BRISTOL, TN – On a new date and with a full lineup that includes all four NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series professional classes and four qualifying sessions, the NHRA roars into Bristol Dragway for the 22nd annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 9-11.

It is the eighth of 21 events during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, as all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle are set to put on a memorable show at the fan-favorite facility.

The action-packed weekend includes two qualifying sessions on Friday, including a must-see night session, two more sessions on Saturday and final eliminations on Sunday. Plus, for the first time at Bristol Dragway, fans can enjoy the new Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday.

Offering bonus money and bonus points, the challenge will feature the rematch of the semifinalists from the previous race, with the winners meeting up in the finals. It will make for a thrilling Saturday, leading right into eliminations on Sunday as drivers look to capture a Wally in Thunder Valley.

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JOLIET, IL – Top Fuel veteran Clay Millican powered to his first win in five years, claiming the victory over Josh Hart on Sunday in the final round of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car) Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. It was also NHRA’s first race at Chicago’s Route 66 Raceway since 2019.

Millican delivered a run of 3.801-seconds at 328.94 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Parts Plus/Rick Ware Racing dragster to slip past Hart’s 3.808 at 324.28, handing the driver his first victory since 2018, which also took place in Chicago, and Rick Ware Racing its first NHRA win. It’s the fourth career win for Millican, who entered the weekend without a round win in 2023 but knocked off Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and defending world champ Brittany Force to reach the final round.

Chicago and Route 66 Raceway continued to be a special place for Millican as he enjoyed every moment of his memorable victory on Sunday.

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JOLIET, IL – Camrie Caruso drove to the win at the first NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout, claiming the victory over Aaron Stanfield on Saturday as part of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won the bonus event in Chicago. Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Caruso, who was seeded eighth in the eight-car field specialty race, went 6.524-seconds at 211.03 mph in her Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro in the final round to slip past Stanfield’s 6.525. The 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year claimed her first career Pro Stock win earlier this year, following with an impressive performance in her first appearance at Route 66 Raceway, which is hosting its first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race since 2019.

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JOLIET, IL – On a day filled with tracks records, Robert Hight set two in Funny Car, powering to the provisional No. 1 position on Friday as the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returned to Route 66 Raceway for the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Bo Butner (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the sixth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

The opening round is also set for the first NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout after the drivers made their selections on Friday. Points leader Dallas Glenn, who is seeded first, got the opening pick and selected five-time world champion Erica Enders. Matt Hartford followed by picking Troy Coughlin Jr. and Kyle Koretsky tabbed Aaron Stanfield as his first-round opponent. That set Cristian Cuadra and Camrie Caruso as the final first-round pairing, as four KB Titan Racing cars will take on four Elite Motorsports cars to kick off the callout.

Debuting a new look on his car, Hight made the quickest Funny Car run in 2023, going 3.831-seconds at 335.07 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS and shattering the previous track record he set in 2017. If it holds, it would be his first No. 1 qualifier this season and 78th in his career at the NHRA’s first race in Chicago since 2019. Coming off a victory at the most recent event in Charlotte, Hight turned in an incredible performance on Friday.

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JOLIET, IL – When it comes to the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, the Pro Stock Motorcycle category gets to join the fun for the first time as part of this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.

The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge brings competitive racing to the qualifying schedule at regular-season events during the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series campaign, pitting semifinalists from the previous race against each other in a pair of rematches, with the two winners then matching up in the final qualifying session.

This weekend’s return to Chicago will be the first chance for Pro Stock Motorcycle to take part in the specialty race, with four semifinalists from the season-opener in Gainesville racing on Saturday for a bonus purse and bonus points in the Countdown to the Championship.

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JOLIET, IL – The eight spots in the NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout are in place, but the real fun is only just beginning in the first callout specialty race for the class. It will grab a marquee spotlight on Saturday May 20 as part of the NHRA’s return to Chicago at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway.

It’s the NHRA’s first race in Chicago in four years and the eight drivers in the NHRA Pro Stock All-Star Callout are determined to steal the show. Dallas Glenn is the top seed and gets the first pick in the specialty race, and the drivers seeded second through eighth are Matt Hartford, Kyle Koretsky, Aaron Stanfield, Troy Coughlin Jr., Cristian Cuadra, reigning and five-time world champ Erica Enders and Camrie Caruso.

It’s a loaded lineup in the unique specialty event, which starts with the actual callout on Friday at 3 p.m. CT. Glenn will make the first selection, getting his choice of seven other drivers. If Hartford isn’t called out, he gets the next selection, followed by Koretsky until all first-round matchups are set.

With four drivers from KB Titan Racing and four from Elite Motorsports, it ups the ante even more and Glenn is thrilled with the spotlight the class will receive.

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JOLIET, IL – Robert Hight owns the track record in Funny Car at Route 66 Raceway, as well as back-to-back final round appearances at the two most recent NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series races at the Chicago track in 2018 and 2019.

Those are strong reasons why Hight is thrilled for NHRA’s return to Route 66 Raceway for the first time since 2019 at this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance. But another major reason is how Hight and his team bounced back after adversity at the most recent event in Charlotte.

Hight suffered back-to-back first round losses – a huge anomaly considering he didn’t lose in the first round in all of 2022 – and the team made wholesale changes heading into Charlotte. It led to a dominant weekend at the four-wide race, giving Hight, who is third in points, plenty of momentum going into the weekend in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS.

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JOLIET, IL – The last time Steve Torrence was at Route 66 Raceway, he was in the middle of one of the most impressive stretches in his Top Fuel career, which is saying something considering the tremendous success he’s enjoyed as a four-time Top Fuel champion.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to Chicago for the first time since 2019 for this weekend’s Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway, and Torrence is the most recent winner in the 11,000-horsepower nitro category.

He rolled through Chicago four years ago, extended a win streak that hit five straight victories and wins in an incredible eight of nine-race span. It helped cement his second straight world title at the time and gave him plenty of good memories at the fan-favorite facility. Back after four years, Torrence, who is the current points leader but looking for his first win in 2023 in his Capco Contractors dragster, is ready to pick up right where he left off.

“Lots of good memories from Chicago,” Torrence said. “I know things change but Hoagie and Bobby (crew chiefs Richard Hogan and Bobby Lagana Jr.) should have some good data to work with and I think we’re all glad to be back.”

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EPPING, NH – As the summer heats up, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series continues its 2023 season tour and returns to New England Dragway for the 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals on June 3-5.

The NHRA New England Nationals marks the sixth event of the 2023 season. The fan-favorite event promises to continue its tradition of incredible racing action in the New England area. Fans who have packed the facility with sellout crowds year after year will again be treated to thrilling racing from the 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Fuel and Funny Car classes, as well as the debut of the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports.

The weekend will also include the new Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, an exciting new special program that debuts this season. Offering bonus money and bonus points, the challenge will feature the rematch of the semifinalists from Chicago, with the winners meeting up in the finals. It will make for a thrilling Saturday, leading right into the must-see action of Sunday eliminations at the historic venue.

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JOLIET, IL – From callouts to specialty races to exhibition races to 330-mph nitro action, the NHRA’s return to Chicago is loaded with excitement and something for every racing fan. With three full days of action, the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance on May 19-21 also ensures the NHRA’s first visit to Route 66 Raceway since 2019 will be a big one.

Along with the starts of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle racing for the coveted Wally trophy at the early-season event, the race Pro Stock All-Star Callout, as well as the #2Fast2Tasty Mission NHRA Challenge in both nitro classes and Pro Stock Motorcycle offer something memorable on Saturday.

Plus, the NHRA will host a special “Drag and Drive” eight-car exhibition as part of the race, featuring standout names like Alex Taylor, Tom Bailey, Steve Morris, Bryant Goldstone, Clark Rosenstengel, Clint Sodowsky, Rick Trunkett and Bob Hess Jr. These must-see street cars run in the 6-second range and quicker at more than 200 mph, offering something else unique and thrilling for Chicago race fans.

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