their respective classes on the third day of NHRA Nitro Spring Training.

The third day of testing is under way, with teams continuing to learn ahead of the 2018 NHRA Drag Racing season. Stay tuned to our notebook for notes, quotes, and up-to-the-minute updates on Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock runs from Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.

Tuesday's announcement about NHRA’s exciting national event return to Virginia this June got us thinking about the region and all of the great racers that have come from “the Old Dominion” over the years.

NHRA National Dragster’s third issue of 2018, featuring our annual season preview, is online now for NHRA members, and it’s in the mail to homes and shops around the world.

Throughout 2018, NHRA All Access subscribers again will get bonus content with the airing of vintage NHRA national events as part of our Flashback Friday series. This week: the 1997 Winternationals.

The second day of NHRA Nitro Spring Training finished with Antron Brown, Matt Hagan, and Erica Enders on top in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock as teams sought valuable data ahead of the 2018 NHRA Drag Racing season.

Mothers will extend their official sponsorship agreement with NHRA as the official car care products of NHRA. Mothers is an industry leader due to their quality-crafted formulas of premium polishes, waxes, cleaners and finish care products. 

NHRA on FOX play-by-play announcer Dave Rieff joined Amanda Busick and Lewis Bloom via Skype in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio presented by Papa John’s to preview the season, which unofficially begins Thursday with testing in Phoenix before heading to the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona.

Tickets for the tradition-rich NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway are on sale now for the event taking place May 4-6 in Commerce, Ga. as part of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. 

Virginia Motorsports Park owner Tommy Franklin joined NHRA’s Lewis Bloom and Amanda Busick via Skype in the Wally Parks NHRA Studio presented by Papa John’s to talk about the NHRA Virginia Nationals, coming to his track in June.