Officials from NHRA and FOX Sports have unveiled the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series television schedule for the season’s Sunday eliminations shows. The 2017 season is highlighted by 16 live Sunday finals shows, including four on the FOX broadcast network.
 
The 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will open with a live Sunday broadcast of the 57th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals on the FOX broadcast network. The other three Sunday finals shows that will be aired live on the FOX broadcast network include the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver, the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Seattle and the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals from Indianapolis.

Michael Ray has been competing in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class – part-time and full-time – since 2011.

Ray, however, confirmed with CompetitionPlus he has no definite plans right now to compete in the class in 2017.

“I don’t have anything with NHRA working right now,” Ray said. “With me kind of being a privateer and always going in and renting power and not owning my own engine shop I really want to see what this year brings with the new motor from S&S and Victory and also what is going to come of the Buell motors. I know there are going to be a lot of good products still out there to go play with it, but really I don’t have much planned for NHRA right now. Funding is tight and tough, there are so many changes going on right now, for a privateer like myself, it makes it tough.”

 International Motorsports Hall of Famer and drag racing legend, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, roars back to the desert with three of the most significant, original and restored funny cars in drag racing history during the 46th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction at WestWorld in Scottsdale, AZ (January 14-22).
 
Hand-picked from his personal collection of top fuel dragsters and funny cars located at his facility in Vista, CA, Prudhomme is presenting the following three iconic funny cars to bidders, both on-line and in attendance:

 
Television production veteran Kymberly Booth Higgs has been named NHRA show producer for the 2017 FOX Sports television broadcasts of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, NHRA announced today. She will also produce the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the J&A Service NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series telecasts.
 
“I am excited to be a part of this incredibly talented crew of people who are passionate about our sport,” said Booth Higgs. “Our challenge as a production team is to translate the unparalleled experience of being at an NHRA event to the fans at home. The drama, the pressure, the sound, the smells, the athletes under the helmets and under the hood – those are the stories we want to tell this year on the FOX broadcasts.”

The 2017 Pro Nitrous competition is heating up, and we haven't even hit the track yet. Our spy over at Jerry Bickel's race car emporium sent us these shots of the new 1969 Camaro built for Jimmy Boone and Jason Harris; 

Travel back in time when NHRA Sportsman racing scored time on the big stage of television with the Winston professional series broadcasts. The video is from the 1977 NHRA Springnationals in Columbus, Ohio with the primary focus on the sportsman divisions with mentions of the professional classes.

You will see eliminations in Pro Comp, Comp and Modified. There are highlights from Stock and Super Stock as well as the professional finals.

Dave McClelland is your host.

The newly-formed Pro Stock Motorcycle team – Team Liberty Racing with riders Cory Reed and Angelle Sampey, a three-time NHRA world champ (2000-2002), will have plenty of experience in the tuning department in 2017.

According to Sampey, Team Liberty’s team manager, Ken Johnson will serve as her team’s co-crew chief with Chris Rivas.

Johnson was a crew chief at Star Racing for over 30 years. Star Racing, owned by George and Jackie Bryce, has won six NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world championships.

The NHRA competition committee announced changes to qualifying procedures at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events, changes to the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship and also announced an added point-and-a-half scale to the season ending Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona, Calif.

Starting in 2017, drivers at the final event of the year in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will be racing for increased valuable points that could secure a world championship. The winner of the Auto Club NHRA Finals in each Pro class will claim 150 points; the runner-up will earn 120 points; the semifinalists will earn 90 points apiece; the second-round finishers will earn 60 points each; and the first-round finishers will all claim 30 points.