NHRA announced its 2026 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule Thursday, adding South Georgia Motorsports Park and Maryland International Raceway as first-time national event hosts during the sanctioning body’s 75th anniversary season.
The 20-race slate begins March 5-8 with the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., and ends Nov. 12-15 with the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. It marks the first time since 2013 that NHRA has introduced a new track to its national schedule.
NHRA will debut at South Georgia Motorsports Park on May 1-3 with the NHRA Southern Nationals. Later that month, Maryland International Raceway will host the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals May 29-31.
“The 2026 season will be one of the most exciting years in NHRA history,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we’re embracing this milestone to evolve our NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, ensuring a vibrant future for our sport while honoring our legacy with new venues and fresh energy. We’re thrilled to debut at two incredible new facilities — bringing the sport to fans in dynamic markets like Washington, D.C., and Baltimore at MIR, and Atlanta and Tallahassee at SGMP.”
Cromwell added, “From the season opener in Gainesville to the championship finale in Pomona, the 2026 season will be a non-stop celebration of the drivers, fans and moments that have shaped NHRA for 75 years. We’re incredibly grateful to our track partners, race teams and sponsors for their continued support in helping us make this milestone season something truly special, and we can’t wait to share this historic season with everyone.”
South Georgia Motorsports Park will stage a national event for the first time since opening in 2004.
“Immediately after purchasing SGMP, we had a vision to host an NHRA national event at our facility,” SGMP Owner Raul Torres said. “Today, that vision is coming to fruition by signing a multi-year agreement to bring back the Southern Nationals to Georgia. Our fans, city, county and state will reap the benefits for many years to come. This is a true testament that dreams do come true with hard work and our family cannot be more grateful for the opportunity.”
Maryland International Raceway, located near Washington, D.C., will welcome NHRA for the first time in its history. “We are thrilled to be hosting an NHRA national event for the first time here at Maryland International Raceway,” MIR Owner Royce Miller said. “After 36 years at the helm of MIR, I am excited to showcase the stars of our sport and incredible nitro racing to our dedicated and loyal MIR fans. I am also looking forward to the NHRA touring racers and crews experiencing Southern Maryland’s culture. With its location between the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River, it features great seafood restaurants, a large Amish community, a very rural lifestyle and many historic places to see and visit.”
The 2026 campaign also includes traditional stops such as the Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park, the Winternationals at Pomona, four-wide racing at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, and summer events at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, New England Dragway in Epping, and Bristol Dragway in Tennessee.
July features the Western Swing with races in Sonoma, Calif., and Seattle, followed by the NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minn., in August. The season’s marquee event, the U.S. Nationals, takes place Sept. 2-7 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs open Sept. 17-20 at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania. Stops follow at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis, Texas Motorplex in Dallas, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and conclude in Pomona.
NHRA will announce specific 75th anniversary celebration events in the coming months. All races will be televised on FOX Sports, with select events airing on the FOX broadcast network.
