The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is a
drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, mos ...
series organized by the
National Hot Rod Association
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) is a 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 motorsport sanction ...
(NHRA). It is the top competition series of the NHRA, comprising competition in four classes, including
Top Fuel Dragster
Top Fuel is a type of drag racing whose dragsters are the quickest accelerating racing cars in the world and the fastest sanctioned category of drag racing, with the fastest competitors reaching speeds of and finishing the runs in 3.641 second ...
,
Funny Car,
Pro Stock, and
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Pro Stock Motorcycle, formerly known as Pro Stock Bike, is a motorcycle drag racing class that is the two-wheeled equivalent of Pro Stock. It has been a feature of NHRA drag racing since the 1980s when it was added to the professional class s ...
.
The champion of each category is determined by a point system where points are given according to finishing placement and qualifying effort. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 18 races, the Top 10 of each pro category are locked in and compete in the last six races with the difference in points greatly minimized.
History
The series has four main professional classes:
Top Fuel Dragster
Top Fuel is a type of drag racing whose dragsters are the quickest accelerating racing cars in the world and the fastest sanctioned category of drag racing, with the fastest competitors reaching speeds of and finishing the runs in 3.641 second ...
,
Funny Car,
Pro Stock, and
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Pro Stock Motorcycle, formerly known as Pro Stock Bike, is a motorcycle drag racing class that is the two-wheeled equivalent of Pro Stock. It has been a feature of NHRA drag racing since the 1980s when it was added to the professional class s ...
. Top Fuel was the first category introduced in 1965, with Funny Cars being added in 1966, Pro Stock in 1970 and Pro Stock Motorcycles in 1987. Both Top Fuel and Funny Cars regularly see top speeds in excess of today, and one thousand foot times anywhere from 3.70 to 4 seconds. Both these cars burn fuel consisting of 90%
nitromethane
Nitromethane, sometimes shortened to simply "nitro", is an organic compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is a polar liquid commonly used as a solvent in a variety of industrial applications such as in ...
and 10%
methanol
Methanol (also called methyl alcohol and wood spirit, amongst other names) is an organic chemical compound and the simplest aliphatic Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol, with the chemical formula (a methyl group linked to a hydroxyl group, often ab ...
. The Pro Stock record is , with times often in the 6.4-6.7 second range and the Pro Stock Motorcycles usually run at 190+ mph (), with times in the low 7- to high 6-second range. Top Fuel (class designation: AA/D top fuel dragster) and Fuel Funny Car (class designation: AA/FC top fuel coupe) have recently been limited to a track, instead of the historic 1/4 mile [], as a means to limit top speeds and increase safety (there had been a number of engine explosions at or near 300 mph resulting in driver injuries and death). Currently, driver and spectator safety has been enhanced even while top speeds often approach and exceed 300 mph.
Some of the popular racers to come through the series include
"Big Daddy" Don Garlits,
Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, and
Shirley Muldowney
Shirley Muldowney (born June 19, 1940), also known professionally as "Cha Cha" and the "First Lady of Drag racing, Drag Racing", is an American auto racer. She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) ...
. Those three gained much attention from the 1960s through 1970s with their speed and personalities, a combination rarely achieved today through the political correctness of sponsorship in today's drivers. Nonetheless, there are still colorful characters today, such as 16-time Funny Car world champion
John Force
John Harold Force (born May 4, 1949) is an American NHRA drag racer. He is a 16-time NHRA and 1 time AHRA Funny Car champion driver and a 22-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing (JFR). He is one of the most d ...
. His daughter, 2007 Rookie of the Year
Ashley Force Hood has made appearances on ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'' and ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'' and was voted AOL's Hottest Female Athlete in 2007.
On July 2, 2008, following the death of Funny Car driver
Scott Kalitta
Scott D. Kalitta (February 18, 1962 – June 21, 2008) was an American drag racer who competed in the Funny Car and Top Fuel classes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. He had 17 career Top Fuel ...
, the NHRA announced that race distances for Top Fuel and Funny Car classes would temporarily be reduced to 1,000 ft from the traditional 1/4 mile (1320 ft). The measure was intended to be temporary while safety solutions were explored; however, the races have remained at 1000 feet since Kalitta's death. Although unpopular with the fans, the distance remains at 1,000 feet today at the request of the teams as a cost-saving measure, with no indication by NHRA officials of any intent of returning to the full quarter-mile format any time soon. By late 2012, 1,000 foot racing became globally recognized as the 2012 FIA European title in Top Fuel became 1,000-foot championships, as
Santa Pod
Santa Pod Raceway is Europe's first permanent drag racing venue for and racing. Located in Podington, Bedfordshire, England, the drag strip was built on a disused Second World War Royal Air Force (RAF) airbase, known as RAF Podington; once ...
and
Hockenheim
Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine Plain, Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" ( ...
(the last two quarter-mile nitro strips) made the switch, and
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Aus ...
nitro racing switched to the 1,000-foot distance only for selected tracks.
The Countdown
Since 2007, the NHRA implements a playoff system to determine the champion in each class, billed as the ''Countdown to The Championship''. Each season is divided into two segments of races, with the bulk of the races making up the first segment, and the final events making up the second segment. After the first segment is complete, the drivers in each class at or above the cutoff point in the standings (8th place up to 2007 and 10th place thereafter) become eligible for the championship, while the drivers below the cutoff point are eliminated from championship contention, though they still participate in the remaining race events. The points for the advancing drivers are readjusted so that they are separated by a fixed margin, with first place receiving bonus points. The drivers then compete for the championship over the final races of the season.
The NHRA suspended the format for the 2020 season after originally rewarding all teams that attempted to make two qualifying passes per race during the regular season a bonus of automatic qualification as a reward for making all races when the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic resulted in five races being removed from the schedule. The format returned for the following season.
Title sponsors
Winston cigarettes
Winston is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by ITG Brands, subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco in the United States and by Japan Tobacco outside the U.S. The brand is named after the town where R. J. Reynolds started ...
was the
title sponsor
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization where a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event (most often sports venues), typical ...
of the series from 1975 until 2001, when a condition of the
Master Settlement Agreement required Winston to drop either its sponsorship of the NHRA, or the
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
; Winston chose to retain its NASCAR sponsorship.
Winston ended their sponsorship with NASCAR two years later.
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is lis ...
took over title sponsorship in 2002. Until 2008, the series was branded with the company's
Powerade
Powerade is a sports drink created in 1988 and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, which is owned by PepsiCo since 2001.
History
Powerade was created by the Coca-Cola Company and first released in 1988. Th ...
sports drink brand. In 2009, the company changed the branding to promote its
Full Throttle energy drink brand. In 2013, following Coca-Cola's most recent extension of its sponsorship, the title sponsor was changed to its citrus soda brand
Mello Yello
Mello Yello is a highly caffeinated, citrus-flavored soft drink produced, distributed and created by the Coca-Cola Company that was introduced on March 12, 1979, to compete with PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.
According to Donovan, songwriter and perf ...
.
With Mello Yello having introduced a new logo, the NHRA unveiled a new logo for the series in January 2016, as well as a new "My NHRA" marketing campaign that plays upon the logo to feature drivers and other personalities discussing what the NHRA means to them.
On September 20, 2020, Coca-Cola announced that, even though their most recent agreement with the NHRA was in effect until 2023, they would be immediately pulling their sponsorship from the sport. The NHRA responded by filing a lawsuit as it looked for a new title sponsor for its premier series.
On October 4, 2020, the NHRA announced a new sponsorship deal with
Camping World
Camping World Holdings, Inc. is an American corporation specializing in selling recreational vehicles (RVs), recreational vehicle parts, and recreational vehicle service. They also sell supplies for camping. The company has its headquarters in Li ...
. In early 2023, an NHRA representative confirmed that Camping World would not be renewing their agreement with the NHRA after the conclusion of the 2024 season, and that the NHRA was seeking a new title sponsor for the series.
Gruma
Gruma, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Gruma, is a Mexican multinational corn flour (masa) and tortilla manufacturing company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the largest corn flour and tortilla manufacturer in ...
S.A.B. de C.V., through their
Mission Foods
Mission Foods, a subsidiary of Gruma Corporation, is an American manufacturer of tortillas and tortilla-related products based in Irving, Texas.
History
Mission Foods was founded as a subsidiary of Grupo Maseca in California in 1977 as a bran ...
brand, was announced as the newest title sponsor for the 2024 season on October 25, 2023. Camping World and the NHRA renegotiated terms of their agreement which allowed Mission Foods to replace them as the title sponsor for the 2024 season, and will keep Camping World on as a "premier partner" of the NHRA through 2026.
Champions

Before 1974, the season champion was determined by the winner of the World Finals event. The Professional categories contain the divisions of Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock & Pro Stock Motorcycle.
By driver
Broadcasting
NHRA events have been broadcast on television, with such efforts dating back as far as 1983. By the 1990s, events were split between
ESPN
ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, and
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, game shows, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On September ...
, all produced by Diamond P Sports. TNN also broadcast a weekly highlight program, ''NHRA Today''. Due to logistical and scheduling issues, including the possibility of long turnaround times between heats, weather delays, and other factors, events were typically broadcast in a condensed form via
tape delay. From 1992 until 2000, TNN carried live coverage of selected final rounds, typically with a condensed package to air until the finals began.
In 2001, the NHRA entered into an agreement with ESPN for it to become the exclusive broadcaster of NHRA events, shortly after MTV Networks had effectively shut down the CBS motorsport operations after its acquisition of CBS Cable, and the demise of TNN. During its 14-year stint as rightsholder, ESPN faced criticism for the structure and scheduling of its coverage. Due to scheduling conflicts with other sports properties to which it held rights, ESPN typically broadcast its NHRA coverage in inconsistent and otherwise undesirable timeslots. In the final years of the contract, the NHRA attempted to structure selected events so that they could be televised live; by the 2015 season, at least six events were broadcast live using the TNN model from 1992 to 2000.
[
In July 2015, ESPN and the NHRA agreed to end their contract one year early, with the association citing ESPN's scheduling issues as a concern. In turn, the NHRA announced a new television deal with ]Fox Sports
Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
beginning in the 2016 season. Coverage primarily airs on the FS1 and FS2 cable channels, while 4 events per-season are aired on the Fox broadcast network (including the flagship U.S. Nationals). Fox committed to televising live Sunday coverage from at least 16 of the 23 events per-season, two-hour qualification broadcasts and encores (including the condensed highlights program ''NHRA in 30''), and coverage of selected Sportsman Series events. NHRA president Peter Clifford explained that the deal would be a "game-changer" for the association, citing Fox's history of motorsports coverage (such as NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
), as well as its commitment to increased coverage of NHRA events, including live network television coverage.
During the first two years of the contract, Fox had achieved an average viewership of 600,000 viewers—a major increase over ESPN's broadcasts. Some events had attracted an audience of over 1 million. The association's chief content officer Ken Adelson cited favorable scheduling practices (including better time slots and additional encores, as well as using NASCAR broadcasts as a lead-in), and increased promotion of the event broadcasts as part of FS1 and FS2's programming, as having helped build their audience.
The NHRA renewed its contract with Fox in 2021, and while expanding network television coverage, the contract involves more tape-delayed races during the Fox half of the NASCAR season to not conflict with NASCAR Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the NASCAR, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, ...
events, designed to air after the conclusion of such events from February until June), and a split broadcast race that airs at live at 2 PM ET or delayed at 5 PM depending on market during the NFL season on a Fox NFL single-game weekend.
Notes
References
External links
Official website
Official NHRA Drag Racing Podcasts
Drag Race Central
The Latest NHRA News and Analysis
{{NHRA dragstrips
Recurring sporting events established in 1965
Drag racing events
Series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used i ...