NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

“If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.” – Mark Twain

The Saturday morning air at New England Dragway carries a moist bite and a sense of anticipation. And while the NHRA has come prepared to unleash the thunder, Mother Nature has arrived with a delay slip of her own.

The pits are alive—owings out, race car prep underway, fuel canisters stacked, and wrenches turning. Teams are at work like warriors, guided by the simple truth: Saturday is not for sitting around and waiting. Engines were set to fire this morning, but precipitation pushed pause on progress. Still, no one here flinches. These crews don’t know how to do anything but prepare to go fast.

As NHRA race control monitors conditions, the timeline for today begins to take shape. NHRA knows it takes three hours to dry a soaked surface, and current forecasts suggest we could see  Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars fire up for the third round of qualifying as our opener. When the blowers begin to displace the dampness, they won’t just be clearing water—they’ll be chasing clouds away with 12,000 horsepower and a wall of sound.

Race teams are ready, NHRA Safety Safari is on-site with track-drying equipment staged, and our NHRA.com team will continue to provide updates throughout the day as the schedule evolves. Whether you’re in the pits or at home following along, stay tuned as the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series prepares to push through the clouds and fire up the New England Nationals.

Because in New England, the only thing more unpredictable than the weather is what happens when the Christmas Tree drops.

2024 EVENT WINNERS
Doug Kalitta, Top Fuel; John Force, Funny Car; Troy Coughlin Jr., Pro Stock

MOST EVENT VICTORIES
Tony Schumacher, 2 TF; Matt Hagan, 4, FC; Greg Anderson PS.

TRACK RECORDS

TOP FUEL 3.664 seconds by Steve Torrence, June ‘22; 335.57 mph by Brittany Force, June ‘24.

FUNNY CAR 3.822 seconds by Robert Hight, June ‘17; 336.74 mph by Hight, June ‘17.

PRO STOCK 6.485 seconds by Shane Gray, June ‘14; 214.72 mph by Greg Anderson, June ‘15.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading; 341.59 mph by Brittany Force, April. ‘25, Charlotte
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, Oct. ’23, Dallas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July ‘22, Sonoma

SCHEDULE             

Saturday, May 31

9:30 a.m. - Sportsman Eliminations

11:00 a.m. - Zona Motorsports Nostalgia Cacklefest 

11:00 a.m. - U.S. Air Force Band "Full Spectrum" Performance          

12:30 p.m. - Top Fuel Qualifying Session & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge - Round 1       

1:05 p.m. - Funny Car Qualifying Session & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge - Round 1     

1:45 p.m. - Pro Stock Qualifying Session & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge - Round 1                

2:15 p.m. - Mountain Motor Pro Stock Qualifying Session

2:30 p.m. - Snowmobile Exhibition Qualifying Session              

3:00 p.m. - Top Fuel Qualifying Session & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge - Finals          

3:30 p.m. - Funny Car Qualifying Session & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge - Finals           

4:05 p.m. - Pro Stock Qualifying Session & Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge - Finals

4:15 p.m. - U.S. Air Force Band "Full Spectrum" Performance    

4:30 p.m. - Mountain Motor Pro Stock Qualifying Session      

4:45 p.m. - Zona Motorsports Nostalgia Exhibition          

5:00 p.m. - Snowmobile Exhibition Eliminations - Round 1              

5:15 p.m. - Sportsman Eliminations                           

Sunday, June 1

10:00 a.m. - SealMaster Track Walk and Pre-Race Ceremonies (Starting Line) 

11:00 a.m. - Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Eliminations Begin! 

TELEVISION
Qualifying Show 1 Friday, May 30, 2025    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM ET    FS1   
Qualifying Show 2 Saturday, May 31, 2025    7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET    FS1    
Finals    Sunday, June 01, 2025    6:00 PM - 9:00 PM ET    FOX