West Central Division News

During the 2025 season, Michael Chitty was on a mission. Not only did he represent the West Central Division as the JEGS Allstars representative, but he also traveled the country in pursuit of a bigger goal—capturing the Circus Motorsports Top Sportsman Championship for West Central Division 5. Chitty set the tone early in the season with a commanding victory at the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at No Problem Raceway. He followed that performance with a runner-up finish

Defending Fineline Graphics/Madcap Racing Engines Top Dragster Champion Trevor Larson entered the 2025 season on a clear mission: defend his 2024 title—and if possible, add to it. By season’s end, Larson had done exactly that, capturing not one but two West Central Division 5 championships. Along with successfully defending his Fineline Graphics Madcap Racing Engines Top Dragster title, Larson added the 2025 Super Gas Championship to an already impressive résumé.  Larson’s Su

The celebration begins Friday night as the 2025 West Central Division 5 Champions Weekend  officially kicks off with the Laris Motorsports Insurance Happy Hour & Practice Tree Race  at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel. This fun, laid-back evening is designed to bring racers, families, and friends together before a weekend dedicated to honoring the very best in the West Central Division. The event is proudly supported by Laris Motorsports Insurance , whose continued commitment

During the 2025 NHRA season, the West Central Division 5 once again lived up to its High & Mighty reputation, producing champions who consistently performed at the highest level of competition. Among those standouts was Kris Whitfield of Littleton, Colorado, whose season was defined by consistency, determination, and elite performance in NHRA’s Super Comp category.  Whitfield put together an outstanding Super Comp campaign, capturing the 2025 NHRA West Central Division 5 Supe

The Super Stock category in the NHRA West Central Division 5 delivered one of the most thrilling points battles of the 2025 season, making it one of the most exciting classes to watch from start to finish. With tight margins and constant pressure among the top contenders, every round carried championship implications, and the title fight remained undecided until the final events of the year. When the dust settled, just 23 points separated the top three finishers, highlighting

The 2025 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season in the West Central Division 5 delivered another thrilling championship battle in Stock Eliminator, and when the final points were tallied, Logan Wernet of Mason City, Iowa, emerged as the division champion. Piloting his wheel-standing ’62 Plymouth Belvedere (E/SA), Wernet put together an impressive and consistent season. His championship run included one divisional victory, one semi-final appearance, and two quarterfinal fini

Reminder to verify grade points for 2026 With entries to the 2026 Gatornationals and FMP Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs opening on January 7 and NHRA offices closed December 22-January 2, racers are urged to verify their grade point level prior to the holiday break. Any discrepancy should be brought to the attention of your division office for verification.

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 11, 2025) – Heading into its 75th anniversary season, NHRA has announced the full category schedule for all racing classes that will compete in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national events during the highly anticipated celebratory 2026 campaign.   Along with the full category schedule, NHRA also announced purse increase payouts of nearly 15 percent at national events for racers in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series

In advance of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary celebration in 2026, NHRA has created commemorative new logos for each of its seven geographical divisions, the first update to iconic logos in decades and one that represents a unified design without losing the individuality that racers and fans have associated with their home divisions for decades. Each of the logos still continue the division’s familiar mottos – “We Are #1 for Division 1; Second to None” for Division 2; “Land of the Wi

The 2025 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season in the West Central Division delivered unforgettable moments, fierce competition, and a championship battle defined by perseverance. At the center of it all was Dan Smith , who refused to let adversity derail his championship pursuit. With 408 points , Smith secured the 2025 Division 5 Super Street Championship , overcoming one of the most challenging paths of any racer in the category. A Season Defined by Determination Smith’

As we reach the end of the 2025 race season, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the great sponsors in the West Central Division that help make this all possible. Across our Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Summit ET Series, Jr. Drag Racing League and our Champion’s Banquet, we have so many great companies dedicated to growing the sport of drag racing across Division 5. Combining their passion with that of our amazing D5 Member Tracks and some of the hardest working

Update- November 12th, 2025 at 2:51pm (PST) Good Afternoon Lucas Series Racers,  Due to the unfavorable forecast this weekend, the decision has been made to go directly into Round 1 of Eliminations tomorrow morning, November 13th, for STK, SS, SC, and SG. The intention is to run the event to completion tomorrow in these categories. While an unpopular decision for all concerned, we feel this is the best course of action to complete the event and championships in your categorie

NEW EVENTS, DIVERSE SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHT ACTION-PACKED 2026 SEASON IN NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 7, 2025) – Set to celebrate its 75th anniversary season in 2026, NHRA is thrilled to announce the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule for the upcoming year. The series, which showcases the best and most decorated sportsman drivers in drag racing, will compete at standout facilities across the United States and Canada, and the schedule features several exc

NHRA, working in conjunction with our SRAC representatives and Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series host facilities, will be implementing a series of format and scheduling changes for the 2026 season.  These updates will help ensure the long-term success of TAD & TAFC racing across the country by creating opportunities for race teams of all budgets to compete for National and Regional Championships and increase field sizes for our Member Tracks and fans. Highlights include a 24-race

West Central Division 5’s own Nick Engler  — a paramedic and racer — became a true hero in the lanes at the NHRA Summit Racing  Series World Championship in Las Vegas. When a fellow racer was unresponsive, Nick immediately responded to the calls for help, found the racer then began CPR, and saved his life. Thanks to his quick actions and training, the racer has since made a full recovery. Nick was rightfully recognized as the Fire Department Coffee “Hero of the Race” for his

As the excitement builds for the NHRA Summit Racing Series World Championship  in Las Vegas, we caught up with D5 Super Pro Champion Tim Blatchford , who proudly represented Onawa Dragway  at the West Central Division Summit ET Finals . When asked what it meant to capture the Division 5 title, Tim shared: “I am so thrilled to be the Division 5 champ for Super Pro. It is a great event in my life. I couldn’t have done it without my family and friends. I am so honored to race in

We caught up with Pat Finder , who represented Cedar Falls Motorsports Park  after his incredible win at the West Central Division 5 Summit ET Finals!  Now, he’s gearing up to take on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway  for a shot at the Summit Racing Series NHRA World Championship! “I went into this race expecting nothing because every year I usually red light first round, and all summer I’d been on the losing side of some extremely close races. Even going into the final,

We asked Nick Engler (Brainerd International Raceway) what it meant to win the West Central Division 5 Summit ET Finals as he prepares to head to Las Vegas for the NHRA Summit Racing Series World Championship. Here’s what he shared 👇 “Winning the ET Finals means the world to my family and me, especially doing it in my late grandfather’s car that has been in our family since new (1969). Our family runs three generations deep into drag racing, and we’ve been going to the ET Fi

Each year the West Central Division crowns champion's in our Specialty Points Series' that are run in conjunction with each our Lucas Oil...

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