The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the National Hot Rod Association’s top professional drag racing competition, featuring 20 national events across the United States from March through November. The series crowns world champions in four professional classes — Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle — through a regular season followed by a six-race playoff called the Countdown to the Championship. All 20 races air exclusively on FOX Sports, either on the FOX broadcast network or FS1. The 2026 season is the NHRA’s 75th anniversary campaign, featuring three new venue debuts and four new national event facilities. The season opened March 5 at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, and concludes November 12–15 at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.
2026 NHRA Season at a Glance
| Series name | NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series |
| Season | 75th anniversary — 2026 |
| Total events | 20 national events |
| Season opener | NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL — March 5–8 |
| Season finale | In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Pomona, CA — Nov. 12–15 |
| Professional classes | Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle |
| TF/FC/PS events | All 20 |
| PSM events | 14 |
| Broadcast | FOX Sports exclusively (FOX + FS1) |
| Streaming | NHRA.tv (every professional pass, live) |
| Countdown format | Top 10 per class after U.S. Nationals; 6-race playoff |
| New venues 2026 | SGMP, Maryland International, U.S. 131, Rockingham Dragway |
| Regular-season champion bonus | ~$150,000 per class (Top Fuel and Funny Car) |
| 75th anniversary trophy | Diamond Wally trophies at the NHRA Finals |
What Is the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series?
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the National Hot Rod Association’s premier professional competition — the top tier of organized drag racing in the world. Mission Foods, the tortilla and snack brand, has served as the series’ title sponsor since 2023, when it replaced Camping World as the naming-rights partner.
The partnership extends beyond branding into race-day activations including the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge — a bonus competition during Saturday qualifying at 13 regular-season events where semifinalists from the previous race compete for additional purse money and bonus championship points. Those bonus points carry forward into the Countdown standings, making every qualifying session at challenge events strategically significant beyond simple qualifying position.
The NHRA itself was founded in 1951 by Wally Parks with a mission to move street racing onto organized, safe tracks. The Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is the direct descendant of that original vision: a nationally touring professional racing championship that has now produced world champions for 75 consecutive years.
The series operates as a sequential elimination championship. Teams earn points at each national event through qualifying performance and round wins in eliminations. After the 14th event of the season — the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend — the top 10 drivers in each professional class enter the Countdown to the Championship playoff, where points are reset and compressed for the final six events.
What distinguishes the NHRA Mission Foods series from other professional motorsports isn’t just the speed. At every national event, all ticket holders receive pit access through the “Every Ticket’s a Pit Pass” program — fans can walk among the teams, watch engine rebuilds between rounds, and get autographs from drivers. No other major professional motorsport offers this level of access as a standard ticket benefit.
The Four Professional Classes
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series crowns four world champions each season. All four classes compete at a 16-car field in head-to-head elimination brackets on race day.
Top Fuel
The fastest class in professional drag racing. Rear-engine dragsters powered by supercharged 500 cubic-inch engines burning nitromethane cover 1,000 feet in under 3.7 seconds at over 330 mph, producing 11,000–12,000 horsepower. The class competes at all 20 events in 2026.
Funny Car
Uses the same nitromethane-burning engine configuration as Top Fuel inside a shorter-wheelbase chassis topped with a carbon fiber body resembling a production car. Speeds exceed 330 mph with elapsed times in the 3.8–3.9 second range. Funny Car competes at all 20 events.
Pro Stock
The “factory hot rod” class — full-bodied production car replicas running naturally aspirated gasoline engines producing over 1,300 horsepower. No superchargers, no exotic fuels. The quarter-mile class runs in the 6.4–6.6 second range at over 210 mph. Pro Stock competes at all 20 events in 2026, three more than 2025.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
NHRA’s only professional two-wheeled class. Naturally aspirated motorcycles cover the quarter-mile in under seven seconds at nearly 200 mph with riders lying completely flat. PSM competes at 14 events in 2026.
2026 NHRA Schedule — All 20 Events
Key: Done = completed NEXT/Upcoming = upcoming [CD] = Countdown playoff event [NEW] = new venue in 2026
| Rd | Dates | Event | Venue | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 5–8 | AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals | Gainesville Raceway | Gainesville, FL | Done |
| 2 | Mar 20–22 | FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals | Firebird Motorsports Park | Phoenix, AZ | Done |
| 3 | Apr 9–12 | Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals | In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip | Pomona, CA | Done |
| 4 | Apr 23–26 | NHRA 4-Wide Nationals | zMAX Dragway | Charlotte, NC | Done |
| 5 | May 1–3 | NHRA Southern Nationals [NEW] | South Georgia Motorsports Park | Adel, GA | Done |
| 6 | May 14–17 | Gerber Collision Route 66 NHRA Nationals | Route 66 Raceway | Chicago, IL | Done |
| 7 | May 29–31 | NHRA Potomac Nationals [NEW] | Maryland International Raceway | Mechanicsville, MD | Done |
| 8 | Jun 5–7 | NHRA New England Nationals | New England Dragway | Epping, NH | Done |
| 9 | Jun 12–14 | Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals | Bristol Dragway | Bristol, TN | Done |
| 10 | Jun 25–28 | Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals | Summit Motorsports Park | Norwalk, OH | Done |
| 11 | Jul 17–19 | Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals | Sonoma Raceway | Sonoma, CA | NEXT |
| 12 | Jul 24–26 | Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals | Pacific Raceways | Seattle, WA | Upcoming |
| 13 | Aug 20–23 | NHRA Brainerd Nationals | Brainerd International Raceway | Brainerd, MN | Upcoming |
| 14 | Sep 2–7 | Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals | Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Indianapolis, IN | Upcoming |
| 15 [CD] | Sep 18–20 | Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals [NEW] | U.S. 131 Motorsports Park | Martin, MI | Countdown |
| 16 [CD] | Sep 25–27 | NHRA Nationals at The Rock [NEW] | Rockingham Dragway | Rockingham, NC | Countdown |
| 17 [CD] | Oct 2–4 | NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals | World Wide Technology Raceway | St. Louis, MO | Countdown |
| 18 [CD] | Oct 9–18 | Texas NHRA FallNationals | Texas Motorplex | Dallas, TX | Countdown |
| 19 [CD] | Oct 29–Nov 1 | Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals | The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Las Vegas, NV | Countdown |
| 20 [CD] | Nov 12–15 | In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals | In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip | Pomona, CA | Finals |
Schedule current as of July 9, 2026. Visit NHRA.com for updated times and any weather-related changes.
2026 Season Results — Rounds 1–10
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season opened March 5 at Gainesville and reached its midpoint at Norwalk in late June. As of July 2026, ten events are complete and ten remain. Full round-by-round results for each event are available in CompetitionPlus.com’s race coverage archive.
| Rd | Event | Top Fuel | Funny Car | Pro Stock | PSM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gainesville | Josh Hart | Chad Green | Matt Hartford | Richard Gadson |
| 2 | Phoenix | — | — | — | — |
| 3 | Pomona | Tony Stewart | — | — | — |
| 4 | Charlotte | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | Adel, GA | — | — | — | — |
| 6 | Chicago | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Mechanicsville | — | — | — | — |
| 8/9 | Epping/Bristol* | Leah Pruett | Jack Beckman | Dallas Glenn | — |
| 9 | Bristol | Antron Brown | — | — | — |
| 10 | Norwalk | Maddi Gordon | Ron Capps | Aaron Stanfield | Richard Gadson |
*The New England Nationals Top Fuel and Funny Car finals were rained out at Epping and completed the following weekend at Bristol Dragway.
Notable 2026 Storylines Through Round 10
- Shawn Langdon (TF) leads the points with four wins and eight final-round appearances in ten events — the most dominant half-season in recent Top Fuel memory.
- Maddi Gordon, a 21-year-old first-year Top Fuel driver for Ron Capps Motorsports, won at Norwalk for her breakthrough first career victory — one of the season’s biggest stories.
- Leah Pruett returned to full-time competition in 2026 after stepping away following the 2023 season to start a family with Tony Stewart, and won at Bristol/Epping in her comeback year.
- Tony Stewart continues his Top Fuel campaign after debuting in 2025, picking up a win at the Winternationals in Pomona.
- Ron Capps leads the Funny Car points with three wins, 121 ahead of Matt Hagan.
- Dallas Glenn and Greg Anderson are locked in a tight Pro Stock battle, separated by just 23 points at the midpoint.
- Richard Gadson leads Pro Stock Motorcycle 83 points ahead of defending champion Gaige Herrera.
2026 Midseason Points Standings
Through Round 10 — Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Norwalk, Ohio (June 25–28, 2026)
| Class | Driver | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Fuel | Shawn Langdon | LEADER | 4 wins, 150 pts ahead of Kalitta |
| Top Fuel | Doug Kalitta | 2nd | 150 pts back |
| Top Fuel | Leah Pruett | 3rd | 279 pts back |
| Funny Car | Ron Capps | LEADER | 3 wins, 121 pts ahead of Hagan |
| Funny Car | Matt Hagan | 2nd | 121 pts back |
| Funny Car | Austin Prock | 3rd | Within striking distance |
| Pro Stock | Dallas Glenn | LEADER | 23 pts ahead of Anderson |
| Pro Stock | Greg Anderson | 2nd | 23 pts back |
| Pro Stock | Matt Hartford | 3rd | 161 pts back (3 wins) |
| PSM | Richard Gadson | LEADER | 83 pts ahead of Herrera |
| PSM | Gaige Herrera | 2nd | 83 pts back |
| PSM | Angie Smith | 3rd | 111 pts back |
How to Watch: TV and Streaming Guide
Every 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event airs exclusively on the FOX Sports family of networks. No cable package from a different provider is needed — if you have FOX Sports access, you have every NHRA race.
FOX (broadcast network): Select marquee events including the U.S. Nationals Labor Day Monday eliminations and the NHRA Finals broadcast on the main FOX network.
FS1: The majority of qualifying sessions and Sunday eliminations throughout the season air on FS1.
FOX One app: Streams both FOX and FS1 content with a participating cable or streaming TV login.
NHRA.tv: The official NHRA streaming platform covers every professional pass at every event — qualifying, eliminations, and all-day track activity — with no commercial interruptions during the runs. Also carries the complete 2022–2025 season archive and historic races. International viewers should use NHRA.tv as FOX apps are US-only.
Streaming TV services: YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV all carry both FOX and FS1.
Typical broadcast times: Sunday elimination broadcasts generally begin between 3:00–4:00 PM Eastern for Eastern and Central venue events. West Coast races (Sonoma, Seattle, Pomona) may air at 7:00 PM Eastern. Confirm specific times at NHRA.com or the FOX Sports app ahead of each event.
What’s New in 2026
The 75th anniversary season features four events at new or returning venues — changing both the series’ geographic reach and the Countdown playoff format.
South Georgia Motorsports Park — Round 5, May 1–3 (Adel, Georgia) [NEW]
The first NHRA national event in Georgia since 2021, replacing the Las Vegas spring date. SGMP sits outside Valdosta, Georgia, bringing professional nitro racing to a market without a national event for five years. The Southern Nationals name returns with this new venue.
Maryland International Raceway — Round 7, May 29–31 (Mechanicsville, Maryland) [NEW]
The NHRA’s first-ever national event at MIR, bringing the series to the Washington D.C./Baltimore market for the first time as the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals.
U.S. 131 Motorsports Park — Round 15, Sep 18–20 (Martin, Michigan) [NEW — Countdown]
Known as “The Fastest Track in Michigan,” U.S. 131 opens the Countdown playoff. The inaugural Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals draws fans from Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo.
Rockingham Dragway — Round 16, Sep 25–27 (Rockingham, North Carolina) [NEW — Countdown]
Rockingham Dragway returns to the national event schedule for the first time since 1998 — a 28-year absence — as the NHRA Nationals at The Rock. The second Countdown event at a historic facility gives the 2026 playoff a distinct character.
Why Four New Venues?
A rival sanctioning body acquired Atlanta Dragway, Virginia Motorsports Park, and Maple Grove Raceway from their former owners between late 2025 and early 2026, removing three established NHRA venues. The NHRA responded by accelerating new venue development — turning a scheduling challenge into an expansion story for the 75th anniversary year.
The Countdown to the Championship: How the Playoff Works
The Countdown to the Championship is NHRA’s six-race playoff, beginning immediately after the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis on Labor Day weekend. After the U.S. Nationals, the top 10 drivers in each professional class have their points reset and compressed:
- 1st place: 2,400 points
- 2nd place: 2,380 points
- 3rd–10th place: separated by 10 points each
A regular-season points lead of 200+ points becomes a 20-point Countdown advantage — roughly one round of racing. Anyone in the top 10 can win the championship over six events.
One additional detail that can decide championships: the NHRA Finals at Pomona awards 150 points to the event winner rather than the standard 100. The 50-point Finals bonus means a driver trailing by up to 49 points entering the season finale can win the championship by winning the event. Additionally, elimination points at the U.S. Nationals carry a 50% premium over standard events — another reason Indianapolis is the most strategically significant regular-season race on the calendar.
The 2026 Countdown Schedule
| Rd | Dates | Event | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Sep 18–20 | Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals | U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, MI |
| 16 | Sep 25–27 | NHRA Nationals at The Rock | Rockingham Dragway, Rockingham, NC |
| 17 | Oct 2–4 | NAPA NHRA Midwest Nationals | World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis |
| 18 | Oct 9–18 | Texas NHRA FallNationals | Texas Motorplex, Dallas |
| 19 | Oct 29–Nov 1 | Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals | The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway |
| 20 | Nov 12–15 | In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals | In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip |
The 2026 Countdown opens with back-to-back races at two venues making their first Countdown appearances — U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway. World champions are crowned at the NHRA Finals in Pomona on November 15, where 75th anniversary Diamond Wally trophies will be presented to all four class winners.
The Regular-Season Championship
The 2026 season restores the regular-season championship — a separate title and significant bonus (~$150,000 in Top Fuel and Funny Car) awarded to the points leader in each professional class at the conclusion of the U.S. Nationals, before the Countdown resets. This creates meaningful competition for points throughout all 14 regular-season events rather than drivers simply positioning for the Countdown reset.
2026 Season Storylines
“Maddi-Mania” and the Rookie Revolution
First-year Top Fuel driver Maddi Gordon — 21 years old, driving for Ron Capps Motorsports — reached the semifinals in her debut at Gainesville and won at Norwalk for her first career victory. Her performances through ten events have made her the season’s breakout star.
Tony Stewart’s Top Fuel Campaign
The NASCAR and IndyCar champion made his Top Fuel debut at Charlotte in 2025 and returned in 2026 as a full-season competitor. Stewart won at the Winternationals in Pomona — his first career Top Fuel national event victory.
Leah Pruett’s Comeback
Pruett stepped away from full-time competition after the 2023 season to start a family with husband Tony Stewart. Her return to Top Fuel in 2026 — winning at Bristol/Epping — is one of the season’s most compelling human narratives. The Pruitts are uniquely positioned in 2026: both competing as Top Fuel drivers in the same series.
Shawn Langdon’s Historic Pace
Four wins and eight final-round appearances in ten events is production-level dominance. If Langdon maintains even a fraction of this pace through the second half, he will enter the Countdown as the most heavily favored Top Fuel driver in years.
The JFR Rebuild
John Force Racing enters 2026 without John Force (retired) and without Brittany Force (stepped back). Josh Hart (TF), Jack Beckman, Alexis DeJoria, and Jordan Vandergriff carry the organization forward. Hart won at the season opener. Beckman won at Epping. Vandergriff earned his first career No. 1 qualifier.
Greg Anderson vs. Dallas Glenn
The Pro Stock championship battle is a generational matchup — six-time champion Anderson against reigning champion Glenn, separated by 23 points at the midpoint, with both driving for KB Titan Racing.
The NHRA’s 75th Anniversary Season
The 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series marks 75 years since Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association in 1951. Four new venues represent expansion; the restored regular-season championship adds competitive meaning to the full 20-event schedule; and Diamond Wally trophies at the Finals create a permanent visual marker of the milestone year.
Don Garlits, Joe Amato, and Kenny Bernstein were present at the Gainesville season opener as honored guests, using the platform to revive the decades-long debate about whether nitro racing should return to the traditional quarter-mile distance.
Key Events on the 2026 Calendar
NHRA Gatornationals — Round 1, March 5–8, Gainesville, FL
The 57th annual Gatornationals features the Top Fuel and Funny Car GETTRX All-Star Callout in addition to full professional eliminations. Josh Hart won Top Fuel in his JFR debut; Richard Gadson won PSM on his birthday.
NHRA 4-Wide Nationals — Round 4, April 23–26, Charlotte, NC
The only four-wide professional drag racing event in the world, at zMAX Dragway. The sole four-wide event of the 2026 season.
NHRA U.S. Nationals — Round 14, September 2–7, Indianapolis, IN
The Big Go — the most prestigious event on the tour and the final regular-season race before the Countdown. Five qualifying sessions, the largest field of the year (~950+ cars), and the last chance to earn a Countdown berth.
Texas NHRA FallNationals — Round 18, October 9–18, Dallas, TX
A Countdown playoff race at Texas Motorplex known for drawing massive TV audiences when adjacent to professional football broadcasts. The 2025 Dallas event drew a record 2.065 million viewers.
In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals — Round 20, November 12–15, Pomona, CA
Where world champions are crowned. The 61st annual Finals closes the 75th anniversary season with Diamond Wally trophies for all four professional class champions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an NHRA national event last?
Most events span three to four days — typically Friday qualifying through Sunday eliminations, with some events opening Thursday. The U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis is the exception, running a full six days (Wednesday through Labor Day Monday). Sunday eliminations typically conclude by late afternoon.
What makes NHRA different from NASCAR or IndyCar?
Three things define the NHRA experience as distinct. First, the racing is compressed into seconds — a Top Fuel run takes under 3.7 seconds. Second, the format is head-to-head single elimination — every round is win-or-go-home, no points for finishing position. Third, pit access is included in every ticket through the “Every Ticket’s a Pit Pass” program — walking among the teams while they rebuild a nitro engine between rounds is not available at NASCAR or IndyCar at any price point.
How does the NHRA playoff system work?
After the U.S. Nationals (Round 14), the top 10 drivers in each class enter the Countdown. Points are reset and compressed — the leader enters with a 20-point advantage over second, with 10-point gaps between each subsequent position. The championship is decided across six events, concluding at the NHRA Finals in Pomona in November. The Finals awards 150 points to the winner (vs. the standard 100), making the season finale potentially decisive even for drivers who enter with a deficit.
What channel is NHRA on in 2026?
All 20 races air exclusively on FOX Sports — either the main FOX broadcast network or FS1. No other network carries NHRA races in 2026. The FOX One app streams both channels. For cord-cutters, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV all carry FOX and FS1.
Can I stream NHRA races online?
Yes. NHRA.tv streams every professional pass at every national event live — qualifying, eliminations, and all-day track coverage — with no commercial interruptions during runs. NHRA.tv also carries the complete 2022–2025 season archive. International viewers outside the US should use NHRA.tv as the FOX apps are US-only.
Do NHRA tickets include pit access?
Yes — at every NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national event, all admission tickets include pit area access through the “Every Ticket’s a Pit Pass” program. No additional credential or fee required. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paying adult at all national events.
When does the 2026 NHRA season end?
The 2026 season concludes November 12–15 at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, California. World champions in all four professional classes are crowned at Pomona.
CompetitionPlus.com and the NHRA Mission Foods Series
CompetitionPlus.com has covered the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series — and its predecessor series names — since 1999. Every national event produces starting-line notebooks, round-by-round results, winner’s circle reports, and championship analysis written by the people who were at the track. Bobby Bennett and the CompetitionPlus.com team have been on-site at every national event for more than 25 years.
Internal Links
- 2026 race coverage at CompetitionPlus.com: competitionplus.com/race-coverage/
- Top Fuel: The Ultimate Guide: /top-fuel-the-ultimate-guide-to-drag-racings-fastest-class/
- Funny Car: The Complete Guide: /the-complete-guide-to-funny-car-drag-racing/
- Pro Stock: The Complete Guide: /pro-stock-the-complete-guide-to-drag-racings-factory-hot-rod-class/
- Pro Stock Motorcycle: The Complete Guide: /pro-stock-motorcycle-the-complete-guide-to-nhras-two-wheel-thunder/
- Pro Mod: The Complete Guide: /pro-mod-drag-racing-the-complete-guide-to-nhras-doorslammer-class/
- How NHRA Drag Racing Works — Fan Guide: /how-nhra-drag-racing-works-complete-fan-guide/
- NHRA U.S. Nationals Complete Guide: /nhra-us-nationals-complete-guide-drag-racings-biggest-race/
Annual Update Protocol (Internal Note)
Update this article each January when the new season schedule is confirmed: revise the H1 year, at-a-glance table, full schedule table, results table, points standings, and storylines sections. The evergreen sections (What Is the Series, The Four Professional Classes, How to Watch structure, Countdown format) require minimal or no update unless the series structure changes.
