POMONA, CA – Back in its traditional spot as the first race of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the start of the 2022 campaign at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, which takes place Feb. 18-20 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

It is the first of 22 races during the 2022 season and will take place at a historic track that’s been synonymous with the start of the NHRA year for more than six decades. With an abundance of new teams, top stars returning to action and a number of new cars in action, the anticipation is high heading into the season-opener. The event will also serve as the 900th race for the Pro Stock class, adding another historic piece of a race that will feature the incredible action of 11,000-horsepower nitro machines.

All the top stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock will look to start 2022 in winning fashion at a race that will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations action at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 20. Leah Pruett (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) were winners of the 2021 event, which took place in a summer a year ago but is now back in its traditional February spot to open the year.

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POMONA, CA – Racers attending the 62nd Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona will be able to enjoy a freshly ground, polished, and prepped racing surface at the first race of the 2022 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com takes place Feb. 17-20 in Pomona.

The track grinding and polishing was performed in early January by Kurt Johnson of Total Venue Concepts and figures to help racers achieve both improved performances and consistent side-by-side racing at the opening race of the 2022 campaign.

“The racing surface in Pomona has served us well for over 20 years but we felt it was time to grind and polish it as we prepare to kick off the 2022 season,” said Kasey Coler, NHRA Vice president, track management and operations. “We have worked with Kurt Johnson at Total Venue Concepts on a variety of track-related projects, and this should greatly enhance the experience for the racers and the fans.”

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SAN DIMAS, CA – The NHRA announced today a multi-year partnership with Simpson Performance Products, which will become the presenting sponsor of the NHRA Safety Safari for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

Known as NHRA’s first responders, the NHRA Safety Safari presented by Simpson, the first full-time team devoted to safety in North American motorsports, has been a staple at events for more than 60 years, performing some of the toughest and most important jobs at each NHRA national event. They are quick to respond to any on-track emergency and also help provide a competition-ready track at every stop on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series circuit.

Simpson Performance Products are also a trusted name when it comes to safety in motorsports. For more than six decades, Simpson has provided helmets, head and neck restraints, harnesses, racing suits, gloves, shoes and more to provide an impressive level of protection to racers.

“We are proud to be supporting the members of the NHRA Safety Safari,” said Holley Performance Products Vice President of Business Development Jason Bruce. “Simpson has been keeping racers safe for decades and we want to make sure this message extends to the NHRA first responders as well. Members of the Safety Safari are the first ones to jump in and help a racer. These men and women will be fully protected with Simpson equipment so that everyone can continue to race safely.”

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PHOENIX, AZ – Since the initial announcement of nearly 30 nitro and Pro Stock teams participating in the PRO Nitro Spring Training several additional teams have joined the list of Top Fuel dragsters, Funny Cars and Pro Stock competitors who will be at Wild Horse Motorsports Park during the PRO pre-season test session slated for February 10-12. The testing sessions hosted by the Professional Racing Organization will be closed to the public except for Saturday, February 12, when fans who have purchased tickets to the NHRA Arizona Nationals will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for the on-track testing action. Fans may add on test session tickets to their Arizona Nationals ticket order online or they may call the NHRA Ticket Sales Center at 800-884-6472 if Nationals tickets have been previously purchased.

Newly added teams include Funny Car drivers Alexis DeJoria, Chad Green, Alex Miladinovich and Gary Densham along with Top Fuel pilots 4-time Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence, Josh Hart, Clay Millican, Buddy Hull and Tripp Tatum. Reigning Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson will be onsite joined by Matt Hartford and Kyle Koretsky. The new total of participants is over 30 of the top drivers in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, including nearly a dozen current or former world champions, will be testing many with brand new race cars and new sponsors.

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SAN DIMAS, CA – NHRA officials announced today DENSO as the title rights sponsor of the 2022 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 22-24.

The DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, the second stop of the annual NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Western Swing, is a highlight for racers and fans alike. Seeded in the heart of wine country, Sonoma Raceway is one of the most scenic facilities on the NHRA circuit.

As a long partner of NHRA and several race teams, including five-time and reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Matt Smith as well as his wife and teammate Angie Smith, DENSO has been amongst the NHRA family of partners since 2016.

“DENSO is proud to continue our partnership with NHRA as the primary sponsor of the 2022 Sonoma Nationals,” said Fran Labun, vice president of DENSO’s Aftermarket Sales Group. “Sonoma Raceway is a legendary motorsports venue — what could be better than a weekend of competition with the fans and our customers in beautiful wine country!”

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SAN DIMAS, CA – Cape Breton Dragway, seeded in Sydney, Nova Scotia, joins NHRA’s extensive roster of member tracks.  A group of Canadian drag racing enthusiasts formed the Cape Breton Drag Racing Association and began the search for a location to host drag racing events in the region. They found the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport and later the Cape Breton Dragway was born.

Gary Pozzebon, Gerard Bryden and Tom Aucoin oversee the Cape Breton Drag Racing Association and the events at the racetrack. The team hosts events featuring competition in Super Pro, Street and Jr. Dragster racing.

“Our goal is to keep drag racing safely within the walls of a controlled environment and our partnership as an NHRA Member Track will provide us the guidance and support,” said Pozzebon, Cape Breton Drag Racing Association President.

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San Dimas, CA – The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) today released the category schedule for all classes of racing at NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events in 2022.

The 2022 season opens on Feb. 17-20 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. Both Top Fuel and Funny Car will race at all 22 events at standout facilities across the country during the 2022 season, with fans able to experience the thrills and incredible action of the 11,000-horsepower nitro categories.

The highly-competitive Pro Stock category will have 18 races during the 2022 season, including the first five events of the year. Pro Stock will race in Epping at New England Dragway for a second straight year and will follow that with its first appearance at Bristol Dragway since 2018 for the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 17-19. The class will also race at all three stops on NHRA’s famed Western Swing that takes place in July and includes races in Denver, Sonoma and Seattle. Pacific Raceways will be hosting its first NHRA event since 2019 when the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals take place on July 29-31. Pro Stock will close its 2022 campaign by appearing at the final five races of the year.

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POMONA, CA — On the strength of three wins and five final round appearances in a fantastic debut season, Pro Stock’s Dallas Glenn was named the 2021 NHRA Rookie of the Year on Sunday, edging out a talented list of first-year competitors in the NHRA Camping World Racing Series.

The award recognizes the top rookie competitor in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series. The nation’s leading auto racing journalists select the winner through a voting system based on the following criteria: number of events competed in, performance on and off the racetrack, participation in NHRA promotions, and relationships with fans, sponsors, and media.

Glenn was named the top rookie at Sunday’s NHRA banquet at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, culminating a dream season for the rising star that also saw him finish third in points.

Glenn was named the top rookie in a loaded class that also featured Top Fuel standout Josh Hart, who picked up two wins during his stellar rookie campaign, Top Fuel’s Krista Baldwin, Artie Allen, Joe Morrison and Buddy Hull, Funny Car drivers Bobby Bode and Chad Green, and Pro Stock drivers Mike Callahan, Rob Tucker and Marty Robertson.

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POMONA, CA – Steve Torrence, Greg Anderson and Matt Smith all wrapped up their championship seasons in impressive fashion, racing to a world title and the event victory on Sunday at the season finale, the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

All four points leaders entering the race also claimed world titles, as Torrence clinched his fourth straight world title in Top Fuel, Anderson and Smith each won their fifth championship in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, respectively, and Ron Capps picked up his second career world title in Funny Car.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) also picked up a win at the final race of the Countdown to the Championship and the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Torrence continued his incredible reign of dominance and secured the world title for a fourth consecutive year with a win in the first round in his 11,000-horsepower Capco Contractors dragster. He wasn’t done there, either, and powered to the victory, going 3.759-seconds at 317.12 in the final round against Antron Brown. It capped off another dominant season, as he picked up his 11th victory of the season and 51st in his career.

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POMONA, CA – Looking to end his season on a good note, Robert Hight powered to the top in Funny Car on Saturday, qualifying No. 1 at the final race of the season, the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the final race of the Countdown to the Championship and the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. World championships will be decided in all four classes on Sunday.

Hight was already the provisional No. 1 qualifier in his 11,000-horsepower Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS, but improved on his top run to close out qualifying on Saturday, going an impressive 3.886-seconds at 329.34 mph. It gives Hight his third top spot this season and 71st in his career, setting up a first-round matchup with Jim Campbell in eliminations. Hight may not be in the title picture this year, but he’s still determined to finish strong to close 2021.

“This is probably the best car I’ve had all year going into raceday,” Hight said. “It’s pretty exciting. It’s a little too late as we wanted to be fighting for a championship, but we’re going to try to win this race and come back strong next year.”

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