NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

With track-drying equipment deployed across the racing surface, the NHRA Simpson Safety Safari continues its relentless battle against the spritzing September sky. Every pass of the jet dryers, sweepers, track-drying machines, and Ram trucks moves the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals presented by MOPAR closer to the roar of 12,000-horsepower nitro engines.

The same determination is visible throughout the pits.

Race teams aren’t sitting idle while the Safety Safari works. Crew chiefs are studying weather data and considering combinations for conditions that could be dramatically different when they get on track. Crew members are keeping their cars prepared to roll toward the staging lanes at a moment’s notice.

When the call comes, there will be no time to ease into the day. The first cars down the track will give crew chiefs critical information, and every team will have to react quickly. In the Countdown to the Championship, each round carries enormous implications, and no one wants to be caught unprepared when an opportunity to race opens.

Saturday showed exactly what is possible. The weather tested us all, the Safety Safari delivered a race-ready surface, and the fans were rewarded with a memorable day of qualifying.

Now, everyone at U.S. 131 is working toward doing it again. The Safety Safari is battling the weather, the teams are standing ready, and the collective focus remains unchanged: Be prepared to go racing the instant the window opens.