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National Dragster season preview, big-news interviews and features kick off 2026

The January 2026 issue of NHRA National Dragster magazine, the annual Season Preview, is now online in digital format and in the mail in its traditional print format to NHRA Members around the world.
23 Jan 2026
NHRA National Dragster staff
News
Cover 01
READ THE ISSUEThe January 2026 issue of NHRA National Dragster magazine, the annual Season Preview, is now online in digital format and in the…
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More Martin memories

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will come to Martin, Mich., and U.S. 131 Motorsports Park this year. Here's a look back to when the track hosted the prestigious Popular Hot Rodding Championships in the 1970s.
23 Jan 2026
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
US 131
Two weeks ago, we took a wonderful trip back a few decades to look at the history of the Popular Hot Rodding Championships, one of the…
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The Top 75 Moments in NHRA history: Revealing Moments 46-55

There have been hundreds of incredible moments in NHRA’s first 75 years, and the countdown of the greatest 75 Moments continues with the unveiling of Nos. 46 through 55 that span from the 1960s through 2025.
22 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
75 Moments
There have been hundreds of incredible moments in NHRA’s first 75 years, and the countdown of the greatest 75 Moments continues with the unveiling of Nos. 46 through 55 that span from the 1960s through 2025.After an online fan ballot that resulted…
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The Sports Report: Whitfield is motivated for another title run after near miss

Had things gone just a little differently, Kris Whitfield would be the 2025 Super Comp world champion, but he’s not the least bit bitter, just highly motivated for 2026.
22 Jan 2026
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
The Sports Report
Kris Whitfield
Kris Whitfield doesn’t lie in bed at night and dwell on things that might have been, but he does admit he felt a bit of a sting losing the 2025 NHRA Super Comp world title late in the season.Whitfield is well respected as one of the sport’s best big…
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NHRA hits the Big Apple to promote 75th Anniversary season, 'Chasing Speed' show

NHRA Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta and Funny Car world champ Austin Prock helped celebrate the start of NHRA’s 75th season and the debut of the "Chasing Speed" docuseries with a full day of media appearances in New York City.
21 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Austin Prock, Doug Kalitta and representatives from NHRA and VICE rang the Opening Bell at the NYSE 10
NHRA Top Fuel world champion Doug Kalitta and Funny Car world champ Austin Prock helped celebrate the start of NHRA’s 75th season and the debut of Chasing Speed by…
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Watch episode 1 of 'Chasing Speed'

Episode one of "Chasing Speed," a new six-part docuseries from VICE TV and the NHRA, premiered Wednesday night on VICE TV and is now available for free viewing here.
21 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Chasing Speed
Episode one of "Chasing Speed," a new six-part docuseries from VICE TV and the NHRA, premiered Wednesday night on VICE TV and is now available for free viewing here.From 340-plus-mph record runs to championship battles fought one pass at a time,…
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Kalitta, Prock lead NHRA, VICE TV in ringing New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell

In celebration of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season and the premiere of the VICE TV docuseries "Chasing Speed," NHRA world champions Doug Kalitta and Austin Prock and representatives from NHRA and VICE had the honor of ringing The Opening Bell on Wednesday at the New York Stock Exchange.
21 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
The Opening Bell
In celebration of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season and the premiere of the VICE TV docuseries Chasing Speed, NHRA world champions Doug Kalitta and Austin Prock and representatives from NHRA and VICE had the honor of ringing the Opening Bell on…
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Maddi Gordon talks 2026 Top Fuel, Prock news, Bristol news, and more

On this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast powered by Speedmaster, Maddi Gordon joins host Brian Lohnes to talk about the final preparations for her Top Fuel debut in 2026, and Lohnes also shares Prock family news and massive facility upgrades.
21 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
NHRA Insider podcast
NHRA Insider
 On this episode of the NHRA Insider podcast powered by Speedmaster, Maddi Gordon joins host Brian Lohnes to talk about the final preparations for her Top Fuel debut in 2026, moving into the role of being a Professional full-time driver, her…
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Todd Lesenko reunites with Jim Dunn Racing for 2026 NHRA season

Todd Lesenko will pilot the Jim Dunn Racing team’s Funny Car for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Lesenko competed in the NHRA Funny Car class in 2012 for Jim Dunn Racing, so 2026 marks a homecoming.
21 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Todd Lesenko
Todd Lesenko will pilot the Jim Dunn Racing team’s Funny Car for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.A native of Edmonton, Alta., Lesenko competed in the NHRA Funny Car class in 2012 for Jim Dunn Racing, so 2026 marks a homecoming…
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Which five drivers might steal Doug Kalitta's Top Fuel crown in 2026?

For the second time in three years, Doug Kalitta will enter the season as the reigning NHRA Top Fuel champ. Which five drivers have the best shot at unseating him and why? We've got some suggestions.
21 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Top 5 Lists
Top Fuel
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Austin Prock and team preparing for the next chapter of their story

The recent announcement that two-time Funny Car champ Austin Prock and his family team signed to race with Bob Tasca III this season was the capper of an offseason of drama, and for the first time, Prock has opened up to discuss the transition.
20 Jan 2026
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
News
Austin Prock
One of the most unexpected dramas of the NHRA offseason began when two-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car world champion Austin Prock and his family-led team made the shocking decision to leave their longtime home at John Force…
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Amalie Motor Oil returns as title sponsor for NHRA Gatornationals to open season

Amalie Motor Oil will continue as the title sponsor of this year’s 57th annual NHRA Gatornationals to open NHRA’s historic 75th Anniversary season.
20 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Gatornationals
Amalie Motor Oil will continue as the title sponsor of this year’s 57th annual NHRA Gatornationals to open NHRA’s historic 75th Anniversary season.The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will take place March 5-8 at legendary Gainesville Raceway,…
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Jon Schaffer named crew chief for Paul Lee’s Funny Car team

Veteran tuner Jon Schaffer has been named crew chief for the Paul Lee Racing Funny Car entry in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and will be assisted by Seth Randall.
20 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Jon Schaffer
Veteran tuner Jon Schaffer has been named crew chief for the Paul Lee Racing Funny Car entry in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.Schaffer will lead the team alongside longtime consultant John Medlen and assistant crew chief Seth Randall,…
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Kalitta, Hagan, Line, Krawiec, Bellemeur named to Top 75 Drivers list

Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, Jason Line, Eddie Krawiec, and Sean Bellemeur are the newest additions to NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list, which is part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season. Fifteen of the 25 new additions have now been announced.
19 Jan 2026
Top 75 Drivers
Doug Kalitta, Matt Hagan, Jason Line, Eddie Krawiec, and Sean Bellemeur are the newest additions to NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list, which is part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season. The five drivers join Tony Schumacher, Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Robert…
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Five of the biggest NHRA Drag Racing innovations

The history of NHRA Drag Racing is filled with mechanical innovations, and a list of them could be 5,000 items long, but we're going to stick to five from the time period of the early '50s to the early '70s.
19 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Top 5 Lists
Five of the biggest NHRA Drag Racing innovations
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Middle Georgia Sports Park set to join NHRA Member Track Network

Middle Georgia Sports Park has joined the NHRA Member Track Network in NHRA’s Southeast Division. Located in Jeffersonville, Ga., the track is a standout eighth-mile dragstrip with a strong contingent of local racers.
16 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Middle Georgia Sports Park
Middle Georgia Sports Park has joined the NHRA Member Track Network in NHRA’s Southeast Division (Division 2).Located in Jeffersonville, Ga., Middle Georgia Sports Park is a standout eighth-mile dragstrip with a strong contingent of local racers.…
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Major updates continue at Rockingham in advance of first national event

Work is racing along at famed Rockingham Dragway in advance of the track’s first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, the NHRA Nationals at The Rock, set for Sept. 25–27.
16 Jan 2026
Rockingham
Work is racing along at famed Rockingham Dragway in advance of the track’s first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, the NHRA Nationals at The Rock, set for Sept. 25–27. The latest improvements include new concrete starting-line pads to…
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Track renovations and upgrades ongoing at Maryland Int’l Raceway

There are currently numerous renovation projects ongoing at Maryland Int’l Raceway, the host track for the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals May 29-31.
15 Jan 2026
Kevin McKenna, NHRA National Dragster Senior Editor
News
Maryland
On May 29-31, 2026, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will visit the state of Maryland for the first time at the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals. In advance of the landmark event, Maryland Int’l Raceway has been a beehive of activity this…
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Prock team will compete in Tasca Racing Ford Funny Car in 2026 season

Two-time NHRA Funny Car world champion Austin Prock and his family-led crew will join Tasca Racing to wheel its Ford Mustang in the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. In a related move, team owner Bob Tasca III will sit out the 2026 season to support the new partnership.
15 Jan 2026
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
News
Austin Prock
Two-time and reigning NHRA Funny Car world champion Austin Prock and his family-led crew will join Tasca Racing to wheel its Ford Mustang during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. The announcement was made live on stage at the 2026 Ford…
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Darrell Gwynn’s legendary Top Fuel dragster on the Mecum auction block

Former NHRA Top Fuel star Darrell Gwynn’s Coors Extra Gold Top Fuel dragster will cross the Mecum Auctions block at The World's Largest Collector Car Auction Jan. 15. The car is scheduled to go on the auction block between 4 and 6 p.m. Eastern.
14 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Darrell Gwynn
Former NHRA Top Fuel star Darrell Gwynn’s Coors Extra Gold Top Fuel dragster will cross the Mecum Auctions block at The World's Largest Collector Car Auction Jan. 15. The car is scheduled to go on the auction block between 4 and 6 p.m. Eastern.The…
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The Top 75 Moments in NHRA history: Revealing Moments 56-65

The first all-female Top Fuel final, the formation of the NHRA Safety Safari, Don Prudhomme's first win, and Steve Torrence's six-race sweep of the 2018 Countdown to the Championship playoffs are among 10 new additions to the list of Top 75 Moments in NHRA history.
14 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
75 Moments
The first all-female Top Fuel final, the formation of the NHRA Safety Safari, Don Prudhomme's first win, and Steve Torrence's six-race sweep of the 2018 Countdown to the Championship playoffs are among 10 new additions to the list of Top 75 Moments…
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Detroit lights the fuse ahead of NHRA’s 75th season

How the Motor City’s announcements this week echo a relationship that has defined American performance since the very beginning.
14 Jan 2026
David Kennedy
News
Detroit lights the fuse ahead of NHRA’s 75th season
The launch of the NHRA’s 2026 season—and its landmark 75th anniversary—will have a thousand beginnings. Some will come with a car taking a green light, some with trophy presentations, some with headlines. The news this week is breaking in the Motor…
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That One Thing: How 2025’s contenders become 2026 champions, Part 2

In this second installment, we’ll look at Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle to see The One Thing that might allow last year's second- and third-place finishers to potentially unseat world champs Dallas Glenn and Richard Gadson, respectively.
14 Jan 2026
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
Feature
That One Thing
What’s the difference between a world champion and a second- or third-place finisher? The numbers tell us a lot and that’s why we decided to take a dive into them, specifically into 2025's championship runners-up, looking for was a single element a…
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Headline Makers and Writers: Will Smith, Buddy Hull, and Kevin McKenna

On this supersized, three-guest episode of the NHRA Insider podcast powered by Speedmaster, NHRA National Dragster's Kevin McKenna, Bluebird Turf Top Fuel driver Will Smith, and Funny Car stalwart Buddy Hull join the show to talk 2026 in all forms and fashions.
13 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
NHRA Insider podcast
NHRA Insider
 On this supersized, three-guest episode of the NHRA Insider podcast powered by Speedmaster, NHRA National Dragster's Kevin McKenna, Bluebird Turf Top Fuel driver Will Smith, and Funny Car stalwart Buddy Hull join the show to talk 2026…
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Top 5 Storylines for 2026

The start of the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season is still about two months away, but the storylines for the season are already being set. Here's a look at five big stories we'll be following.
13 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
Top 5 Lists
Top 5 Storylines
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Scott Okuhara named co-crew chief on Bluebird Turf Top Fuel team

Scott Okuhara has been named co-crew chief on the recently added Will Smith-driven Bluebird Turf/Top Fuel team, joining Glen Huszar.
12 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Scott Okuhara
Scott Okuhara has been named co-crew chief on the recently added Bluebird Turf/Will Smith Top Fuel team, joining Glen Huszar. This role marks a new title for Okuhara, who has previously served as car chief for many notable teams across the NHRA pits…
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Brown, Capps, Anderson, Smith, Fletcher newest additions to Top 75 Drivers list

Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Greg Anderson, Matt Smith, and Dan Fletcher have been announced as the second group of new members of NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list. Five new additions to the prestigious list will be unveiled each Monday through Feb. 2.
12 Jan 2026
NHRA National Dragster staff
News
Top 75 Drivers
Antron Brown, Ron Capps, Greg Anderson, Matt Smith, and Dan Fletcher have been announced as the second group of new members of NHRA’s Top 75 Drivers list. Five new additions to the prestigious list will be unveiled each Monday through Feb. 2. Tony…
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That One Thing: How 2025’s contenders become 2026 champions, Part 1

What will it take in 2026 for Shawn Langdon and Justin Ashley in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman in Funny Car to go from 2025 title contenders to world champions this season?
12 Jan 2026
Brian Lohnes, NHRA on FOX announcer
Feature
That One Thing
Professional drag racing teams are as complex as any other pro-level sporting outfit. There are the things you can see in terms of how a team carries itself, and there are the things you cannot see, like chemistry, inter-personal relationships, and…
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American Communications Construction, Aloha Beauty Lounge extend with Schumacher through 2032 season

American Communications Construction and Aloha Beauty Lounge have each extended their primary sponsorship of NHRA Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher and the No. 15 Top Fuel dragster he pilots for Rick Ware Racing through the 2032 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
09 Jan 2026
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News
Tony Schumacher
Texas-based American Communications Construction (ACC) and Aloha Beauty Lounge have each extended their primary sponsorship of NHRA Top Fuel driver Tony Schumacher and the No. 15 Top Fuel dragster he pilots for Rick Ware Racing (RWR) through the…
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The Popular Hot Rodding Championships put U.S. 131 in the national spotlight

The news that NHRA would be hosting its first national event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich., brought back fond memories of the Popular Hot Rodding Championships, one of the sport's top independent races, which was held in the 1970s and '80s at U.S. 131. Here's a look back.
09 Jan 2026
Phil Burgess, NHRA National Dragster Editor
Popular Hot Rodding Championships
The news that NHRA would be hosting its first national event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Mich., thrilled me to the bone. Back in the days when major match races equaled and sometimes even outshined certain national events, there were a…
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