West Central Division News

The NHRA West Central Division 5 Summit Racing Equipment E.T. Finals presented by Hoosier Racing Tire visited SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend, Kansas for the first time and crowned champions in 13 categories. Andrew Cortese (Super Pro), Justin Hamel (Pro ET), Mason Randall (Sportsman) and Robert Williams (ET Motorcycle) led the Main Event winners, while racers in High School, Jr. Street, four Index categories and EV also took home championship honors. Kearney Raceway Park claime

Landmark, multi-year agreements will enable largest reach for NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events in NHRA’s 75-year history INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 30, 2026) – NHRA officials announced it has reached new, landmark multi-year media rights agreements for the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series with three standout distributors – FOX Sports, The CW Network and FloSports – positioning NHRA to enjoy the largest household reach in its 75-year history. Starting during the 2027

The NHRA West Central Division 5 Summit Racing Equipment E.T. Finals presented by Hoosier Racing Tire wrapped up at Tri-State Raceway with champions crowned in the Main Event and Race of Champions. Despite Mother Nature making the weekend a challenge, racers and teams came together to get the job done and determine who would leave Earlville with the hardware. From High School and Jr. Street to Super Pro, Pro ET, Sportsman and Motorcycle, the weekend showcased some of the best

Congratulations to our Best Appearing and Best Engineered Award winners from the West Central Division 5 Summit Racing Equipment E.T. Finals presented by Hoosier Racing Tire at Tri-State Raceway! ✨ Best Appearing Super Pro — Jim Higgins Pro ET — Kabren Jackson Sportsman — Shelly Kline Motorcycle — Jim Paulson High School — Dylan Medenwald 🔧 Best Engineered Car — Brad Baklund Motorcycle — Dave Primrose Congratulations to all of our award winners! Thank you for bringing some i

Great Bend, Kansas Event Schedule ​ Wednesday Parking: 12 pm to 8 pm Thursday Parking: 8 am to 8 pm Test n Tune: 12 pm to 6 pm Stacking Begins at 8 pm ​ Friday Time Trials: 8 am Race of Champions: 12 pm Gambler's Races: 2 pm ​ Saturday Final Time Trial: 8 am Eliminations

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 5, 2026) – NHRA officials announced today that Lucas Oil Products, the world leader and distributor of high-performance automotive additives and lubricants, has signed a long-term extension to continue as the title sponsor of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and “Official Oil of NHRA.” This season, NHRA and Lucas Oil celebrated a partnership that started 25 years ago as Lucas Oil remains a cornerstone and premier partner of NHRA, which is celebratin

Kearney Raceway Park has officially announced that September 13th will mark the end of their 2026 season, as a new racing surface installation is planned to begin later this month. The National Open, originally scheduled for October 24th, has been cancelled due to the construction. While missing out on an opportunity to return to KRP is disappointing, the West Central is excited for the facility and the team that has helped bring this to a reality. "Our D5 tracks continue t

The final stop for the West Central Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series with at Tri-State Raceway in Earlville, Iowa, September 11th-13th. As part of this event, we will be completing the remaining rounds from the May Divisional that was rained out in Earlville. The completion of the May event will also set the representatives for the 2026 Jeg's Allstars. In an effort to keep travel expenses and time off work to a minimum, we will complete the May event on Friday afternoon

The West Central Summit ET Finals, presented by Hoosier Racing Tire, is expanding in 2026, featuring an East and a West Event. Get all of the details now!

Motion Performance Raceway at Gimli Motorsports Park has joined the NHRA Member Track Network as part of the West Central Division (Division 5). Under new ownership, the revitalized facility, which is located in Gimli, Man., in Canada, has enjoyed a thrilling rebirth in 2026, recently holding a successful grand opening weekend Aug. 1-2. Over 100 cars showed up to their first event to see all the new improvements and put the track to the test, which Larry and Cale Crispe had

Based on feedback received from Top Dragster and Top Sportsman competitors across the country regarding field sizes, qualifying, and maximum dial-ins, NHRA will implement the following changes for the 2027 season. Field Sizes Field sizes will remain consistent with historical precedent, with each Division continuing to determine the field size for its LODRS events. For specific information regarding field sizes at individual events, please contact your Division Office or visi

July 24th-26th, 2026 The West Central National Open Series resumes the 2026 campaign in Eau Claire, Wisconsin this weekend for a Doubleheader event. Don't miss your chance to get your hands on a 75th Anniversary Wally and valuable grade points as we pass through the halfway point of the season. For more event information, please visit our Event Page

NHRA officials, alongside representatives from Summit Racing Equipment and Hoosier, have announced a unique opportunity for NHRA members across North America to earn a trip to the Summit Racing E.T. World Championship at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by racing at their home tracks this summer, as well as an impressive $30,000 Hoosier Prize Pool bonus fund across the E.T. Finals and World Championship in Las Vegas. The 16th and final spots in each of the four categorie

As part of the NHRA Heritage Series event, July 3rd & 4th at SRCA Dragstrip, Stock/Super Stock and Top Dragster/Top Sportsman racers will have the chance to earn grade points and an NHRA 75th Anniversary Wally in two classes. In addition to Heritage Top Fuel and Funny Car exhibitions, the return to the site of the first NHRA Nationals will also feature several Nostalgia classes along with a Stock/Super Stock Combo and Top Combo. Both categories will earn NHRA grade points an

Following the completion of Qualifying and some early rounds of eliminations, the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Tri-State Raceway was postponed until September 11th-14th, due to rain. Following a great first two days to start of the West Central's LODRS season, near constant rain through the morning and early afternoon on Sunday forced the postponement of the remainder of the event. LO51 will be completed during the final LODRS event back at Tri-State Raceway in Sept

Coming off another great event in 2025, Julesburg Drag Strip set to host D5's biggest Jr Dragster event The West Central JDRL Summit ET Finals will be returning to Julesburg Drag Strip, June 26th-28th, 2026. Open to all Jr. Dragster Racers from across the division, the three-day event will feature Warm-Up races, Big Money Races, and the Main Event with NHRA Wallys and Division Championships on the line! Friday will feature Test n Tune, followed by three Warm-Up events. Entr

The West Central returns to Great Bend and SRCA Dragstrip for the Inaugural Great American Hot Rod Classic Home of the First NHRA Nationals. Racers will be permitted to stay on-site between the GAHRC and the LODRS Classes NHRA Heritage Top Fuel Rocky Mountain Nostalgia NSS/AFX *RMNDR information can be found at: https://rmnostalgia.net/ Vintage Drag Racing Association (No Box ET) -Gasser -Flathead & Inline -Nostalgic Eliminator -Hot Rod (Pre-1974) *All VDRA classes are open

The NHRA West Central Division is excited to announce a brand-new specialty race for Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors at Tri-State Raceway — the inaugural Stock/Super Stock Super Combo Shootout. Set to debut during the upcoming LODRS event, this exciting new program will spotlight one of the most important skills in sportsman drag racing: reaction time. During Qualifying Session #2, Stock and Super Stock competitors will have the opportunity to enter the Shootout for

THUNDER ROAD RACEWAY SET TO JOIN NHRA MEMBER TRACK NETWORK STURGIS, S.D. (May 7, 2026) – NHRA officials are excited to announce that newly-reopened Thunder Road Raceway has joined the NHRA Member Track Network in NHRA’s West Central Division (Division 5) Located in Sturgis, S.D, Thunder Road Raceway is preparing for an exciting new chapter as the historic facility, which closed in 2023, has reopened under new ownership and management, bringing 1/8-mile drag racing back to the

Check out the newest West Central Division Print to Order Amazon Merchandise!