NHRA cuts 2023 schedule to 21 events; Houston, Virginia gone, but Chicago is back

Phoenix to host last race in 2023, while series returns to Chicago for first time since 2019

Editor's note: The longtime annual Houston event was held for the last time earlier this season, while the Virginia Motorsports Park race was not renewed for 2023. Also, the longtime Phoenix race will be held for the final time in 2023.

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NHRA Media Release

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 5, 2022) – NHRA officials today announced the details of the full 2023 Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule, which will include a pair of Pep Boys NHRA All-Star Callout races in Gainesville and Indianapolis, as well as a return to the fan-favorite Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill.

NHRA previously released the dates for the first four events of the 2023 season, including the must-see opener, the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway on March 9-12. The series also makes a highly-anticipated return back to Route 66 Raceway just outside of Chicago for the Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance on May 19-21. Tickets for the Chicago race will go on sale in October. Considered one of the top facilities on the tour, the track will host its first NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series race since 2019, one of many thrilling highlights for the upcoming season.

“We are thrilled to release our full schedule for the 2023 season, which will bring incredible racing action to tracks all across the country,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “We’re proud of everyone involved who worked so hard to get Route 66 Raceway back on our schedule. Starting with what will be an incredible kickoff in Gainesville, there are lot of exciting moments to look forward to next year. We appreciate our fans, race teams, track partners and sponsors who all helped to put the 2023 plan in place.”

After previously announced races in Gainesville, which will also feature the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, the final event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix on March 24-26, the 63rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at Pomona Raceway on March 30-April 2 and the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals on April 14-16 in Las Vegas, the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series will visit state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway for the annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte on April 28-30.

NHRA then heads to Route 66 Raceway in May, leading into back-to-back races at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., and Bristol Dragway on June 2-4 and June 9-11. The annual stop to Thunder Valley will take place a week earlier in 2023, giving teams a race weekend off before the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio on June 22-25.

That leads into the famed three-race NHRA Western Swing, which will also have a new look for 2023. Following the longtime trip to Bandimere Speedway in Denver for the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals on July 14-16 to kick off the Western Swing, the middle event in the intense three-race trek will now be the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle on July 21-23. After a three-year hiatus, the NHRA returned to the track in 2022. With Seattle falling as the middle race in 2023, the finale of the Western Swing, the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals will take place at scenic Sonoma Raceway on July 28-30.

From there, teams will have back-to-back races at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan. for the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor and Brainerd International Raceway for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals on Aug. 11-13 and Aug. 17-20. The regular season concludes with the 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Aug. 30-Sept. 4, highlighted by the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout.

The high stakes six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs will kick off with three straight racing weekends, starting with the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway on Sept. 14-17 and continuing at zMAX Dragway on Sept. 22-24 and then the annual event at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis on Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

The intense Countdown competition finishes with the Texas NHRA FallNationals on Oct. 12-15 at Texas Motorplex, the second race of the season at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 26-29 and the NHRA Finals in Pomona on Nov. 9-12, where champions will be crowned in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Fans may renew or purchase their tickets for the 2023 season at https://www.nhra.com/schedule/2023. Details on class schedules for Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, as well as specialty series like the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon and Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown will be announced soon.

All races during the 2023 NHRA will be aired exclusively on FOX Sports, with select events on the FOX broadcast network. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.nhra.com.

2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Season Schedule

March 9-12: 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fl. The race will also include the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout.

March 24-26: 38th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Phoenix

March 30-April 2: 63rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com, Pomona Raceway, Pomona, Calif.

April 14-16: 23rd annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas

April 28-30: 13th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte

May 19-21: 23rd annual Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance, Route 66 Raceway, Chicago

June 2-4: 10th annual NHRA New England Nationals, New England Dragway, Epping, N.H.

June 9-11: 22nd annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.

June 22-25: 17th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio

July 14-16: 43rd annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals, Bandimere Speedway, Denver

July 21-23: 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways, Seattle

July 28-30: 35th annual DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.

Aug. 11-13: 34th annual Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, Heartland Motorsports Park, Topeka, Kan.

Aug. 17-20: 41st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn.

Aug. 30-Sept. 4: 69th annual Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis. The race will also include the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout.

COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Sept. 14-17: 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.

Sept. 22-24: 15th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, zMAX Dragway, Charlotte.

Sept. 29-Oct. 1: 12th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis

Oct. 12-15: 38th annual Texas NHRA FallNationals, Texas Motorplex, Dallas

Oct. 26-29: 23rd annual NHRA Nevada Nationals, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas

Nov. 9-12: 58th annual NHRA Finals, Pomona Raceway, Pomona, Calif.