NHRA announces 2026 schedule for 75th anniversary season

INDIANAPOLIS — Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk will again serve as the midway point of the NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule, this time for it's 75th anniversary celebration. The NHRA announced its 2026 schedule for the highly-anticipated milestone season on Aug. 28. Set to celebrate 75 years of racing and spectacular moments, the 2026 season will feature 20 races at standout facilities across the country, including two making a first-time appearance on NHRA's national event schedule. NHRA will debut at South Georgia Motorsports Park just outside of Valdosta, Ga., on May 1-3 at the sixth event of the season, as the NHRA Southern Nationals makes its return to Georgia. That same month, Maryland International Raceway, just outside of Washington, D.C., will host the NHRA for the first time in its long history on May 29-31. It marks the first time since 2013 NHRA has introduced a new track to its national event schedule, expanding to two new facilities and events as part of the grand 75th anniversary celebration that will take place all season long. That will start at the NHRA Gatornationals and concluding at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals on March 5-8 in Pomona, Calif. "The 2026 season will be one of the most exciting years in NHRA history," NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. "As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, we're embracing this milestone to evolve our sport, ensuring a vibrant future for our sport while honoring our legacy with new venues and fresh energy. "We're thrilled to debut at two incredible new facilities — bringing the sport to fans in dynamic markets like Washington, D.C., and Baltimore at MIR, and Atlanta and Tallahassee at SGMP." Cromwell said the entire season is expected to be a non-stop celebration of the drivers, fans and big moments that have shaped the NHRA over the 75 years. "We're incredibly grateful to our track partners, race teams and sponsors for their continued support in helping us make this milestone season something truly special, and we can't wait to share his historic season with everyone," he said. A list of the 75th anniversary celebrations planned for the momentous 2026 season will be released in the coming weeks and months. The 2026 campaign will open at Gainesville Raceway for the fourth straight season. Following the NHRA Gatornationals, the NHRA heads west for a pair of events, beginning with the 41st annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park on March 20-22 and then the 66th annual NHRA Winternationals on April 9-12 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. April will feature a four-wide race at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway, the 16th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on April 24-26 in Charlotte. A week later, NHRA will make its debut at SGMP. The 26th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance takes place on May 14-17 at spectacular Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, moving to the debut at Maryland International Raceway on May 29-31. The race at MIR kicks off a stretch of three straight race weekends, with the 13th annual New England Nationals at fan-favorite New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., on June 5-7, followed by the 25th annual Super Grip NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at picturesque Bristol Dragway on June 12-14. After a week off, NHRA powers into in Norwalk for the standout 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 25-28. The month of July features the annual Western Swing. That starts with the 38th annual Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway on July 17-19, followed by a return to the Pacific Northwest for the 37th annual Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways on July 24-26. That leads into the penultimate race of the regular season, the 44th annual NHRA Nationals on Aug. 20-23 at Brainerd International Raceway. It sets up the world's biggest drag race, as the prestigious 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals happens on Sept. 2-7 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. As the pinnacle of drag racing, the "Big Go" will celebrate 75 years of NHRA history on drag racing's grandest stage. With world titles on the line, the Countdown to the Championship playoffs begin with three straight race weekends. It starts with the 41st annual NHRA Reading Nationals on Sept. 17-20 at Maple Grove Raceway. The three-race stretch concludes with a race to be announced and the annual stop at popular World Wide Technology Raceway for the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals on Oct. 2-4. The massive Stampede of Speed at Texas Motorplex, capped off by the 41st annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, returns to the iconic facility on Oct. 14-18, kicking off the second half of the Countdown to the Championship. The playoffs finish up with its annual races in Las Vegas and Pomona, as the 26th annual NHRA Nevada Nationals takes place Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. From there, the 75th anniversary season concludes at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, where champions will be crowned in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle on Nov. 12-15 with the 61st annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals. All races during the 2026 NHRA season will be aired exclusively on FOX Sports, with select events on the FOX broadcast network.