The most recent NHRA event at Bristol Dragway was epic, and the next race at Virginia Motorsports Park figures to offer more of the same. In Bristol, Steve Torrence and Ron Capps collected their first nitro wins of the season, and Richard Gadson collected his first career win in Pro Stock Motorcycle, while Greg Anderson continued his domination of the Pro Stock class with his fourth win of the season and his historic 1,000th round-win.

The American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals is the ninth stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour, and it will feature Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The pre-race favorites include Antron Brown, Austin Prock, and Gaige Herrera. Prock and Herrera are defending event champs, while Doug Kalitta earned the Top Fuel title in 2024. 

PlayNHRA, NHRA’s partnership with leading sports books and fantasy sports providers, has allowed fans to sign up for free and legally wager on national events and other outcomes in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, including this weekend’s event at Virginia Motorsports Park. The Virginia market has a variety of options when it comes to wagering on NHRA events.

NHRA fans have the opportunity to engage in fantasy games, gaming, and betting for this event. Betting markets feature the Professional classes, where fans can wager on event winners, low elapsed time of the event, head-to-head matchups, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, and season champions.

Below are the opening odds as provided by Alt Sports Data.

(Note: In American sports betting, odds are typically expressed with a plus (+) or minus (–) symbol followed by a number. For example, +200 signifies the amount a bettor could win if wagering $100. If the bet works out, the player will receive a total payout of $300; $200 profit + $100 initial stake.)

TOP FUEL

Antron Brown continues to be a favorite with oddsmakers as he’s once again the favorite to take home the title in Richmond. Given his career stats, Brown is never a bad bet, even though he’s gone winless since the Gainesville season opener. Brown opens at +500, which means a $10 wager would return $60 should he win the race. 

Brown’s edge over the rest of the competition is slim as Shawn Langdon (+550), Tony Stewart (+600), and Bristol runner-up Justin Ashley (+650) are all similarly priced. 

There is a trio of drivers at +700, including Bristol winner Steve Torrence, Epping winner Brittany Force, and 2023 champ Doug Kalitta.

Nestled among the long shots is Josh Hart, who has continued to refine his program with positive results. Hart’s opening price of +1,500 represents a solid value bet. The same goes for Clay Millican at +900.

FUNNY CAR

There's a lot of intrigue in the Funny Car class as John Force Racing teammates Austin Prock and Jack Beckman are the favorites, even though they have both struggled to get out of the first round at the last two events. Good teams don’t struggle for long, which might help explain why Prock is a big favorite at +260 and Beckman is right behind at +450.

Paul Lee is ranked No. 3 in Funny Car, and coming off a runner-up in Bristol, he might be the most attractive pick on the board, especially at +900. NHRA Rookie of the Year contender Spencer Hyde can be had at the same price, should he win his first NHRA race.

You want value? How about Bristol winner Ron Capps at +1,000, Chicago champ J.R. Todd at +1,000, or even Daniel Wilkerson at +1,400? The warm and humid conditions in Richmond are likely to favor Wilkerson and his father/crew chief, Tim. 

And then there is Dave Richards, who has been to the semifinals at two events so far this season. Richards has never been to a final round, but should he pull off a sizable upset, those who wagered on him would be rewarded handsomely at +7,000, which means a $10 wager would return $710.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE

Last week, we asked the question, “Can anyone stop Gaige Herrera and Matt Smith?”  and the answer was a resounding yes as Richard Gadson broke through for a long overdue first NHRA win. While Herrera remains a strong favorite at -140 and Matt Smith is +300, there is a somewhat more favorable price on Gadson at +450.

The real intrigue here involves rookie Brayden Davis, who qualified No. 1 and nearly won the Bristol race in his debut with the Vance & Hines team. Davis was on his way to a possible storybook finish until a starting-line error cost him his semifinal race against Herrera. Davis will have a shot at redemption this week in Richmond, and at +1,500, he’s got a tremendous amount of value.

There are others who bear watching, including Hector Arana Jr., who does not run all the events but tends to make a solid showing when he does. Arana is priced at +3,600, while there is similar value in Matt Smith Racing teammates Angie Smith and John Hall at +3,000, while Jianna Evaristo, the fourth MSR rider, opens at +4,500.

Opening odds provided by Alt Sports Data (Odds are subject to change).

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