NHRA NEWS -- NHRA Releases '06 POWERade Series Schedule
NHRA RETURNS TO VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK
World's Largest Motorsports Sanctioning Body Announces 2006 NHRA
POWERade Drag Racing Series Schedule
GLENDORA, Calif. (Aug. 4, 2005) - NHRA released its 23-race, 2006
POWERade Drag Racing Series schedule today, immediately following a
press conference outside Richmond, Va., where officials from the world's
largest motorsports sanctioning body announced its premier drag racing
series will return to Virginia Motorsports Park in 2006.
After a five-year absence, the stars of the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series will return to Dinwiddie, Va. for the inaugural Virginia NHRA
Nationals, Oct. 6-8, 2006. NHRA conducted national events at the
facility when it opened in 1995, through the 2000 racing season.
"We are excited to welcome back Virginia Motorsports Park as an NHRA
Member Track," said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. "In addition to
receiving an NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series event, the facility
affords a great venue for our NHRA racers in the Mid-Atlantic region to
participate in the many sportsman programs available including the NHRA
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Summit Racing Series."
NHRA boasts seven divisions throughout the country of which Virginia
Motorsports Park will be classified as a Division 1 (Northeast) NHRA
Member Track. The facility also is scheduled to host an NHRA Sony Xplod
Sport Compact Racing Series event in the spring of 2006.
The schedule is highlighted by a return of all 2005 drag racing
facilities, beginning with the 46th running of the CARQUEST Auto Parts
Winternationals at historic Pomona (Calif.) Raceway, Feb. 9-12. The
series concludes at the famed quarter-mile track Nov. 9-12, with the
42nd annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals.
"Pomona Raceway has arguably the richest history of any of the
facilities where the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series visits," said
Compton. "NHRA fans, both young and old, come from throughout the United
States and Canada to visit the raceway and the adjacent Wally Parks NHRA
Motorsports Museum."
What is now Pomona Raceway originally opened in 1950 as a way to
encourage street racers to compete safely and was built with the
combined efforts of the Pomona Valley Timing Association, Pomona Police
Chief Ralph Parker and the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds.
The world's most prestigious drag race, the 52nd annual Mac
Tools U.S. Nationals, will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 4 at Indianapolis
Raceway Park. Earlier in the month, Brainerd International Raceway will
celebrate its 25th consecutive year, when it hosts the Lucas Oil NHRA
Nationals, Aug. 10-13.
The series will make two stops at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
in the spring for the seventh annual NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals,
April 6-9, and the sixth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Oct.
26-29, and a one-time visit to Route 66 Raceway (June 8-11) outside
Chicago, for the ninth annual CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.
All NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events will feature
competition in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock. Pro Stock Motorcycle
will again be featured at 15 events, including: Gainesville, Fla.;
Houston; Commerce, Ga.; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio; Englishtown, N.J.; St.
Louis; Denver; Sonoma, Calif.; Brainerd, Minn.; Indianapolis; Reading,
Pa.; Memphis, Tenn.; Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif.
ESPN2, a part of the ESPN network, the worldwide leader in sports, will
once again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis,
of all 23 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series events.
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., the NHRA is the primary sanctioning
body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 23
national events through its NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series. The NHRA
has 80,000 members nationwide and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned
sportsman and bracket racing series provide competition opportunities
for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by
offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing
Series, NHRA Sony Xplod Sport Compact Racing Series and the NHRA Street
Legal Program. The NHRA also offers the NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr.
Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
2006 NHRA POWERade DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE
46th annual CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA
WINTERNATIONALS Feb. 9-12
Pomona, Calif.
22nd annual CHECKER SCHUCK'S KRAGEN NHRA
NATIONALS Feb. 24-26
Phoenix
37th annual MAC TOOLS NHRA GATORNATIONALS
March 16-19
Gainesville, Fla. (PSM)
19th annual O'REILLY NHRA SPRING NATIONALS
March 31- April 2
Houston (PSM)
Seventh annual NHRA SUMMITRACING.COM NATIONALS
April 6-9
Las Vegas
Sixth annual O'REILLY NHRA THUNDER VALLEY
NATIONALS April 28-30
Bristol, Tenn.
26th annual SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NHRA
SOUTHERN NATIONALS May 4-7
Commerce, Ga. (PSM)
42nd annual PONTIAC PERFORMANCE NHRA
NATIONALS May 18-21
Columbus, Ohio (PSM)
18th annual O'REILLY NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS
May 25-28
Topeka, Kan.
Ninth annual CARQUEST AUTO PARTS NHRA NATIONALS
June 8-11
Chicago (PSM)
37th annual K&N FILTERS NHRA SUPERNATIONALS
June 15-18
Englishtown, N.J. (PSM)
10th annual SEARS CRAFTSMAN NHRA NATIONALS
June 23-25
St. Louis (PSM)
27th annual MOPAR MILE-HIGH NHRA NATIONALS
July 14-16
Denver (PSM)
19th annual NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
July 21-23
Seattle
19th annual FRAM-AUTOLITE NHRA NATIONALS
July 28-30
Sonoma, Calif. (PSM)
25th annual LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS
Aug. 10-13
Brainerd, Minn. (PSM)
19th annual O'REILLY NHRA MID-SOUTH
NATIONALS
Aug. 18-20
Memphis, Tenn. (PSM)
52nd annual MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS
Aug. 30 - Sept. 4
Indianapolis (PSM)
22nd annual TOYO TIRES NHRA NATIONALS
Sept. 14-17
Reading, Pa. (PSM)
21st annual O'REILLY NHRA FALL NATIONALS
Sept. 21-24
Dallas
Inaugural VIRGINIA NHRA NATIONALS
Oct. 6-8
Richmond, Va.
Sixth annual ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NHRA NATIONALS
Oct. 26-29
Las Vegas (PSM)
42nd annual AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS Nov. 9 -12
Pomona, Calif. (PSM)
(PSM) - Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle
