DINWIDDIE, Va. (April 2, 2024) – NHRA officials announced today a schedule change for the upcoming Virginia NHRA Nationals, as all three qualifying sessions in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will now take place on Saturday, June 22, leading into eliminations the following day at Virginia Motorsports Park.
The two-day NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event will feature three qualifying sessions on the same day in the professional categories (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle) for the first time, giving fans an unbelievable day of action and excitement heading into Sunday eliminations at the ninth of 20 races during the 2024 season. Official times for Saturday’s three qualifying sessions and Sunday’s first round of eliminations will be released next week.
NHRA worked closely with the race teams to help offer a new experience for the fans at the Virginia event.
Racing action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, featuring some of the sport’s top drivers, will begin on Friday, June 21.
This year’s Virginia NHRA Nationals marks the first NHRA race at the standout facility since 2022, as fans at Virginia Motorsports Park, regarded as one of the quickest and fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit, will also see the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge for the first time during the last two qualifying sessions on Saturday. The Challenge is a unique bonus event that brings competitive racing to Saturday and offers a bonus purse and bonus championship points.
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) won during NHRA’s last appearance at Virginia Motorsports Park, capping off a record-setting weekend at the facility and giving fans a glimpse at what could happen in 2024. Racing on one of the smoothest surfaces on the NHRA tour, Force shattered the track record with a run of 3.654-seconds at a track-best 335.82 mph.
Reigning Funny Car world champion and Virginia native Matt Hagan of Tony Stewart Racing set both ends of the track record with an impressive blast of 3.853, also going 335.82, while Angie Smith broke track records in Pro Stock Motorcycle with a run of 6.756 at 201.37. Larry “Spiderman” McBride also captivated fans in Virginia in 2022 at his home track in Top Fuel Motorcycle, going 268.38 mph and making the fastest motorcycle pass in drag racing history.
Fans will also get a chance to see Pro Stock and defending world champion Erica Enders at VMP for the first time since 2019, as well as racing legend Tony Stewart, who is making his Top Fuel debut in 2024.
Along with action in all four NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series categories, fans can also enjoy racing in the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock and Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle, providing two days of non-stop entertainment.
To purchase tickets to the Virginia NHRA Nationals, visit www.nhra.com/tickets. For more information about the NHRA, including the 2024 schedule, visit www.NHRA.com.
About Mission Foods
MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.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 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. 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 110 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.
