NHRA TEXAS SPORTSMAN CHALLENGE KICKS OFF THE NHRA SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION AT ROYAL PURPLE RACEWAY

BAYTOWN, Texas – Royal Purple Raceway will host the NHRA South Central Division season opener on February 26-28 with the NHRA Texas Sportsman Challenge. The event is one of 44 scheduled across the country where drivers earn points leading to divisional, regional and national championships as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $519,000. Categories include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s Sunset Performance Top Sportsman Series, KPE Top Dragster Series and NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson will run in conjunction with the event along with the NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series featuring the Pro Fuel Harley class.

Gates at Royal Purple Raceway open at 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Qualifying and time trials start at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Eliminations start Sunday at 8 a.m.

Tickets for Royal Purple Raceway are $20 Friday, $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Children 12 years old and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

For more information call Royal Purple Raceway, (281) 383-7223, or visit www.RoyalPurpleRaceway.com.

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES: Fact Sheet

WHAT: NHRA Texas Sportsman Challenge, one of six events in South Central Division competition where drivers earn points leading to divisional, regional and national championships as well as a chance at a share of the year-end purse of more than $519,000. Categories include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The division’s Sunset Performance Top Sportsman Series, KPE Top Dragster Series and NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson will run in conjunction with the event as well as the NHRA Harley-Davidson Drag Racing Series featuring the Pro Fuel Harley class.

WHERE: Royal Purple Raceway, Baytown, Texas. Track is located at 2525 South FM 565. It is east of the Houston Metro area, just south of Interstate 10 and east of Highway 146

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Feb. 26-28

SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, Feb. 26 – Gates open at 7 a.m. Time Trials start at 9 a.m.

SATURDAY, Feb. 27 – Gates open at 7 a.m. Qualifying and time trials begin at 9 a.m.

SUNDAY, Feb. 28 – Gates open at 7:30 a.m. Eliminations start at 8 a.m.

TICKETS: GENERAL ADMISSION/PIT PASS – $20 Friday, $20 Saturday, $20 Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult. For more information please call Royal Purple Raceway, (281) 383-7223, or visit www.RoyalPurpleRaceway.com.

2015 EVENT

WINNERS: Craig Bourgeois, Comp Eliminator; Harvey Emmons, Super Stock; Austin Williams, Stock Eliminator; Christian Patton, Super Comp; Travis Salter, Super Gas; Ray Dew, Super Street, Jim Thorp, Top Sportsman; William Swann, Top Dragster; Robert Sanders, Sportsman Motorcycle

BONUS

PROGRAMS: NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS FUND: a $519,000 point fund from Lucas Oil, which will be shared by 2016 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional, regional and national champions. Regional awards include $10,000 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions with Divisional awards of $3,000 to the champions in both Competition and Super Stock; $2,000 each to the champions in Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The seven national champions will share a bonus of $135,000.

JEGS ALLSTARS: The best of the best from each of NHRA’s seven divisions will compete for a share of the $124,000 point fund from Jegs High Performance. The 2016 Jegs Allstars event will culminate a year-long points battle between drivers in each of NHRA’s Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series’ eight classes as well as Top Sportsman and Top Dragster. The top points earner in each category will qualify to represent his/her division at the 2016 Jegs Allstars. Points are based on in-division races only.

The winning division and regional teams will share $25,000 and individual awards include $7,000 each to the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car champions, $6,000 to champions in Comp Eliminator and Super Stock, $5,000 to Top Sportsman and Top Dragster champions, and $4,500 to the Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street champions. Runners-up in all categories will earn $2,000 apiece. Each Allstars competitor will also receive a share of a $25,000 towing fund to get to the event.

Event sponsor, Jegs High Performance, is offering a “double up” bonus to Jegs Allstars participants. Any 2016 Jegs Allstars champion who also wins the national event will have his/her Allstars prize doubled.

Sunset Performance Top Sportsman Series: Run in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Series, competitors in the Top Sportsman class are vying for division championships. The top points finisher will earn a year-end bonus of $1,500, the runner-up will get $1000 and the third place finisher will receive $500. Top Sportsman racers may run the six South Central Division Lucas Oil events as well as three Lucas Oil Series races in the other NHRA divisions.

KPE TOP DRAGSTER SERIES: Run in conjunction with the Lucas Oil Series, competitors in the Top Dragster class are vying for division championships. The top points finisher will earn a year-end bonus of $1,500, the runner-up will get $1000 and the third place finisher will receive $500.

MOSER SPORTSMAN SHOOTOUT: Drivers who compete in seven NHRA sportsman classes will be eligible to participate in the Moser Sportsman Shootout. Moser Engineering Sportsman Shootout qualifying points will be earned by competitors in Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Dragster and Top Sportsman at each South Central Division NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. The 2016 South Central Division Moser Sportsman Shootout will carry over to the 2017 season at Texas Motorplex in Dallas, with a posted purse of $15,000, with the winner taking home up to $5,000.

NHRA SPORTSMAN MOTORCYCLE SERIES presented by HARLEY-DAVIDSON: The NHRA Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley-Davidson, run in conjunction with the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, is an opportunity for competitors in NHRA’s Sportsman Motorcycle class to earn points toward divisional championships. The $14,000 champions’ purse posted by Harley-Davidson will be paid to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place points finishers in NHRA divisions that host Sportsman Motorcycles.

Royal Purple Press Kit.pdf