- SELLOUT CROWD TO OPEN NHRA'S 75TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON IN GAINESVILLE
- JONATHAN ALLEGRUCCI RUNS TO GATORNATIONALS NO. 1 QUALIFIER
- NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES POWERED BY FUELTECH TO OPEN 2026 SEASON IN GAINESVILLE
- Ron Capps Leads Funny Car Field with Provisional Pole at Season-Opening NHRA Gatornationals
- HART GRABS GATORS PROVISIONAL NO. 1 QUALIFIER
- Josh Hart Blasts to Provisional No. 1 in Top Fuel as 2026 NHRA Season Roars to Life at Gatornationals
- Angie Smith Grabs Provisional No. 1 in Pro Stock Motorcycle at 2026 NHRA Gatornationals Season Opener
International Hot Rod Association Acquires Atlanta Dragway in Banks County, Georgia
Fairfield, OH — The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has officially acquired Atlanta Dragway in Banks County, just outside 
Commerce, Georgia, marking an important step in bringing one of the Southeast’s most historic drag racing facilities back to life.
Originally opened in 1976, Atlanta Dragway became a cornerstone of grassroots and national drag racing. Built on land originally graded for an airport, with its first timing tower repurposed from the airport’s control tower, the facility represents the ingenuity and heart of American motorsports. After its closure in 2021, the future of the track remained uncertain until the local community and leaders worked to preserve it for racing. A recent unanimous vote by the Banks County Commission cleared the way for its reopening.
“On behalf of Banks County, I want to welcome IHRA and express our appreciation for their investment in Atlanta Dragway. This facility has long been an important part of our community’s identity and economy. We are encouraged by IHRA’s commitment to revitalizing the property and preserving its legacy for racers and fans alike. Continue reading
NHRA RELEASES FREE 2026 STREAMING SCHEDULE FOR NHRA.TV AND NHRA YOUTUBE PAGE
Complimentary coverage includes action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series across all seven divisions, special events and more
INDIANAPOLIS – NHRA announced today a continued and comprehensive free coverage plan on NHRA.tv and its NHRA YouTube page 
starting this weekend for the 2026 season in the popular Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
For the second consecutive year, NHRA will stream more than 30 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events on either NHRA.tv or the NHRA YouTube page for free during the 2026 campaign, including extensive action from across all seven divisions, special events and more. The full schedule of complimentary races is available now at NHRA.tv, starting with this weekend’s Division 7 double-divisional race at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.
All 20 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national events during NHRA’s 75th season in 2026 can also be viewed on NHRA.tv, with the price at $164.99 for the entire season or $24.99 per national event.
The test session at Gainesville Raceway on March 3-4 will also be streamed for free on NHRA.tv, which leads into the legendary season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 5-8 at the historic facility.
This weekend’s race in Phoenix gives fans their first glimpse of NHRA racing in 2026, kicking off an action-packed year across the country. The season-long free coverage takes place from February through November, concluding with the Division 7 divisional on Nov. 5-8 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Fans will have the chance to watch thrilling action from all seven NHRA divisions in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season, including 12 double divisional events. To watch the select divisional races for free, fans simply need to sign up for a complimentary account on NHRA.tv. Continue reading
DragRaceTV Launches Major Platform Upgrade with Instant Video On Demand, New Roku App, and Expanded Content Library
Worth, FL – Beginning Monday, February 16, 2026, DragRaceTV will roll out a major infrastructure upgrade designed to deliver instant 
Video On Demand access, a redesigned Roku experience, and expanded content availability across platforms.
This upgrade marks a significant step forward in how fans watch live no-prep, grudge, big money, and outlaw racing.
Instant Video On Demand After Every Event
With increased backend infrastructure and expanded programming capacity, DragRaceTV will now make event recordings available almost immediately after live streams end.
In many cases, fans will see replays appear with the event date as the temporary title. These recordings are published quickly to minimize downtime and ensure fans can jump right back into the action.
Behind the scenes, DragRaceTV’s new AI-powered processing system will automatically refine those recordings. The system reduces dead time between rounds, removes unnecessary downtime, and focuses on what viewers came to see: the racing. Continue reading
DHL, KALITTA MOTORSPORTS SIGN MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP EXTENSION
YPSILANTI, MI – Two iconic brands that partner on multiple levels in multiple businesses, DHL and Kalitta Motorsports, signed a multi-year 
contract extension for J.R. Todd’s DHL GR Supra Funny Car, the team announced today. The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 6-8 at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
What started some two decades ago as an agreement to sponsor race cars is now a multi-faceted relationship that enjoys success on and off the racetrack including charitable efforts, business-to-business networking and track-side experiences for DHL customers.
In addition to winning NHRA Funny Car championships with Todd (2018) and Del Worsham (2015), DHL and Team Kalitta partner in the fight against food insecurity. Through “The Race to End Hunger,” DHL, Kalitta Motorsports and Kalitta Air combine forces each season to raise funds equivalent to at least one million meals through Feeding America, the largest charity working to end hunger in the United States. Continue reading
1,000TH FUNNY CAR RACE COMING TO LUCAS OIL NHRA WINTERNATIONALS IN POMONA
POMONA, CA – In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip will again make history this spring during NHRA’s milestone 75th season, as the Lucas 
Oil NHRA Winternationals will play host to the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history on April 9-12 on the hallowed grounds at Pomona.
Funny Car made its first-ever appearance at the 1966 World Finals in Tulsa, with Eddie Schartman picking up the victory. NHRA’s milestone year in 2026 will begin with the 998th Funny Car race at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, with the historic moment coming two races later in Pomona.
The 12,000-horsepower, 340-mph Funny Cars have made history for 60 years, but only one driver will lay claim to being the winner of the 1,000th Funny Car race in NHRA history. Last year, Shawn Langdon took the honors at the 1,000th Top Fuel race, while a host of standouts will have their shot in Pomona to etch their own place in history. Continue reading
$25,000, Inaugural Championship On The Line For Pro 10.5 at WSOPM
BRADENTON, FL – Pro 10.5 racers will have more on the line than ever when the class returns to the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro 
Mod presented by Red Line Oil, Feb. 26–28 at Bradenton Motorsports Park, where a lucrative $25,000 winner’s purse headlines the Pro 10.5 Challenge. In addition to racing for one of the richest payouts in class history, competitors will also decide the inaugural DI Winter Series presented by J&A Service Pro 10.5 champion, with the champion earning a $5,000 bonus and a massive custom baseball bat from Victus Sports as a one-of-a-kind trophy.
“This is a big moment for Pro 10.5,” said Wes Buck, Drag Illustrated founder and Winter Series promoter. “We’ve watched the class bring incredible energy and car counts to the World Series of Pro Mod the last two years, so bringing them into the full three-race Winter Series for the 2025/2026 season felt like the natural next step. Rewarding the drivers who’ve supported the series by adding a championship element takes it to the next level. Big thanks to Tom Kasper, Kasper Performance Edge, and everyone at Victus Sports for helping to make it all possible.”
Ohio’s Bill Lutz raced to the $10,000 Pro 10.5 victory at the Winter Series opener, the Snowbird Outlaw Nationals presented by Motion Raceworks, when he defeated Super Bowl champion Fletcher Cox in the final round. Outlaw 10.5 veterans Jerry Morgano and Nick Agostino faced off in the Pro 10.5 final round at the second race, the U.S. Street Nationals presented by M&M Transmission, with Morgano edging out Agostino for the $10,000 prize. Continue reading
Oberhofer Brothers Together Again at Rick Ware Racing
Jim and Jon Oberhofer To Serve as Crew Chiefs for Top Fuel Drivers Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican in 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, Nicky Boninfante Named Co-Crew Chief of Both Top Fuel Dragsters
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2026) – For as long as they have been brothers, Jim and Jon Oberhofer have been involved in drag racing. 
Since attending races with their father, Dave, the Oberhofer Brothers have been nearly inseparable, working with their dad on the Top Fuel dragsters he was a part of and eventually carving their own drag racing paths, most prominently with Kalitta Motorsports.
In 2026, Jim and Jon Oberhofer are together again, this time at Rick Ware Racing (RWR) where the duo will serve as the crew chiefs for Top Fuel drivers Tony Schumacher and Clay Millican, respectively, in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Joining them as co-crew chief for both entries will be another NHRA veteran, Nicky Boninfante.
“When you look at what Jim and Jon have accomplished in this sport, it’s remarkable. Championships, U.S. Nationals wins, decades of experience at the highest level, but what really stands out to me is that they’ve grown up in this business together. There’s built-in trust and understanding that isn’t manufactured. Pair that with Nicky’s experience and success, and you’ve got three guys who have seen every scenario drag racing can throw at you,” said team owner Rick Ware. Continue reading
KALITTA MOTORSPORTS, MAC TOOLS CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
YPSILANTI, MI – One of the longest-running partnerships in sports marketing history is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026 as Mac 
Tools continues its decades-long Kalitta Motorsports partnership. The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season begins March 6-8 at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Doug Kalitta will once again pilot the red and white Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster, but the 2026 livery features a 25th anniversary logo along with additional, more subtle recognition of the silver anniversary. Team Kalitta’s Mac Tools primary partnership spans more than two decades in a relationship that feels and functions more like a friendship. Mac Tools is a significant part of the long-term success Kalitta Motorsports enjoys in NHRA Drag Racing.
“Our partnership with Kalitta Motorsports continues to strengthen the Mac Tools brand while also advancing the sport of drag racing and inspiring future generations of automotive professionals,” said Phil Cox, president of Mac Tools. “For over 25 years, Kalitta Motorsports has represented Mac Tools with distinction, and we are thrilled to continue this legacy, especially following Doug’s second NHRA Top Fuel championship win last year. We look forward to what lies ahead for the entire Kalitta Motorsports organization. Continue reading
March Meet Provides Fan Access with Time Machine Atmosphere
BAKERSFIELD, CA – The iconic baseball movie Field of Dreams famously said, “If you build it, they will come…” and Famoso Dragstrip is 
living by that mantra every season with the famed Good Vibrations March Meet. The 68th installment will take place March 5-8, 2026, with four days of racing, car shows, swap meets and drag racing legends on the property. Known as the proving ground for speed and legendary performances Famoso Dragstrip is recognized around the world. The opportunity for old fans to relive distant memories and for new fans to be exposed to the high horsepower history and visual artistry of drag racing is what event promoter Blake Bower believes in.
“When I go just about anywhere in the country or even round the world, when I say I am involved with the Good Vibrations March Meet and Famoso Dragstrip people always have a story or have heard something about this place,” said Bowser. “Our goal every year is to honor our history but also try and encourage new fans to come see something really cool that is more than racing and car culture. So many people are on their phones all the time but when they come here peoples’ heads are on a swivel because there is so much to see and do.”
The car show is a spectacular display of cars, trucks and race cars from Pre-72 to modern day. Participants can show off their prized vehicles for a $40 (one day) to $150 (four day) entry fee. Pre-72 models can roll into the car show for free for the full event or one day. The eye candy that will be on display will wow everyone from the first-time visitors to the car culture expert. Continue reading
NHRA AND FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCE TV SCHEDULE FOR NHRA’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
INDIANAPOLIS – Coming off a standout season that included the most-watched race in NHRA history, NHRA officials and FOX Sports 
released the television schedule for the upcoming 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season, a year that also celebrates NHRA’s 75th anniversary.
All 20 races, along with the NHRA All-Star Callout events in Top Fuel and Funny Car, and the GETTRX NHRA All-Star Callout races in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, will be broadcast on either FOX or FS1, as well as the FOX One app, during the milestone 2026 campaign.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season opens March 5-8 with the 57th annual Amalie NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway. The race includes the Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which will be broadcast live at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 7 on FS1. Continue reading
