NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Coming to Thunder Valley Raceway Park

NHRA SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION RUMBLES TO AN END AT THUNDER IN THE HEARTLAND

LEXINGTON, Okla. – Thunder Valley Raceway Park will host the Thunder in the Heartland, the final event for the NHRA South Central Division, on October 7-9. The event is one of 45 scheduled across the country where drivers in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series 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 Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, 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 also be run in conjunction with the event.

Gates at Thunder Valley Raceway open at 8 a.m. each day. Time Trials are Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman qualify Friday and Saturday at noon and 3 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car run round one of eliminations on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and rounds two and three on Sunday. Eliminations continue for all other classes on Sunday at 9 am. A special Jet Car exhibition will close the nights on both Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m.

Tickets for Thunder Valley Raceway are $20 Friday, $20 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a paid adult.

Thunder Valley Raceway is located off Highway 77 South, south of Highway 9E. For more information call the track, (405) 872-3429, or visit www.OKThunder.com.

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES: Fact Sheet

WHAT: NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Thunder in the Heartland, the last 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 Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, 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 also be run in conjunction with the event.

WHERE: Thunder Valley Raceway, Noble, Okla. Track is located off Highway 77 South, south of Highway 9E. From I-35 take exit 108A (Hwy. 9E) east to Highway 77 and go south. Follow the signs to the track.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9

SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, Oct. 7 – Gates open at 8 a.m. Time Trials start at 9 a.m. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman qualify at noon and 3 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify at 1 and 4 p.m. Jet Cars at 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, Oct. 8 – Gates open at 8 a.m. Time Trials start at 9 a.m. Top Dragster, Comp Eliminator and Top Sportsman qualify at noon and 3 p.m. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualify 1:00 and round one of eliminations at 4 p.m. Jet Cars at 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, Oct. 9 – Gates open at 8 a.m. Eliminations continue at 9 am. Round two for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car begin at 1p.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 Thunder Valley Raceway, (405) 872-3429, or visit www.OKThunder.com.

2015 EVENT

WINNERS: Randy Meyer, Top Alcohol Dragster; Jonnie Lindberg, Top Alcohol Funny Car; John Keilers, Comp Eliminator; Troy Ross, Super Stock; Ryan Montford, Stock Eliminator; Jay Bunce, Super Comp; Travis Slater, Super Gas; Lyle Owens, Super Street; Sean Dodd, Top Sportsman; Ross Laris, Top Dragster; John Fitzpatrick, 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 2017 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 2017 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 2017 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.

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.