INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 4, 2026) – The weekend after the world’s biggest drag race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Tom Bayer’s School of Drag Racing will host a special two-day licensing class in Indianapolis on Sept. 11-12.
The well-renowned school, which started more than 25 years ago, will also hold a two-day licensing class at Famoso Dragstrip on Oct. 15-16 in Bakersfield, Calif., offering participants a marquee opportunity to earn their NHRA competition license.
The two-day class in Indy takes place just after the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals on Sept. 2-7, giving students a chance to license and learn the sport of NHRA drag racing just after the most prestigious race in the sport.
The classes are designed for everyone from beginners in the sport to established racers, helping experienced drivers improve and giving newcomers the chance to become NHRA licensed racers and competitive drivers.
The two-day program at Tom Bayer’s School of Drag Racing includes detailed and comprehensive classroom training to learn drag racing fundamentals and safety, as well as one-on-one instruction. Participants will also get to drive and license in a 150-mph dragster, building up to an eight-second run over the course of six passes to earn their license under expert supervision from Bayer and his team.
Bayer and his team have extensive experience in NHRA drag racing, bringing more than four decades of expertise to the track. He’s enjoyed impressive success on the track, too, as a multi-time NHRA event winner in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, while his students have had significant accomplishments over the years as well.
The two-day event at Famoso Dragstrip takes place the weekend before another major event, with the California Hot Rod Reunion – featuring the thrilling Nitro Revival – taking place at the standout facility on Oct. 23-25.
For more information on Tom Bayer’s School of Drag Racing, visit www.tombayersschoolofdragracing.com. For more information on NHRA, including the full 2026 schedule, 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 JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports 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 presented by Hoosier 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.
