For more than 70 years, the NHRA has been at the forefront of championing women in motorsports.

On Sept. 17, the sanctioning body continued that mission by introducing a groundbreaking policy—the first of its kind in motor racing—designed to support female racers who are starting a family.

The newly introduced policy, championed by Top Fuel star Leah Pruett and a coalition of women racers from the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, is an amendment to the current overarching driver replacement policy and marks another significant step forward.

You cannot take the hometown out of the boy. 

The starry-eyed kid named Antron Brown, who grew up in Chesterfield, New Jersey, came home last weekend, kinda-sorta. 

Old Bridge Township Raceway in Englishtown, NJ, hosted its last national event drag race in 2017. In 2018, Maple Grove Raceway, outside of Philadelphia, became his new home track. It’s 88 miles from where he grew up. 

But, in the interest of fair reporting, Brown, who admittedly has never met a stranger, has a home wherever he goes. 

Larry Carrier couldn’t wait to kick off the 1974 IHRA season in Charlotte, N.C.

Three days later, the IHRA founder and president couldn’t get out of town quick enough.

The only national event drag race staged on the hallowed grounds of what is now Lowe’s Motor Speedway featured plenty of entertaining and competitive drag races, but in the end a single-car crash accounting for three deaths cast a pall on the event. It was more than many could endure, especially Carrier.

So what inspired a race at what is now one of the most famous oval track racing facilities in the world?

Carrier’s networking prowess was the primary reason.

Ford Performance has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series fall race in Las Vegas. The 24th annual Ford Performance NHRA Nationals will take place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

SCAG Racing announced that RCN Capital will serve as a major associate sponsor on Justin Ashley’s SCAG Power Equipment Toyota Top Fuel dragster for the NHRA Carolina Nationals, set for Sept. 20-22 at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte.

“We are excited to partner with Justin Ashley, which provides a great opportunity to expand our reach and enhance brand awareness,” said Jeffrey Tesch, CEO of RCN Capital. “We look forward to his success during the 2024 NHRA season.”

One of Top Alcohol Dragster’s brightest stars will take the plunge into Top Fuel later this month. 

Scrappers Racing announced it will field a second Top Fuel car at the NHRA Midwest Nationals, with Julie Nataas making her Top Fuel debut. Nataas, the reigning NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster world champion, will join fellow Top Fuel driver Jasmine Salinas and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Jianna Evaristo at the event later this month at World Wide Technology Raceway.

“We’ve had plans for a second team, but things changed with my dad stepping out of the driver’s seat,” Salinas said. “Julie’s licensing with Scrappers and her sponsors made St. Louis the perfect opportunity to trial a two-car team as my dad continues to heal.”

​Competition Plus’ Water-Cooler Topics From The NHRA Reading Nationals in Reading, Pa. 

No matter the season, Top Fuel competitors can never sleep on Antron Brown.

Brown, a three-time NHRA world champion in 2012 and 2015-16, proved that once again Sunday.

Brown bested the competition to win the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania, the first race in the six-race Countdown to the Championship. In the finals, Brown clocked a 3.798-second elapsed time at 327.27 mph to edge Shawn Langdon’s 3.803, 332.02 mph at Maple Grove Raceway.

It’s safe to say nitro Funny Car driver Austin Prock has been on a heater all season.

And he certainly didn’t cool down this weekend.

Prock, driving the Cornwell Tools Camaro for John Force Racing, won his sixth race of the season Sunday at the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania. Prock clocked a 3.896-second elapsed time at 332.51 mph to defeat his teammate Jack Beckman’s 3.951, 330.88 mph lap at Maple Grove Raceway.