NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

From a special NHRA Today Pre-Race show on Friday beginning at noon that includes a SealMaster Track Walk and kicks off the race weekend to the chance for a historic day of final eliminations on Sunday, race fans attending the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals this weekend in Norwalk, Ohio, will enjoy three full days of a sensory overload as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series hits the 2019 season midpoint at Summit Motorsports Park. [Full event schedule]

The TrackWalk, the first ever held on a Friday of an NHRA national event, will allow fans to walk down the actual racing surface of the famed dragstrip and will be immediately followed by a guided walking tour of the pits for interested fans, and then nearly eight hours of non-stop, heads-up, high-speed NHRA racing action.

Alcohol Dragster and Alcohol Funny Car qualifying will roar to life at 1 p.m. Friday to jumpstart an action-packed day of racing that that includes two rounds of qualifying in all four Mello Yello classes as well as qualifying action in the wild E3 Spark Plugs presented by J&A Service Pro Mod division, the popular SAMTech.edu NHRA Factory Stock Showdown, and the nostalgic-laced Scott's Rods gasser coupes, all of which will run on all three days of the event.

Racing action in the other NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman classes has been rescheduled to a later date due to excessive rainfall that made portions of the pit area unfit for use at the event.

Friday will hit high gear at 7 p.m. with the exciting Friday Night Prime Time show featuring 19 Top Fuelers and 20 Funny Cars and the return of the Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle classes, all accompanied by music-driven driver introductions and pyrotechnics. The evening will conclude with three flame-throwing jet cars – the "First Strike" and "Top Secret Eastern Raider" Funny Cars and the "Eastern Raider" Jet Dragster – and a fireworks show.

Race fans will be in for another full day of gear-jamming, high-revving racing on Saturday. Qualifying in all classes will continue, preceded at 10:30 a.m. by another guided walking tour of the pits and at 11 a.m. by NHRA’s famed Nitro School segment.  The final two Mello Yello qualifying sessions launch at 1 and 4:45 p.m. to set the fields for Sunday’s final eliminations.

Race fans attending Sunday’s climatic day have the chance to witness John Force attempting to win his milestone 150th career event win. Force came close last weekend in Bristol, Tenn., where he was the runner-up behind Bob Tasca III. Could this be the weekend that he reaches the once-unthinkable milestone?

As always, fans can interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. This unique opportunity gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers.

Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

To purchase general admission or reserved seats, call Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park at (419) 668-5555. Tickets also are available online at www.summitmotorsportspark.com. Kids 12 and under are free in general admission areas with a paid adult.