NHRA has released its 2010 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule, which features 43 events and a minimum of five races in each of NHRA’s seven divisions.

The 2010 schedule also includes the addition of a new event May 14-16 at Tulsa Raceway Park in Tulsa, Okla., in the South Central Division.

NHRA Lucas Oil Series drivers in seven categories compete for valuable points leading to divisional and national championships and a share of the $561,000 purse. The series also includes three Sportsman-focused national events: the Jegs NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals in Belle Rose, La.; the Jegs NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals in Fontana, Calif.; and the Jegs NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals in Columbus, Ohio. The 2010 season marks the ninth year of Lucas Oil’s support of NHRA Sportsman racers in a partnership that extends through 2012.

Headlined by the powerful Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series allows racers to compete for a championship close to home. Other categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series are Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. Some divisions also opt to run additional categories, including Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson.

“We are extremely proud to be involved with the dedicated racers who compete each weekend in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series,” said Forest Lucas, owner and CEO of Lucas Oil Products. “We can’t wait to start another successful and memorable racing season.”

Bonus programs available to competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include the $100,000 Jegs Allstars, the NHRA Perfectly Strange Performance Award, in which a total of $45,000 is up for grabs throughout, and the Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson. Individual divisions may also have additional bonus programs available to racers.

Some prominent graduates of the NHRA Lucas Oil Series who have gone on to successful careers in the NHRA Full Throttle Series include Brandon Bernstein, Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, Ashley Force Hood, and Jeg Coughlin.

Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products is the fastest-growing additive line in the consumer automotive industry, featuring a premium line of oils, greases, and problem-solving additives. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the American truck-stop and auto-parts industries.