As torrential rains and tornado watches swept through the Permian Basin today leaving a wake of flash flooding and water damage, AHRA Officials announced that the first ever Nitro Showdown will go on this weekend at Desert Thunder Raceway in Midland, but the schedule will be changed to support the community.
 
Early Friday evening, AHRA Chief Executive Troy Moe said, "We know that the local community will need some time to recover from today's storms, so we've decided to give them something to enjoy on Sunday after they've taken care of things at their homes. We're keenly aware that homes take priority over anything else, and we want our fans to be safe and secure before coming out to enjoy our show."

As torrential rains and tornado watches swept through the Permian Basin today leaving a wake of flash flooding and water damage, AHRA Officials announced that the first ever Nitro Showdown will go on this weekend at Desert Thunder Raceway in Midland, but the schedule will be changed to support the community.
 
Early Friday evening, AHRA Chief Executive Troy Moe said, "We know that the local community will need some time to recover from today's storms, so we've decided to give them something to enjoy on Sunday after they've taken care of things at their homes. We're keenly aware that homes take priority over anything else, and we want our fans to be safe and secure before coming out to enjoy our show."
 
The Nitro Showdown was originally scheduled to include a huge nitro-methane powered display Saturday night, featuring 8,000 horsepower Top Fuel Dragsters, Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars, Pro Mods and dueling Jet Cars, followed Sunday by an all-out Sportsman Extravaganza with competitors in the Pro, Super Pro, Motorcycle, Street and Jr. Dragster classes.
 
AHRA officials said the weekend's schedule will be adjusted, moving Sportsman qualifying to Saturday and featuring a Gambler's Sportsman race Saturday evening along with exhibitions of the nitro classes and the Jet Cars.
 
Sunday's activities will include two additional hours of sportsman qualifying in the morning so late arriving competitors can still participate in the Big Buck Shootout, followed by an all-out exhibition of drag racing and pure nitro-methane and Jet Fueled power.
 
"We feel this will be best for the racers as well as the local community, giving them a big show to look forward to at the end of the week while offering exciting racing on Saturday as a diversion from the storms," Moe said.
 
The track at Desert Thunder Raceway is currently being dried and crews will be working throughout the night to assure a safe and competitive surface for the racers.
 
"We have the advantage of flexibility here, and we want to share our compassion and concern for the families of the Midland/Odessa area," Moe added.
 
Specific scheduling details will be available at the track as they unfold.