INDIANAPOLIS – After an explosive regular season, the NHRA Countdown to the Championship begins this weekend at the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish at Maple Grove Raceway.

The six-race playoffs are loaded with storylines and it starts here – Will regular season champions Tony Stewart (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) finish as world champions?

Plenty will transpire over the next six races, as the Countdown to the Championship heats up in a hurry with three straight events in Reading, Charlotte and St. Louis, including the first four-wide race in the playoffs. There’s the main event to Texas Motorplex’s Stampede of Speed, the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, and a trip to Las Vegas to end October before the season wraps at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 13-16 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Continue reading →

The Big Go attracts millions of viewers on television and social media, big crowds and big payouts, and record-breaking performances

INDIANAPOLIS – An impressive audience tuned in on FOX for the world’s biggest drag race, as Monday’s live broadcast of the prestigious 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park drew 1.036 million viewers.

It marks the most-viewed live U.S. Nationals telecast in NHRA history and is the most-watched non-NFL adjacent NHRA telecast on FOX since 2017. Monday’s telecast was also the most-viewed U.S. Nationals finals broadcast (live or tape delayed) since 2002.

As part of Monday’s live action on FOX, fans watched a spectacular day of eliminations on the sport’s grandest stage, as Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera all claimed victories at The Big Go.

“It was exciting to showcase a live three-hour broadcast on FOX that included multiple active sets, all conveying the true size and scope of the world’s biggest drag race,” NHRA Vice President of Broadcast Steve Reintjes said. “Our amazing team executed with great precision when the lights came on and it was a fantastic weekend to celebrate all the incredible performances and amazing teams racing for the ultimate drag racing glory in Indy.” Continue reading →

READING, PA – The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship kicks off in a major way, celebrating four decades of excitement at Maple Grove Raceway with the 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish.

Showcasing an incredible atmosphere and a passionate fanbase that packs the popular venue, Maple Grove Raceway marks an ideal facility to kick off the NHRA’s six-race playoffs. The 40th annual NHRA Reading Nationals presented by Nitro Fish is the 15th of 20 races during the 2025 season and the weekend is packed with excitement, including the can’t-miss action of the 12,000-horsepower, 340-mph Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars.

The annual event in Reading comes at a pivotal point, too, as a win at Maple Grove Raceway can pave the way for championship success. The weekend starts with two qualifying sessions on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday. With a standout surface and typical ideal conditions, records could also fall by the wayside at the historic event. Continue reading →

Ashley holds off Stewart with TF holeshot win, Prock finishes off flawless FC victory, Enders earns 50th national event win, Herrera repeats at Indy, wins PSM regular-season crown

INDIANAPOLIS – Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley won the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals for the first time in his career, defeating racing legend Tony Stewart on a holeshot in the final round on Monday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 14th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Ashley went 3.839-seconds at 326.16 mph in his 12,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment dragster to hold off Stewart, who went 3.815 at 321.88, as his .027 reaction time made the difference in a thrilling side-by-side finale on drag racing’s grandest stage.

It is the third victory of the year for Ashley, who now has 18 career wins. He defeated Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta and Tripp Tatum to reach the final round and the young phenom was incredible on the starting line during eliminations, posting reaction times of .036, .035, .034 leading into the championship round.

Ashley dialed it up even more against Stewart and he needed every bit of it to hold off the points leader and win The Big Go for the first time. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – Two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force made the fastest run in Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park history on Friday, taking the provisional No. 1 position at the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 14th of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.666-seconds at a track-record 339.79 mph in her 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools dragster, putting Force on pace for her fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 56th in her career.

It was another track record in a spectacular record-setting year for Force, but what she’s really after is her first U.S. Nationals victory.

“This is what our team’s been chasing all season long, building everything up,” Force said. “All our hard work has come to this point at Indy this weekend, when the points reset, and now it’s game on for this Countdown. So, it was an exciting way to do that. Put a 3.66 on the board. It was a killer run for David Grubnic and all these guys and in Cornwell colors. Continue reading →

Milestone year and celebration will include 20-race schedule in NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series featuring national events at two new facilities

INDIANAPOLIS – With the addition of two new tracks to the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule for its 75th anniversary celebration, NHRA is thrilled to announce its 2026 schedule for the highly-anticipated milestone season.

Set to celebrate 75 years of incredible racing and spectacular moments, the 2026 season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature 20 races at standout facilities across the country, including two facilities making a first-time appearance on NHRA’s national event schedule.

NHRA will debut at South Georgia Motorsports Park just outside of Valdosta, Ga., on May 1-3 at the sixth event of the season, as the NHRA Southern Nationals makes its return to Georgia. That same month, Maryland International Raceway, just outside of Washington, D.C., will host the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series for the first time in its long history, as the NHRA brings its 12,000-horsepower, 340-mph nitro machines May 29-31. Continue reading →

INDIANAPOLIS – After an impressive first 13 races of the year, Austin Prock has the chance to put an incredible bow on a dominant regular season at this weekend’s Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The defending world champion in Funny Car and the defending event winner at the world’s biggest drag race has been spectacular throughout the season, winning six races and racking up a massive points lead in his 12,000-horsepower Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS.

Heading into the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Prock can do something historic at The Big Go, starting with clinching the regular season – and the $150,000 prize – during qualifying. There’s also the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday, the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday – where Prock is the No. 1 seed – and a chance to go back-to-back at Indy on Monday.

It’s a lot, but Prock is focused on all of it on drag racing’s grandest stage. Continue reading →