Date equity in all sports is paramount, because participants, from teams, to suppliers, to officials, media and fans need to lock in their plans. As tracks mutate over time, some opening, others closing, the National Hot Rod Association has had to make some adjustments to its scheduling in order to adapt to these changes.
For the third consecutive season, the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals will begin the 2025 campaign, which is once again a 20-race schedule. The 55th Gatornationals are set for early March (March 6-9) and precede a four-race romp through the United States’ western arena.
The 40th annual Arizona Nationals are next up at Firebird Motorsports Park two weeks later, March 21-23, while the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals again take place in spring, March 27-30 on the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.
Following the Winternationals, NHRA’s two four-wide contests are on the docket, with the 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals scheduled for The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 11-13 and then the 15th annual NHA 4-Wide Nationals on zMAX Dragway’s strip, scheduled April 25-27 in Charlotte, NC.
Route 66 Raceway is the next stop for NHRA’s Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the 25th occasion this track has hosted the series for its Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals, presented by PEAK Performance. The event, set for May 16-18 is a must-see for Chicago-area fans.
The next back-to-back races occur the first part of June, with the 12th annual New England NHRA Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, NH on May 30-June 1, followed a week later by NHRA’s meeting at the beautifully scenic Bristol Dragway, hosting the 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 6-8.
There will be repeat of the two-day Virginia NHRA Nationals when NHRA returns to Virginia Motorsports Park for a fifth annual occasion, with next year’s event set for June 20-22. As with its 2024 race, the Virginia contest is comprised of two days for professional categories, with three rounds of qualifying on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday. This Virginia race leads to the fan favorite 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, to be held June 26-29 at Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH.
NHRA again has a short scheduling break before heading to the Seattle, WA area for the 36th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, scheduled July 18-20 and followed a week later by the 37th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, held on the scenic, winery-adjacent Sonoma Raceway dragstrip July 25-27. The penultimate race of the regular season falls in its traditional spot, as the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals take place August 14-17 at Brainerd International Raceway, acknowledged by participants and fans as one of the most unique experiences on NHRA’s country-wide tour.
After that it’s time for the “regular season” finale, the Big Go on Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park’s dragstrip, as the 71st annual NHRA U.S. Nationals are set for Labor Day weekend, August 27-September 1. The U.S. Nationals is the pinnacle for this series and, since it ends the regular season before NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship, it’s a must-see, must-attend event, setting the scene for the Countdown.
A three-race start to the Countdown to the Championship mirrors this season’s scheduling, opening with the 40th annual NHRA Nationals September 11-14 on the Maple Grove Raceway dragstrip near Reading, PA, moving a week later to zMAX Dragway for their 17th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals (September 19-21) and then the 14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals at Wide World Technology Raceway outside St. Louis, MO, set for September 26-28.
Texas Motorplex’s fourth decade on the NHRA schedule complements the track’s week-long Stampede of Speed, which begins the prior to the 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, scheduled October 9-12.
The schedule concludes with its traditional two tracks closing out the Countdown to the Championship and the 2025 season: NHRA’s Nevada Nationals take place on Halloween weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, October 30-November 2. Two weeks later, Champions will be crowned in the four Mission Foods Drag Racing Series classes: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle, as NHRA’s professionals celebrate six decades of NHRA Finals action at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, with the 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, set for November 13-16.
Every race during the 2025 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series season airs exclusively on FOX Sports, with select events on the FOX broadcast network.
By Anne Proffit
2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Season Schedule
March 6-9: 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
March 21-23: 40th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Firebird Motorsports Park, Phoenix
March 27-30: 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pomona, Calif.
April 11-13: 25th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
April 25-27: 15th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte
May 16-18: 25th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, Route 66 Raceway, Chicago
May 30-June 1: 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals, New England Dragway, Epping, N.H.
June 6-8: 24th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
June 20-22: 5th annual Virginia NHRA Nationals, Virginia Motorsports Park, Richmond, Va. This will be a two-day pro event with three qualifying sessions on Saturday.
June 26-29: 19th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
July 18-20: 36th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways, Seattle
July 25-27: 37th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
Aug. 14-17: 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn.
Aug. 27-Sept. 1: 71st annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis
NHRA COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Sept. 11-14: 40th annual NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.
Sept. 19-21: 17th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte
Sept. 26-28: 14th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis
Oct. 9-12: 40th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas
Oct. 30-Nov. 2: 25th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
Nov. 13-16: 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pomona, Calif.
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