BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 27, 2026) – Tickets are on sale now for the 26th anniversary edition of the fan-favorite Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at historic Bristol Dragway, June 11-13, 2027, it was announced today by NHRA officials, who released their full 2027 season schedule.
The tradition-rich event at legendary Bristol Dragway is the eighth of 20 events in next year’s NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. NHRA announced it will celebrate the life and legacy of iconic Funny Car driver John Force, a 16-time NHRA world champion and also a four-time winner at Bristol Dragway.
Full details for the “50 Years of Force” celebrations, which will take place at all 20 races during the 2027 season, will be released in the coming weeks and months.
Force, 77, from Yorba Linda, Calif., is a 157-time winner on the NHRA circuit and posted a career-best speed of 337.33 mph during his famed career. He currently serves as team owner for John Force Racing and is the father of retired NHRA racers Ashley Force-Hood, Courtney Force and Brittany Force.
One of his biggest moments at Bristol Dragway came in 1999 during an exhibition race called the Winston No Bull Showdown when he drove his ‘Superman’ Funny Car to the $200,000 victory over Bob Vandergriff Jr.’s Top Fuel dragster in a much-hyped race featured Top Fuel dragsters vs. Funny Cars. Force was inducted into the Legends of Thunder Valley, Bristol Dragway’s Hall of Fame in 2016.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is headlined by jaw-dropping performances by the ultra-powerful Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars, as they routinely post performances in the 330-mph zone, covering 1,000-foot distances on the dragstrip in less than four seconds.
Motorsports icon Tony Stewart, who has won NASCAR and IndyCar championships and NHRA national event titles, is among the star drivers in the Top Fuel category, along with Antron Brown, Maddi Gordon, Leah Pritchett, Doug Kalitta, Shawn Langdon, Clay Millican and Tony Schumacher.
In Funny Car, eight-time Bristol winner Ron Capps leads the way in that 12,000-horsepower class where his rivals are Austin Prock, Jack Beckman, Alexis DeJoria, Jordan Vandergriff, J.R. Todd, Daniel Wilkerson, Cruz Pedregon and Virginia cattle rancher Matt Hagan, among others.
The series also showcases Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Greg Anderson, Matt Hartford, Erica Enders, Dallas Glenn and Jeg Coughlin Jr. pace the 200 mph doorslammer class, while Richard Gadson, Gaige Herrera, Matt Smith, Steve Johnson and Chase VanSant are the top contenders in the two-wheel category.
As always, every ticket is a pit pass, as fans are invited into the NHRA pro pits to watch the teams service their race cars between rounds. On Saturday evening, Bristol fans are treated to a massive driver autograph session in the pits at the conclusion of nitro qualifying. Prior to Sunday’s eliminations, there is a special fan track walk, pre-race ceremonies with driver introductions and the Legend of Thunder Valley presentation. After the race, fans are also encouraged to celebrate in the NHRA Winner’s Circle.
Tickets are available by calling Bristol Dragway at 866-415-4158 or click here to purchase your tickets online. For more information, please visit the NHRA website by clicking here.
About Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, known as The Last Great Colosseum, sits in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee near the Virginia state line. The 0.533-mile concrete oval, with 28-degree banking, hosts two major NASCAR Cup Series weekends each year, the tradition-rich Food City 500 and the crown jewel Bass Pro Shops Night Race. The venue has staged iconic moments such as the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol football game between the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech (NCAA-record 156,990 fans), the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds (MLB regular-season record crowd of 91,032), the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race, the rebirth of NASCAR Cup Series racing on dirt from 2021–2023 and sold-out concerts for Morgan Wallen and Kenny Chesney. Fans enjoy Colossus TV, the world’s largest outdoor center-hung four-sided screen video board. The adjacent Bristol Dragway is the home to the NHRA Super Grip Thunder Valley Nationals, and the dragway can transform into the Thunder Valley Amphitheatre for music concerts. Opened in 1961 and acquired by Speedway Motorsports in 1996, Bristol remains one of America’s most unique and versatile sports and entertainment destinations. For more information, please visit www.bristolmotorspeedway.com.
