- TSR Heads to Maple Grove for Round 1 of the Countdown
- DRAG RACE BRACKET BONANZA READY TO GIVE FANS WHAT THEY WANT AGAIN IN 2024 COUNTDOWN
- COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP LOADED WITH STORYLINES AS NHRA PLAYOFFS SET TO BEGIN
- JOE MORRISON ON A MISSION TO IMPROVE LUNG HEALTH AND AWARENESS IN RETURN TO MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
- CORDOVA DRAGWAY SECURES OVERALL TEAM VICTORY AT WDRA SUMMIT MIDWEST BRACKET FINALS
- Jayden Lawler Crowned Silver State HVAC $50,000 Saturday Champion at the Summer Fling
- 4 Questions with Bill Bader about the NHRA North Central Division 3 Summit Racing Series Team Finals in Norwalk
SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT EXTENDS WDRA’S SPORTSMAN RACING PROGRAMS THROUGH 2026
Norwalk, OH – To kick-off the 2024 WDRA Summit Bracket Finals series that starts this weekend in the United States and Canada, the 
World Drag Racing Alliance announced today that Summit Racing Equipment has extended its commitment to the WDRA and its sportsman racing programs through the 2026 season. The Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series (SSDRS) will again be the WDRA’s centerpiece of bracket racing programming at WDRA member tracks. The 2024 edition of the WDRA Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series World Championships will be hosted by Montgomery International Dragway in October.
“Sportsman racers along with the facilities and entities that support them will always remain a keystone of the Summit Racing Equipment family,” said Motorsports and Events Manager Jim Greenleaf. “The opportunity to continue our work with the WDRA, the facility owners and operators, and every racer in the program is a point of pride for us.”
The Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series presented by Suncoast Performance has followed the growth trajectory of WDRA as an organization. As the number of WDRA sanctioned tracks grew by 25% in 2024, the participation levels of the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series followed suit with a 22% increase. The upcoming Summit Bracket Finals Series is expected to see a 45% jump in car counts in 2024 thanks to so many new sanctioned tracks and the expansion of the series into Western Canada. Continue reading
BUDDY HULL PUMPED FOR FIRST COUNTDOWN APPEARANCE
LONG BEACH, CA – For the first time in his professional career Buddy Hull will be participating in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing 
Series Countdown to the Championship. As a first year Funny Car driver for legendary team Jim Dunn Racing, Hull does not take this opportunity lightly. The team has participated in every NHRA national event and last weekend raced to the quarterfinals at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.
“This team has come a long way in 2024 and last weekend at the U.S. Nationals I think we had a breakthrough,” said Hull, who raced part-time in Top Fuel for the previous three seasons. “Jim and Jon Dunn have been working on our tune-up and a lot changed this season. I am a big guy, and I am learning so those things take time, but we are heading into the Countdown with some momentum and great positive energy.
Jim Dunn Racing and Buddy Hull will start the six-race playoff from the No. 12 spot driving the Lescure Funny Car. With the resetting of the Mission Foods point standings Hull is only 145 points out of first place. The team will continue to focus on quality runs in qualifying and then making the most of their race day opportunities. Continue reading
NHRA STANDOUTS SET SIGHTS ON CHAMPIONSHIPS AT NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS IN CHARLOTTE
CONCORD, NC – As the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads into its Countdown to the Championship playoffs, drivers and 
teams will be laser-focused on an NHRA world championship when it comes to the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, which takes place on Sept. 20-22 at the Bellagio of dragstrips, zMAX Dragway.
The NHRA Carolina Nationals marks the second event of the six-race NHRA playoffs and the race will see competitors in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series taking to the track with championship dreams on their minds.
The intense, action-packed weekend will be filled with 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph excitement. The event features two qualifying runs on Friday, including a can’t-miss night session, two qualifying runs on Saturday and championship Sunday, where all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will leave it all on the line for a playoff victory. Continue reading
NHRA AND HOT WHEELS™ EXTEND THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN THE FAST LANE
INDIANAPOLIS – NHRA and Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced today they have renewed their licensing agreement to develop 
collectible die-cast vehicles under the iconic Hot Wheels brand.
This licensing partnership will continue to expand die-cast versions of classic hot rods, including a 1976 Chevy Chevette and a 1971 Ford Mustang Funny Car. NHRA fans of all ages can tap into the history, power and speed at the heart of both brands with this seamless collaboration.
“The partnership between NHRA and Hot Wheels continues to be a perfect match,” said Jeffrey Young, NHRA Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “NHRA is committed to delivering exciting licensed products to race fans and through our collaboration with Mattel, we’ve been able to extend the excitement of NHRA racing well beyond the race track.”
The NHRA Licensing Program continues to expand focusing on lifestyle products such as apparel and accessories, toys and home décor, as well as items for the garage for the auto enthusiast like automotive accessories, automotive tools, appearance and other automotive related products.
For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.
Josh Hart Enters Countdown Looking to Do More than Participate
OCALA, FL – Josh Hart and the R+L Carriers Top Fuel team will run the final six races of the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season 
looking to close out the year on a high note. Hart is pursuing his first NHRA Top Fuel championship and will begin that hunt from the No. 11 spot just 117 points behind Top Fuel point leader and defending world champion Doug Kalitta. Thirteen Top Fuel drivers make up the baker’s dozen of competitors and Hart understands he is the beneficiary of being a consistent but not excellent performer.
“I am not a fan of participation trophies but this R+L Carriers team is going to do everything we can to finish the season on a winning note,” said Hart, a two-time Top Fuel national event winner. “If our success over the next six races leads to a Top Fuel world championship we’ll take it. This class has the best of the best and I truly believe anyone in the playoffs has a shot at the championship. These last six races will be incredibly competitive.”
Over his career Hart has had success at most of the final venues that host Countdown national events. In his rookie season Hart won the Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway, he has raced to the finals and semifinals in two of his three appearances at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis and at the final two racetracks The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and In-N-Out Burger Drag Strip at Pomona Hart has scored upset round wins and reached the semifinals twice in the past two seasons. Continue reading
This Week at MBE 9/2/24
Jeff Taylor Secures Wednesday Advanced Product Design $15,000 at the Summer Fling
Bristol, TN — Day two of the Jegs Summer Fling presented by Optima Batteries felt more like autumn with high temperatures in the 
seventies and a comfortable breeze blowing across the scenic Bristol Dragway. However, the competition was far from cool with multiple racers displaying perfect reaction times, dead-on zero passes, and nearly invisible margins of victory.
Advanced Product Design Wednesday opened with 240 cars breaking the stage beam in round one with $15,000 on the line. Seventh round featured seven remaining drivers on the ladder: Jeff Taylor, Will Holloman, Cory Gulitti, Kevin Pollard, Joe Julsrud, Clifford Davidson, and Gage Burch.
In the first quarterfinal pairing, Pollard lets go .002 but finds himself .003 behind at the finish line beside Burch, who had an .010 reaction time and ran dead-on with an eight for the win. Holloman is .015 up front and one above to advance over Julsrud, who was left mathematically ineligible. Davidson launches .002 too soon to advance Taylor who was .006 green and rolls out of the throttle after the automatic win. On the bye, Gulitti is .009 on the tree and runs dead on with a zero on his way to the semifinal. Continue reading
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS: SIX-RACE NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP SET TO BEGIN
NHRA playoffs set to feature stops in Reading, Charlotte, St. Louis, Dallas, Las Vegas and Pomona
INDIANAPOLIS – After an incredible regular season in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the Countdown to the 
Championship playoffs is officially here.
Over the next six races, dreams will be realized, history will be made and excitement will be at a fever pitch as drivers across Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be focused on nothing but NHRA championship glory.
After the points reset, the championship journey starts at the 39th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals on Sept. 12-15 at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa., kicking off an edge-of-your-seat Countdown to the Championship sure to be filled with unforgettable moments and electric atmospheres across the country.
The first stretch of the Countdown to the Championship opens with three straight race weekends, with drivers going from Reading to the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sept. 20-22 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte to the NHRA Midwest Nationals on Sept. 27-29 at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis. Continue reading
NMCA Announces 2025 Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Schedule
Santa Ana, CA – Muscle car fans can rejoice and look forward to another action-packed year of drag race competition and special Thrill 
Festival action. The Red Line Oil NMCA Muscle Car is proud to announce its 2025 schedule, which includes an exciting new date for the legendary World Street Finals.
“It’s been an exciting 2024 season so far, and we’re thrilled to continue building on that momentum and excitement in revealing our 2025 season schedule,” Rollie Miller, NMCA General Manager. “We visit some incredible facilities on our tour and are so thankful for those amazing track partnerships. With an eye toward making the event schedule even better, we’ve moved our World Street Finals two weeks later in the year to the first week of October. ”
Kicking off the season in April at Rockingham Dragway, NMCA teams up with its sister series NMRA for the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals. The two series then head to Worldwide Technology Raceway for the Race for The Rings in May. In June, NMCA heads to Beech Bend Raceway for Muscle Car Mayhem before rejoining NMRA in July at US 131 Motorsports Park for the hugely popular Power Festival. In August, NMCA returns to Summit Motorsports Park for the All-American Nationals. The season closes in early October at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with the World Street Finals. Continue reading
Duke Picks Up Race Tech Dragster Chassis on Law Chevrolet Tuesday at the Summer Fling
Bristol, TN — The first day of on-track action fired up on Tuesday at the JEGS Performance Summer Fling presented by OPTIMA Batteries at 
Bristol Dragway. A great week of racing would be in store for racers on the mountain at one of the most picturesque facilities in the country.
Law Chevrolet hosted the test and tune session in addition to a 32-Car Shootout where the winner would walk away with a Race Tech dragster chassis. The format guaranteed a door car versus dragster final with 16 door cars on one side of the ladder and 16 dragsters on the other.
After the second round Chase Conley, John Taylor Sr., Donovan Williams, and Antoine Jett remained on the dragster side and Chad Duke, Vinny Guido, TJ Owens, and Adrew Stirk were the last door cars standing. Conley was .015 taking .003 to be dead-on three over Taylor, while Jett turned it two thousandths red to the .005 of Williams. Duke had the starting line advantage and the winlight over Guido, and Stirk took .004 to knock out Owens. Continue reading
