CONCORD, NC – Reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan enjoyed a memorable weekend at zMAX Dragway earlier this year, picking up his 50th career Funny Car victory during the 4-Wide race in April.

Heading back to Charlotte for this weekend’s 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at the Bellagio of Dragstrips, Hagan could use another big weekend at the state-of-the-art facility.

Currently fifth in points in the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Hagan suffered an early first-round exit to kick off the postseason. While it doesn’t necessarily make this weekend a must-win race for Hagan and his Tony Stewart Racing team, a victory at a track that has served the four-time world champ well over the years would go a long way in trying to pick up back-to-back world titles.

Austin Prock has taken a commanding lead in the Funny Car class, with his six victories pacing the class, but Hagan, who is 137 points out of first, knows he has a seasoned group that can win in crunch time in their 11,000-horsepower Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Dodge//SRT Hellcat. Continue reading →

POMONA, CA – With one race complete in the 2024 NHRA Countdown to the Champions playoffs, drivers are one step closer to the incredible championship setting at the 59th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at famed In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip on Nov. 14-17.

The In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals marks the final event of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and will see champions crowned on drag racing’s biggest stage.

Will a new driver claim the title for the first time, or will a seasoned veteran take home another NHRA championship? One thing is for certain: It all comes down to Pomona.

Intensity will be at a fever pitch with a can’t-miss atmosphere leading up to the joys of championship glory at one of the most historic venues on the NHRA tour. Action at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will include a pair of qualifying runs on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations, where history will be made and champions will be crowned. Fans will get unparalleled access to the action as it all goes down to close out an incredible 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Continue reading →

CONCORD, NC – This season marks the fourth year in the Countdown to the Championship for 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year Justin Ashley and the third time he’s led at some point during the playoffs in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

He’s the points leader heading into this weekend’s 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway, the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship. But it’s hardly a huge advantage, as Ashley leads by just a single point over Reading winner Antron Brown and only six points over Reading runner-up Shawn Langdon.

Ashley, though, continues to be in the championship conversation in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster, a sign of the progress Ashley and his team continue to make. He qualified No. 1 and advanced to the semifinals in Reading and the lessons learned in previous years may mean Ashley is as ready as ever to find success this weekend in Charlotte for the first time and perhaps, ultimately, win his first NHRA Top Fuel world championship. Continue reading →

READING, PA – In an all-John Force Racing final round in Funny Car, points leader Austin Prock powered past Jack Beckman on Sunday at Maple Grove Raceway, picking up his sixth victory of the season at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock, who also qualified No. 1 for the 11th time in 15 races, went 3.896-seconds at 332.51 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to get past Beckman’s 3.951 at 330.88. It extends the points lead for Prock, who won his second straight race and also earned his 10th career victory.

He defeated Mike Smith, Chad Green and Bob Tasca III to reach the finals, and then delivered another consistent run in the final round, becoming one of only a handful of drivers to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car and Maple Grove Raceway. Prock’s lead now stands at 86 points over Tasca heading into the final five races. Continue reading →

READING, PA – Top Fuel’s Justin Ashley clinched his first No. 1 qualifier of the season on Saturday at Maple Grove Raceway, taking the top spot in front of a sellout crowd at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Ashley’s run of 3.713-seconds at 333.49 mph from Friday in his 11,000-horsepower Scag Power Equipment/Toyota dragster stayed atop the field, giving the former NHRA Rookie of the Year his sixth career No. 1 qualifier and second straight at Maple Grove Raceway. Currently second in points, Ashley also made the quickest run to close out qualifying on Saturday and will open eliminations against Smax Smith, looking for his first career win at his home track.

“For the most part, today’s focus was going to be on getting ready for race day and collecting those bonus points. What we saw today was probably similar conditions to what we’ll see tomorrow,” Ashley said. “I think the team learned a lot, they did a great job to be able to collect a total of five bonus points today was critical for us. Tomorrow is a brand new day. It’s really important to qualify No. 1, but at the same time the competition is just so good right now, anything can happen. Continue reading →

READING, PA – For the third straight season, NHRA and officials at Maple Grove Raceway announced a sellout crowd for Saturday’s qualifying action at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

The historic facility featured an overflow crowd during two rounds of qualifying, as the passionate fanbase in the area continued to pack the historic facility to open the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

It also marks another sellout crowd for the Koretsky family, who purchased Maple Grove Raceway in 2022 and continue to make improvements to a facility that has hosted NHRA drag racing for nearly four decades. Saturday sellout crowd resulted in another special moment for the family at the “House of Chaos.”

“That just shows how dedicated these fans are out here,” Kyle Koretsky said. “They support drag racing and us as a family, the teams and the track. We want to give them the best experience possible and we can’t thank you guys enough. We love each and every one of you.” Continue reading →

READING, PA – Funny Car points leader Austin Prock made the fastest run in his career on Friday at Maple Grove Raceway, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot for John Force Racing at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals.

Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the 15th of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. It is also the first of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Prock, who has been the No. 1 qualifier 10 times in the first 14 races this season, went 3.849-seconds at 338.43 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS, posting a career-best speed and just missing out on the track record. Prock opens the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in the points lead, looking for his sixth win of the season. He comes in on a good note after winning the U.S. Nationals in Indy and put on a spectacular show on Friday at Maple Grove Raceway. Continue reading →

Annual race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs

LAS VEGAS – NHRA officials announced today that Ford Performance has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series fall race in Las Vegas.

The 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals, which takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, serves as the penultimate event of the 20-race 2024 season and also the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, meaning plenty will be on the line in Las Vegas.

For nearly 25 years, the fall race in Las Vegas has provided spectacular action and an incredible atmosphere as the championship picture comes into view. Fans can expect more of the same at the impressive facility in 2024 as all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will head to the Ford Performance NHRA Nationals with big goals and big performances on their minds. Continue reading →

READING, PA – In only his third season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Gaige Herrera is just one win away from winning at all the tracks on the Pro Stock Motorcycle circuit. If he would win this weekend at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway to open the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, he would have race wins at all Pro Stock Motorcycle facilities.

Herrera, the reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion and rider of the RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, has won seven of the nine motorcycle races this season, including most recently at the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.

He currently leads the points heading into the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs and is on a hunt for his second consecutive world title.

“Going up to Reading, that’s the one place I haven’t won yet, so I’m really determined to try to win this weekend,” said Herrera. “We just have to not take anything for granted. Last year, we obviously had the faster motorcycle out there and I think we relaxed a little bit maybe and it bit us in Reading. This year we’re going to go in focused on the main prize and that’s to be consistent each lap and do the best we can to have the best machine possible.” Continue reading →