NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

NHRA has announced the season schedule for the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, featuring a host of special events in 2025 as Summit Racing Equipment also returns as the title sponsor of the popular racing league for youth ages 5-17.

Celebrating its 33rd year, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League provides a great platform for young racers to perform at a high level and will again feature eight-car shootouts that take place at seven different NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national events, as well as the popular Right Trailers NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Western Conference Finals at the Texas Motorplex on June 12-14 and the Right Trailers NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals on July 17-19 at Bristol Dragway. The Jr. Drag Racing League will also compete in the divisional finals across the seven NHRA divisions.

Summit Racing Equipment continues to be a longtime supporter of the series, which continues to grow at an impressive rate.
 
“The NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League continues to be an incredible program for young racers, and Summit Racing Equipment is proud to continue as the title sponsor of the category,” said Jim Greenleaf, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports & Events manager. “All of these special events, from the national shootouts to the divisional finals and the conference finals, have created great platforms for these Jr. drag racing competitors to shine.”
 
The eight-car shootouts debuted three years ago and will take place at NHRA national events across all seven divisions, beginning with the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on April 25-27 at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. The final round takes place on Sunday and will be included on the television broadcast during eliminations on FS1, with racers running alongside the stars in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
 
In addition to the television spotlight, the event winner will take part in the parade of championships, giving the sport’s rising stars an opportunity to be recognized at the track and on NHRA.tv.
 
The special eight-car shootouts for the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League will also take place at Pacific Raceways in Seattle on July 18-20, Brainerd International Raceway on Aug. 14-17, Maple Grove Raceway on Sept. 11-14, World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis on Sept. 26-26, Texas Motorplex in Dallas on Oct. 9-12, and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip on Nov. 13-16.
 
Another annual highlight are the conference finals events. Texas Motorplex will host the Right Trailers NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Western Conference Finals for the second time on June 12-14. Bristol Dragway continues as the site of the Eastern Conference Finals with racing slated for July 17-19. Each event’s schedule includes a full slate of racing activities, culminating in the crowning of eight individual champions.
  
The division championship competition continues to grow at a strong rate as well, with all seven divisions hosting a Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Division Finals. Division 2 and Division 6 finals in the category will take place in conjunction with the NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals. All seven divisions will host a season championship points series throughout their season, and complete schedules are available at jrdragster.nhra.com.

“We’re thrilled to announce all of the great events the NHRA has in store for our Summit Jr. Drag Racing League competitors in 2025,” said Jason Galvin, NHRA Sportsman Racing manager. “This program continues to be the base for everything we do in drag racing. Some of the brightest stars in NHRA started in a Jr. Dragster – Shawn Langdon, Erica Enders, Leah Pruett, Justin Ashley – and we know the next wave of Sportsman and Professional racers come from these ranks as well. The support of major companies like Summit, helping to give these racers a spotlight during national events, and Right Trailers, with their continued support of the two Conference Finals events, will ensure our youngest competitors have an even bigger spotlight in 2025 and beyond.”
 
NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League competitors' race cars, called Jr. Dragsters, are half-scale versions of the iconic Top Fuel dragsters. They go as fast as 85 mph and as quick as 7.90 seconds in the eighth-mile using a five-horsepower, single-cylinder engine, though younger age groups are restricted to slower times and speeds.
 
Since its start in 1992, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League has provided a place for young racers to compete and been the start for many top NHRA Professional drivers. The list includes world champions like Pro Stock’s Erica Enders and Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon, who won a JDRL national championship in 1997, as well as standouts such as Top Fuel’s Leah Pruett and Justin Ashley; Funny Car driver J.R. Todd; Pro Stock competitors Deric Kramer and Chris McGaha; Pro Stock Motorcycle riders Gaige Herrera, Cory Reed, and many more.
 
For more information on the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, please visit http://jrdragster.nhra.com/.