NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Speed has many homes and many racing surfaces.

Salt flats. Asphalt ovals. Road courses. Dirt tracks. Quarter-miles carved into the landscape.

All of them are fast. All of them are canvases upon which competitors express an art form.

But perhaps nowhere on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour is that art form painted with more energy, more volatility, and more atmosphere than Bristol Dragway.

Welcome to Thunder Valley.

Nestled between the Tennessee hills, Bristol is a place where sound doesn't simply travel — it reverberates. Nitro fumes hang in the air. Engines echo off the mountainsides. The grandstands seem to rise directly out of the earth. When 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars light the candles here, the result feels less like a sporting event and more like a weather event. And fittingly, NHRA arrives this weekend in the eye of the storm.

After three consecutive race weekends — the NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS at Maryland International Raceway, the NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto in Epping, and now the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals — the series has found a rhythm. Racers are in stride. Teams are operating at peak efficiency. Fans, partners, and spectators are witnessing a championship chase beginning to reveal its true contenders.

With potential weather concerns looming later tonight, NHRA officials have moved up qualifying to ensure maximum action reaches the track. The urgency is palpable. The energy is already building.

No driver carries more momentum into Thunder Valley than Top Fuel points leader Shawn Langdon.

Langdon enters Bristol looking for what could become a remarkable stretch of victories. But before the focus fully shifts to Bristol, unfinished business remains from Epping. Friday night under the lights will feature the postponed NHRA New England Nationals Top Fuel final between Langdon and Leah Pruett. Once that Wally is awarded, both racers will immediately turn their attention toward chasing another in Thunder Valley.

The Funny Car storyline is equally compelling.

Both Jack Beckman and Jordan Vandergriff arrive carrying unfinished business from New England. One will leave Friday night with the Epping trophy. Then both will begin the pursuit of a second prize — the Bristol Wally waiting at the end of Sunday's eliminations. Thunder Valley promises double the pressure and double the opportunity.

In Pro Stock, the weather pattern for Epping continues ...

The class continues to showcase one of the most intense rivalries in motorsports as KB Titan Racing's championship-caliber lineup battles Elite Motorsports on every qualifying sheet and every elimination ladder. The battle for supremacy remains razor-thin entering Bristol after another dramatic weekend in New Hampshire.

But the roots of this Pro Stock Motorcycle's story reach back one week further.

At the NHRA Potomac Nationals, it was Matt Smith Racing's turn to make headlines. With Matt Smith sidelined for medical reasons, many wondered whether the powerhouse operation could maintain its dominance. The answer came quickly and emphatically as Angie Smith delivered one of the most impressive performances of the season.

The result served as a reminder that Matt Smith Racing is more than a rider. More than a motorcycle. More than a single personality. It is a championship-caliber machine built on preparation, teamwork, and relentless execution.

Now that machine rolls into Bristol looking for another statement weekend.

Revised Friday Schedule

Fans arriving Friday will enjoy a packed opening day highlighted by both qualifying and the completion of the postponed Epping nitro finals.

7:30 a.m. – Parking lots open


8:00 a.m. – Gates open
1 p.m. – Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Session 1

Followed by – Pro Stock Qualifying Session 1
2 p.m. – Funny Car Qualifying Session 1

Followed by – Top Fuel Qualifying Session 1
3:15 p.m. – Pro Stock Motorcycle Qualifying Session 2
Followed by – Pro Stock Qualifying Session 2
4:15 p.m. – Funny Car Qualifying Session 2

Followed by – Top Fuel Qualifying Session 2

Track Records
 

Top Fuel — E.T.: Steve Torrence, 3.667 seconds (October 2021); Speed: Justin Ashley, 336.49 mph (June 2023)
Funny Car — E.T.: Ron Capps, 3.884 seconds (June 2016); Speed: Matt Hagan, 330.31 mph (October 2021)
Pro Stock — E.T.: Greg Anderson, 6.613 seconds (June 2022); Speed: Bo Butner, 209.26 mph (June 2016)
Pro Stock Motorcycle — E.T.: Matt Smith, 6.759 seconds (June 2024); Speed: Matt Smith, 200.05 mph (June 2024)

Watch on NHRA on FOX

Fans can watch qualifying coverage Friday evening on FS1, while eliminations from the Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FS1 as NHRA's 75th Anniversary season continues. 

Be There

Nothing compares to experiencing Thunder Valley in person.

The sound. The mountains. The nitro. The pressure.

This is one of drag racing's most iconic venues and one of the most atmospheric stops on the NHRA schedule. Tickets remain available for qualifying and eliminations throughout the weekend. Fans can purchase tickets and view the complete event schedule through the NHRA event page and Bristol Dragway ticket office. (Bristol Motor Speedway)