The 2024 professional drag racing season kicks off this weekend at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. on March 7-10, featuring the return of Drag Race Bracket Bonanza (DRBB). This year marks the first time DRBB will span the entire NHRA season, including the four-wide races in Las Vegas and Charlotte.
DRBB creator Werner expressed excitement about extending the game’s run for the full season.
“Last year we got off to a great start with thousands of people playing during the U.S. Nationals and throughout the Countdown,” said Werner. “We are excited to have DRBB up and running for the full season. We will have some shorter series like The Majors, the Four-Wide Nationals Cup and the Countdown, as well as an overall season champion. Our goal is to create a fun and engaging game for anyone interested in following professional drag racing.”
Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley praised DRBB for providing fans with a vested interest in race outcomes, emphasizing its fun and competitive nature.
“I think Drag Race Bracket Bonanza is great because it opens up the opportunity for fans to have a vested interest in the outcome of each race,” said Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley. “It’s a fun, engaging and competitive way to increase fan involvement and add to their overall experience.”
Over the off-season, the DRBB team dedicated efforts to revamp the website for improved functionality on both mobile and desktop platforms. Beta testers lauded the updated site’s speed and user-friendly interface, with added features such as driver photos and stats enhancing the gameplay experience.
“The entire DRBB development team has been working all off-season to improve the gameplay and user experience,” said Werner. “The look is much cleaner, and we have added driver photos and stats to make playing easier for fans of every experience level. Overall, the new and improved version of DRBB takes the drag racing experience to the next level for fans who want to feel more invested in their favorite driver or category.”
Responding to feedback, DRBB introduced league play, allowing players to compete against friends and family in closed groups. The addition of a randomizer option caters to those seeking a quick pick or unfamiliar with all categories, enhancing accessibility for all players.
“We have added league play for players that would like to compete against their friends and family in a closed group,” said Werner. “Everyone will still play in the DRBB main league but fans can share their bracket inside their private league or create a unique bracket for league play. We have also added a randomizer option, similar to a lottery ticket quick pick, for people who want to play but may not know every class or just don’t have time to fill out a bracket for all four categories.”
Participants will continue to fill out brackets for all four professional classes, earning points for correct picks. DRBB will award prizes to overall and class winners, including signed memorabilia from race champions, further incentivizing engagement throughout the season.
Fans eager to participate can fill out their brackets during the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, with submissions open until the start of eliminations on Sunday, March 10. The NHRA broadcast on FS1 will provide coverage of the event, offering fans an opportunity to follow the action.
For additional information and to sign up anytime fans can visit www.dragracebracketbonanza.com.
