NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Starting next weekend, the race is on for drivers in the NHRA Summit Racing Series to compete for a spot at the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship.

With 75,000-plus participants competing at more than 100 NHRA member tracks this year, the spotlight now turns to the divisional championships set to take place across the United States and Canada in eight NHRA division events.

The NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals in the seven NHRA divisions take place during late August, September, and October, with the winners advancing to compete for a national championship. The first race takes place in Division 6 on Aug. 29-Sept. 2 at Pacific Raceways, continuing throughout September and finishing with the final Summit Racing Series Finals on Oct. 9-13, as the Division 7 race takes place at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Road to Vegas wraps up with 40 qualified finalists taking part in the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship on Oct. 31-Nov. 3 as part of the NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It’s the culmination of an impressive program that includes nearly $300,000 in annual series contingency postings up for grabs.

“This is such a terrific program, and it’s a great way for racers to get involved at their member track, race their divisional Summit E.T. Finals, and possibly qualify to race for an NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship,” NHRA Sportsman Racing Manager Sara Walker said. “The Road to Vegas starts at every competitor’s hometown NHRA member track, and we are thrilled Summit Racing Equipment continues to be so heavily involved and supportive of this series and NHRA’s grassroots programs.”

Each division also presents unique items at their Summit Racing Series Finals, including:

Division 1 – Lebanon Valley Dragway, West Lebanon, N.Y., Sept. 20-21 
Two reigning champions come from this division, and with a huge talent pool of competitors, this event will feature one of the biggest and toughest fields for the E.T. finals.

Division 2 – South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, Ga., Sept. 12-14 
More than $15,000 will be paid out daily on the Thursday/Friday gambler’s races, and an all-new Race of Champions Appreciation Dinner and raffle will take place on Friday of the event.

Division 3 – Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Sept. 13-15 
This marks a new track for the NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals, and the event includes a free test 'n' tune, Thursday welcome party, a Friday bonus race with a guaranteed purse of more than $22,000, best appearing and spirit awards, and fireworks.

Division 4 – Ardmore Dragway, Ardmore, Okla., Sept. 6-8 
The Carrell family operates Ardmore Dragway, which is the longest continually run dragstrip in the United States. The racer-owned facility offers a special grassroots experience with plenty of stout competition.

Division 5 – Flying H Dragstrip, Odessa, Mo., Sept. 14-15 
The new facility will host the E.T. Finals for the first time, offering increased payouts across every class in 2024 and more than $7,500 in giveaways/prizes during the Parade of Champions.

Division 6 – Pacific Raceways, Seattle, Aug. 29-Sept. 2 
This race will include a reaction-time challenge during the weekend, as well as a poker tournament and a Best Performing Track award 

Division 7 – The Strip at Las Vegas Motorsport Speedway, Las Vegas, Oct. 9-13 
This event will include a Practice Tree tournament, while the member track dinners offer a unique team-building opportunity between the track and track family.

An Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals takes place for the first time in NHRA history in 2024 as well, with the race taking place Sept. 6-8 at Napierville Dragway in Quebec. The E.T. Finals will be a championship-level event mirroring the seven NHRA Divisional E.T. Finals currently contested.

The intense racing action in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle, and Street Legal EV categories will lead to Summit Racing Series Finals champions, putting drivers and race teams on track for a truly memorable experience at the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship.

It starts with a welcome dinner on Thursday, Oct. 31, which will also feature a chip draw for the first four positions, who will call out the remaining drivers to set the first-round matchups. 

Special prizes will also be raffled off between the 40 finalists, including NHRA suite passes for a day, experience a nitro car warmup in the pits, and more. All finalists will also have marquee access during Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying sessions, as well as a parade in front of the grandstands in Vegas and pre-race introductions during the official pre-race ceremony at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, putting the racers in front of the fans before running for a championship. 

Along with the purse, also up for grabs is a national championship Wally, a championship jacket, and more.