INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 6, 2026) – NHRA announced the season schedule for the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, featuring a host of special events in 2026 as Summit Racing Equipment returns as the title sponsor of the popular racing league for youth ages 5-17.
Now in its 34th year entering the NHRA’s 75th anniversary season, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League provides an impressive platform for young racers to perform at a high level and will feature eight-car shootouts that take place at eight 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 12-13 and the Right Trailers NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Eastern Conference Finals on July 16-18 at Bristol Dragway. The Jr. Drag Racing League will also compete in the divisional finals across the seven NHRA divisions.
The eight-car shootouts debuted four years ago and the eight races will take place at NHRA national events across all seven divisions, including both stops at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. As part of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season, winners of the shootout will receive a diamond 75th anniversary Wally.
“NHRA is excited to incorporate the Summit Racing Equipment Jr. Drag Racing league into its 75th anniversary in 2026,” NHRA Sportsman Manager Jason Galvin said. “For as much as this season will be about celebrating where we’ve come from, it is equally important to set the tone for the next 75 years and beyond. The stars of the Jr. Drag Racing league will continue to push the sport to higher levels well into the future.
“We are also thrilled to bring these cars and drivers to multiple new events in 2026, giving new NHRA fans a glimpse into the future.”
The eight-car races begin with the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on April 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, serving as a make-up race for last year’s rain out in Pomona. The final round takes place on Sunday and will be included on the television broadcast during eliminations on FS1, with racers running alongside drivers in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. In addition to the television spotlight, the event winner will take part in the parade of champions.
The special eight-car shootouts will also take place in Division 1 at the NHRA Potomac Nationals on May 29-31 at Maryland International Raceway, in Division 2 at the NHRA Southern Nationals on May 1-3 at South Georgia Motorsports Park, in Division 3 at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 25-28 at Summit Motorsports Park, in Division 4 during the Stampede of Speed at the Texas NHRA FallNationals on Oct. 14-18, in Division 5 at the NHRA Brainerd Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway on Aug. 20-23, in Division 6 at the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals on July 24-26 at Pacific Raceways, and in Division 7 at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on Nov. 12-15 in Pomona.
Other annual highlights in the series are the annual conference finals events. Texas Motorplex will host the Right Trailers NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League Western Conference Finals for the third time on June 12-13. Bristol Dragway remains a staple for the Eastern Conference Finals with racing slated for July 16-18. Each event’s schedule includes a full slate of racing activities, culminating in the crowning of eight individual champions.
The division championship competition was impressive last year 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 Summit E.T. Finals. All seven divisions will host a season championship points series throughout their season and complete schedules are available at jrdragster.nhra.com.
NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League 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, Jasmine Salinas and Justin Ashley; Funny Car driver J.R. Todd; Pro Stock competitors Deric Kramer and Chris McGaha; Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Gaige Herrera and many more.
For more information on the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, please visit http://jrdragster.nhra.com/. For more information on NHRA, including the 2026 schedule, please visit www.NHRA.com.
About NHRA
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 NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ 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 more than 100 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.
