NHRA announced the 2026 Hot Rod Heritage Series schedule, outlining a coast-to-coast slate of nostalgia drag racing events that will anchor the sanctioning body’s 75th anniversary season. The series will visit many of drag racing’s most recognizable facilities while featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Group 1 and 2 competition.
The schedule opens Feb. 13–14 at Tucson Dragway in Arizona with the Tucson Dragway Reunion, where Group 1 and 2 classes will launch the season. The event continues a long-standing tradition of opening the Heritage Series in the Southwest, a region closely tied to the sport’s early growth.
From there, the series heads west March 5–8 to Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, Calif., for the Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet. All classes are scheduled to compete, reinforcing the event’s role as one of nostalgia drag racing’s cornerstone gatherings.
Spring competition resumes April 24–26 at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz., with the Cactus Clash. Group 1 and 2 classes will be featured as teams continue to establish early-season momentum.
The month of May brings back-to-back stops that emphasize Funny Car competition and West Coast racing roots. The NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor Nitro Opener presented by The Blower Shop is set for May 15–17 at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho, followed by Funny Car Fever on May 22–23 at Redding Motorsports Park in California.
Summer racing begins June 18–20 with the National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., featuring Top Fuel. The event remains one of the most recognizable stops on the Heritage Series calendar, combining competition with historical reflection.
A new addition to the schedule follows July 3–4 at SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend, Kan., the birthplace of the NHRA Nationals, now known as the U.S. Nationals. The Great Bend event will also feature Top Fuel, linking the series directly to the sport’s earliest championship history.
The series then moves north of the border for the Rocky Mountain Nationals at RAD Torque Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta, on July 10–11. Funny Car teams will headline the event, continuing the Heritage Series’ international presence.
August delivers one of the busiest stretches of the season, beginning with the Nightfire Nationals presented by Bi-Mart on Aug. 7–9 at Firebird Raceway in Boise. Both Top Fuel and Funny Car classes are scheduled, maintaining the event’s reputation as a marquee summer stop.
Later in the month, the Nostalgia Summer Nationals return to Woodburn Dragstrip in Oregon from Aug. 28–30. The event will feature Funny Car competition along with the first Group 1 and 2 doubleheader of the Heritage Series season.
As fall approaches, teams head back to California for Thunder Under the Lites on Sept. 11–12 at Redding Motorsports Park. Top Fuel and Group 1 and 2 classes will compete under the lights as championship positioning begins to take shape.
The season concludes Oct. 23–25 at Famoso Dragstrip with the California Hot Rod Reunion. The finale will feature Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Group 1 and 2, closing the Heritage Series at one of its most historically significant venues.
“The Hot Rod Heritage Series continues to honor the roots of drag racing while giving fans and competitors a place to celebrate where the sport began,” an NHRA official said. “This schedule reflects the tracks, classes, and traditions that built drag racing into what it is today.”
Tucson Dragway Reunion
Feb. 13–14, Tucson Dragway, Tucson, Ariz.
Classes: Group 1 & 2
Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet
March 5–8, Famoso Dragstrip, Bakersfield, Calif.
Classes: All Classes
Cactus Clash
April 24–26, Firebird Motorsports Park, Chandler, Ariz.
Classes: Group 1 & 2
NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor Nitro Opener presented by The Blower Shop
May 15–17, Firebird Raceway, Boise, Idaho
Classes: Funny Car (FC)
Funny Car Fever
May 22–23, Redding Motorsports Park, Redding, Calif.
Classes: Group 1 & 2
National Hot Rod Reunion
June 18–20, Beech Bend Raceway Park, Bowling Green, Ky.
Classes: Top Fuel (TF)
Americana at Great Bend
July 3–4, SRCA Dragstrip, Great Bend, Kan.
Classes: Top Fuel (TF)
Rocky Mountain Nationals
July 10–11, RAD Torque Raceway, Edmonton, Alta.
Classes: Funny Car (FC)
Nightfire Nationals presented by Bi-Mart
Aug. 7–9, Firebird Raceway, Boise, Idaho
Classes: Top Fuel (TF), Funny Car (FC)
Nostalgia Summer Nationals
Aug. 28–30, Woodburn Dragstrip, Woodburn, Ore.
Classes: Funny Car (FC), Group 1 & 2 (double)
Thunder Under the Lites
Sept. 11-12, Redding Motorsports Park, Redding, Calif.
Classes: Top Fuel (TF), Group 1 & 2
California Hot Rod Reunion
Oct. 23–25, Famoso Dragstrip, Bakersfield, Calif.
Classes: Top Fuel (TF), Funny Car (FC), Group 1 & 2
