The NHRA is hitting the pause button for 30 days on its 2020 season in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Included in this suspension are all events at NHRA-owned facilities and sanctioned events including the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

"We intend at this time to resume the original schedule on April 17-19 in Houston, and continue thereafter, subject to developments in the interim," NHRA said in a statement released to the media. "The spring Las Vegas event is postponed with new dates to be determined. Please go to LVMS.com for information if you have purchased tickets for the postponed event.

In response to the rapidly changing developments around COVID-19 (commonly known as Coronavirus) here in Australia and globally, the Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) issues the following update on upcoming ANDRA-sanctioned events. This update is in line with the restrictions and recommendations issued by Federal and State Government agencies.

In recent days, we have seen rapidly escalating restrictions imposed Australia-wide on both travel and non-essential public gatherings and many events both large and small have been postponed or cancelled.

ANDRA does not wish to unduly impair the sport, our members, our supporters or our clubs and facilities from holding events, however, at the same time we must acknowledge our responsibility to comply with the restrictions and protect the health and wellbeing of everyone involved in ANDRA-permitted events. We are also conscious of the role we feel we must play in helping to ‘flatten the curve’ of community transmission as a socially responsible member of the wider community.

NHRA drag racing can be a fickle business. Past success often doesn’t matter in determining the future, which is often defined by simple economics. 

Take the case of Top Fuel driver Richie Crampton. The Australian-born competitor has 10 victories in his career, including the 2014 U.S. Nationals title. Last year, he won twice and finished sixth in the points standings.

Crampton also won the Gatornationals in 2018 and 2019, but instead of heading into the now-postponed race as the two-time defending champion, he's at home in Brownsburg, Ind.

"It's weird," Crampton said before this weekend's race was postponed. "Not returning to drive full time this season has its ups and downs for me. Times like this week leading up to the Gators reminded me of exactly that, that I'd like to be down there searching for a third Gatornationals victory in a row.

As the world adjusts to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more sporting events have cancelled or postponed in accordance to suggestions from government officials seeking to contain the virus.

The latest event to postponed is the Sweet 16 3.0 event, a race with limited participation and spectator attendance. This postponement was the news delivered by Donald "Duck" Long on Saturday afternoon in a Facebook Live video.

Duck Week will become a pure survival of the fittest event, as both events will run back-to-back in October.

With the National Hot Rod Association currently on a hiatus due to the growing COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, leading online drag racing magazine Competition Plus is filling the gap with a fun, new online drag racing league.

The Virtual Reality Hot Rod Association (VHRA) was launched this week on CompetitionPlus.com with an online, fan-vote style competition complete with multiple rounds of qualifying and eliminations. The VHRA will pit real NHRA racers in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Modified classes against one another in an interactive “race” similar to past fan-vote competitions on CompetitionPlus.com.

The 8-car fields, based on the fan votes, is set for the first race at Orange County International Raceway, a well-known facility in the drag racing community until its closure in 1983. This is race one of 4.

For a racer who’s “just doing it for fun,” longtime sportsman racer Artie Allen has been investing a lot of time making sure his NHRA Top Fuel debut goes off without a hitch.
 
That was supposed to be this weekend for the Jacksonville/St. Augustine resident, but the Gatornationals at Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway has been postponed until further notice because of the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent mandates from the state government there.  

On March 12, when in consideration of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendation of the Florida governor, NHRA officials postponed a portion of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, which began Thursday and was scheduled to run from March 13-15. 

Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod, Factory Stock Showdown, Top Alcohol Dragster, and Top Alcohol Funny Car were postponed and will be completed at a later date to be determined.

“It’s kind of hard because we were already here and we were set up and were in the frame all ready to run,” said veteran Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Hector Arana Sr. “We went through the preparation and we went to testing and we were looking forward to going and then suddenly we get this news they postponed it. Then I watched the news (March 11) when the President (Trump) encouraged no large gatherings and then I wasn’t that surprised by the decision (to postpone the race). Everything started escalating.”

In consideration of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendation of the Florida governor, NHRA officials are postponing a portion of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

The sportsman categories contested on Thursday will complete competition this weekend without ticketed spectators.

Veteran NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Hector Arana Sr. planned on racing with is son, Hector Arana Jr. at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals March 13-15 in Gainesville, Fla.

With one caveat – this was going to be Arana Sr.’s final race driving.

“I was going to run just this event,” said Arana Sr., who won a PSM world title in 2009. “We are going to focus on one motorcycle (with Hector Jr.) so we can start doing better and from there we can see what happens in the future if I can get back and ride. We need to focus on one bike. We have to get our performance back. I’m after the championship. I’m not after qualifying. We want to win races, but mainly if Hector Jr. can win a championship and that would be two for Team Arana. That’s what we want. That’s what we worked so hard for.”

One moment Stevie "Fast" Jackson was finishing up a run at the Drag Illustrated World Doorslammer Nationals, the next he was in the wall. He's been doing this long enough to understand the perils of Pro Modified. It's not a matter of if you will crash, it's when you will.

The mishap has caused Jackson to seek an alternative universe this weekend.

Jackson will race a nitrous car this weekend.