NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

To suggest that NHRA fans were pleasantly surprised when the 2026 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule was released last week would be a bit of an understatement as the series will host 20 events and visit two new venues during NHRA’s year-long 75th anniversary celebration.

In addition to the return of the Southern Nationals to South Georgia Motorsports Park, the 2026 season will also include the inaugural Potomac Nationals at Maryland International Raceway, scheduled for May 29-31. The event will mark the first time an NHRA national event has been contested in the state of Maryland.

On Sunday, MIR track owner Royce Miller was on hand at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, where he and NHRA President Glen Cromwell and took time to visit the media center in the all-new Parks Tower. Miller and Cromwell signed a ceremonial agreement and then discussed their shared vision for the new event, and took questions from the numerous media outlets.

“We were an NHRA track the first two years I had the track,” Miller said. “Now, I'm proud to be able to say we have taken the track to a level that we can host an NHRA national event. I really believe that we’re ready for it.

“I think [our fans] are hungry. It's been a while since we've been able to show them something like [nitro racing], and I’m excited about it,” Miller said. “This past week after the announcement, I’ve already had guys come up and say to me, ‘Hey, I’ve already got my tickets. Thank you for bringing the Nationals to Maryland.' ”

Cromwell has previously noted the importance of NHRA exploring new markets. He stressed that point on Friday when he met with with SGMP’s Raul Torres, and it remained a prime topic during in his meeting with Miller.

“This [Maryland] is a brand new market for the National Hot Rod Association and Mission Foods, and we know that this is a place with a lot of die-hard drag racers, participants, and race fans. We have seen that Royce and his team know how to pack the house,” Cromwell said. “It's time for the NHRA to venture into new markets, bring our superstars, our athletes, our stakeholders, and our sponsors into markets that we haven't been to, or haven’t been to in a long time. I think [the Potomac Nationals] is going to be a tremendous event.”

While the Potomac Nationals may be a new event in the Mission Foods series, MIR and NHRA Drag Racing have a history that goes back decades. From 1975 to 1991, the facility, located in Mechanicsville, Md., hosted an NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing series divisional event. The track was built in 1966 by Joe LaRoque as St. Mary's Drag-O-Way. It was renamed Budds Creek Raceway in 1967 and then Maryland International Raceway after its opening NASCAR Top Fuel Championships event. The Miller family has owned and operated the track since 1989.

Prior to becoming a track operator, Miller was a very successful Sportsman racer who has an extensive resumé, including an NHRA Super Comp victory in Montreal in 1989, and multiple championships in the NHRA Summit E.T. Racing Series.

“You know when someone does something special and they just drop the mic? I’ve attended one NHRA national event in all the years that I raced. I won that race and never ran another because I ended up buying the track,” said Miller. “But yeah, I truly believe in understanding this sport from a driver's standpoint. We've tried to have the racer in mind when we make policies and procedures and improvements. We’ve always done that.”

Miller also noted the timing of the announcement, with the MIR event not only a part of NHRA’s 75th anniversary celebration but also the 250th anniversary of the United States, a topic of prime importance given MIR’s proximity to the Washington, D.C. market.

“Well, I just waited until it was a special year to join [NHRA],” Miller laughed. 'Regardless of the years, we are thrilled to be able to bring the premiere drag racing show to our Maryland fans, and that's what it's all about.”