The U.S. Nationals (commonly The Big Go) is an

NHRA The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all over the United States and Canada. With over 40,000 drivers in its rosters, the NHRA claims to be the largest motorsp ...

-sanctioned drag racing event, generally considered to be the most prestigious drag racing event in the world due to its history, size, and purse, held annually at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in

Brownsburg, Indiana Brownsburg is a town in Hendricks County, Indiana, United States. The population was recorded to be 21,285 residents at the 2010 Census, an increase from the 14,520 residents in 2000. the estimated population was recorded to be 27,001 residents. ...

. Traditionally a Labor Day weekend event, the eliminations are usually held on Monday, but moved to Sunday in 2020 and 2021 because of logistics as a result of the

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

compacted the NHRA schedule and for live television purposes (the final round airs live on Fox), and is the longest-running Labor Day motorsports event in the United States, a distinction it earned in 2004. The U.S. Nationals air on the Fox broadcast network under the current broadcast contract. The first edition of the NHRA Nationals was held at the Great Bend Municipal Airport in

Great Bend, Kansas Great Bend is a city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, United States. It is named for its location at the point where the course of the Arkansas River bends east then southeast. As of the 2020 census, the population of the ci ...

in 1955. The event moved first to Oklahoma City's Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for the "4th annual National Championship Drag Races Sponsored by the National Hot Rod Association" in 1958, then moved to

Detroit Dragway Detroit Dragway was a quarter mile long drag strip located in Brownstown Charter Township, Michigan on the corner of Sibley and Dix. It opened in 1959 by Gil Kohn and the track became sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association in 1959. The "Di ...

in Detroit, Michigan for 1959-1960 before moving to

Indianapolis Raceway Park Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park, O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, and Lucas Oil Raceway) is an auto racing facility in Brownsburg, Indiana, United States, about northwest of downtown Indianapolis. I ...

in 1961, and has remained there ever since, after a verbal deal was made between NHRA founder and Board Chairman

Wally Parks Wallace Gordon Parks (January 23, 1913 – September 28, 2007) was an American writer. He was the founder, president, and chairman of the National Hot Rod Association, better known as NHRA. He was instrumental in establishing drag racing as a le ...

and the then-owners of the track. In 1979, the NHRA bought the entire complex. In 2006, it was renamed O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, after auto parts supplier

O'Reilly Auto Parts O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. is an American auto parts retailer that provides automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories to professional service providers and do-it-yourself customers. Founded in 1957 by the O’Reil ...

purchased

naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...

. In 2011,

Lucas Oil Lucas Oil Products, Inc. is an American manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It was founded by trucker Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989. The company is a medium size manufacturer of lubrican ...

purchased the rights, renaming the venue Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis but then in 2022 it was renamed Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Past winners

Professional class winners

References

Drag racing events Motorsport in Indianapolis National Hot Rod Association {{Indiana-sport-stub