ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 28, 2023) – The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series gallops into the Texas Motorplex to conclude the third annual Stampede of Speed with the main event of the 10-day event, the 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals on Oct. 12.-15. The stakes will be high as the second half of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs takes place at the fan-favorite event in Dallas.
The 19th event of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season is the fourth event of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, and it promises to deliver all the thrilling 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph race action fans have enjoyed for nearly four decades at the legendary Texas Motorplex.
An extra element of excitement will also return to the Texas NHRA FallNationals with the addition of “Friday Night Live,” which offers more than $40,000 in bonus money to the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The low qualifier under the lights on Friday at the famed Texas Motorplex will net Top Fuel and Funny Car stars $15,000 each in bonus money, with $7,500 going to the quickest qualifier in Pro Stock and $5,000 in Pro Stock Motorcycle. That leads into final qualifying on Saturday and championship Sunday, where winners will be crowned at the legendary facility to close out a memorable weekend of adrenaline-filled action.
Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana Jr. (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home victories last season. This year’s race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1) as the playoffs heat up for NHRA drivers.
Top Fuel standout Ashley claimed his second consecutive Texas NHRA FallNationals win last year when he defeated Austin Prock in the final round. Ashley has been hot this season with six wins to his credit. If he wants to claim an NHRA world championship, he’ll need to get past current points leader Doug Kalitta, who has won the first two races in the Countdown to the Championship, Texas native Steve Torrence, defending world champion Brittany Force, Leah Pruett and Antron Brown.
Reigning Funny Car world champion Capps defeated Matt Hagan in the 2022 Dallas final, giving Capps his second consecutive Dallas win and third from the facility. Capps then went on to claim his third NHRA championship and second in a row. If he wants to make it three Dallas wins in a row, he’ll need to power past current points leader Robert Hight, Bob Tasca III, who won the most recent race to pull within 25 points of Hight, Hagan, John Force, J.R. Todd and Texan Chad Green.
Enders, a Texas native, wowed fans all throughout 2022 by collecting 10 NHRA titles en route to her fifth Pro Stock world championship. One of those 10 victories was her 2022 Texas NHRA FallNationals win, helping her clinch a championship a race later. If the Texan will want to earn her third Dallas win, she’ll need to get past points leader Matt Hartford, who holds a four-point lead over Enders, Troy Coughlin Jr., Dallas Glenn, who is 15 points out of first, Charlotte 2 winner Greg Anderson and Kyle Koretsky.
Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Arana Jr. picked up his first win from Dallas last year when he took down Jerry Savoie, who has three wins from the facility, in the final round. Arana has one win on the 2023 season and is currently sitting third in the NHRA points standings. Leading the way is points leader Gaige Herrera, who has seven wins this season. Also hot in the mix is Eddie Krawiec, defending world champ Matt Smith, rookie Chase Van Sant and Angie Smith.
The Texas NHRA FallNationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as the penultimate race of the season in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown. The weekend will also include the Jr. Dragster Shootout, as well as a jet dragster and wheelstander exhibition after nitro qualifying on Friday.
Fans will also be treated to the JEG’s Allstar event, which pits sportsman racers from across the country against each other for the ultimate drag racing battle. The popular competition will take place at the famed Texas Motorplex for the first time and the unique specialty race is one of most highly-anticipated events of the year.
Race fans at Texas Motorplex can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the Texas NHRA FallNationals event winners.
Leading into the race, fans can take part in several events as part of the Stampede for Speed, including a cattle drive and Scott Palmer Nitro Sideshow (October 6), Stars Over Texas Festival (October 7-8), celebrity media race and stampede warmup (October 9), Stampede of Speed Shootout (October 10), NHRA Fall Nationals professional testing (October 11), Champions’ Dinner (October 11, 6pm) and the NHRA FanFest in downtown Waxahachie (October 12), where fans can meet and get autographs from all the top stars in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.
Fans are invited to the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, which will help create a festive atmosphere leading into Nitro Alley. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets and much more. As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food, and fun.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 13, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 16. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday and as well as action from eliminations at 3 p.m.
To purchase tickets to the Texas NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex, call 800-668-6775 or visit tickets.texasmotorplex.com. Children 12 and under are admitted free in general admissions areas with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.
About Camping World Holdings, Inc.
Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.campingworld.com.
About NHRA
Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
