Tickets are now on sale for the opening two races of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, marking the sanctioning body’s first full national events at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
The inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals will be held Sept. 18–20 at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, opening the six-race playoff stretch. One week later, the NHRA Nationals at The Rock are scheduled for Sept. 25–27 at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
Both races represent significant milestones for the series during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season, placing two historic facilities into the national spotlight at the most critical point of the championship schedule. The events will immediately shape the playoff outlook across the professional categories.
Tickets for both playoff openers are available through NHRA’s official ticketing platform. Officials indicated demand is expected to be strong as fans respond to the combination of first-time venues and championship implications.
The Countdown races at U.S. 131 and Rockingham are part of a broader 2026 expansion that adds four new national event facilities to the NHRA calendar. Two additional first-time appearances are scheduled earlier in the season.
The NHRA Southern Nationals return May 1–3 at South Georgia Motorsports Park, marking the first time the event has been contested at that facility. Later in the month, the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals are set for May 29–31 at Maryland International Raceway.
Together, the four additions underscore NHRA’s strategy of expanding its national event footprint while maintaining established markets. The 2026 schedule features 20 races across 19 markets, blending long-standing stops with new destinations.
The season opens March 5–8 with the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, launching the 75th anniversary campaign. From there, the tour moves through its regular-season slate before turning to the Countdown playoffs in September.
The playoff-opening stops at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway are expected to play a decisive role, as competitors in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle begin the championship run with no margin for error. Each round carries increased weight as teams attempt to build momentum early.
Doug Kalitta enters the season as the reigning Top Fuel world champion, while Austin Prock returns as the defending Funny Car champion. Dallas Glenn begins the year as the Pro Stock titleholder, and Richard Gadson opens the campaign as the reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion.
“With the playoffs opening at two new national event facilities during our 75th anniversary season, these races will set the tone for the championship fight,” the NHRA said.
