NHRA released its 2012 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule, featuring 43 events, with a minimum of five races conducted in each of NHRA’s seven divisions and four series specialty events.

In its 11th year, the Lucas Oil Series also includes the addition of a newly created Regional level of events that will feature the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car categories. There will be four Regions: East, North Central, Central, and West with a total of 23 Regional events across the country.

The four regions that will feature the Top Alcohol classes will be designated as East, North Central, Central, and West.

“During the development of the Regional Program, we worked with several of our Lucas Oil event host tracks and others within the industry,” said Josh Peterson, vice president of racing administration NHRA. “While everyone recognized the importance of the Top Alcohol categories to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, emphasis was placed on reducing the number of events, maintaining successful events, and establishing consistency into the program.”

As part of the new Regional Championship program, NHRA will pay the top five drivers in the series point standings for each class in each of the four regions. Regional Lucas Oil Champions will be based on five of seven events.

In addition to the change in points structure for the Regional Program, the Lucas Oil national championship will change from the current points structure of the best five of eight both at the national and divisional event level to seven of 10 for national events and three of five for regional events.

“Sportsman racing is the core of our sport, and the people who compete at this level are not only our customers but our friends,” said Forrest Lucas, owner and CEO of Lucas Oil Products. “It gives us great pride to support the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, and we’re excited about a promising 2012 season.”

The two categories will continue to be featured at 16 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events and television coverage of those races will continue to air on ESPN2 HD in 16 one-hour shows. Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street will continue to compete at all NHRA Lucas Oil events.

Returning to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule in 2012 will be Orlando Speed World Dragway with an event on Feb. 10-12 and the addition of a second stop at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

NHRA Lucas Oil Series drivers in seven categories compete for valuable points leading to regional, divisional and national championships and a share of over $500,000 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.

Other categories that compete 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.

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, Alexis DeJoria, and Jeg Coughlin Jr.