NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE LINE FOR NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES COMPETITORS AT THE STRIP AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
LAS VEGAS (Oct. 18, 2024) – After a thrilling road to Las Vegas, 40 standout competitors are now ready to race for a NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship as part of the upcoming Ford Performance NHRA Nationals, which takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
This annual event pits the nation’s top drivers from the NHRA Summit Series, which has a list 75,000 drivers at NHRA member tracks across North America, looking for their shot at a championship in the Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Street Legal EV categories.
The ”Road to Vegas” started with racers competing in the Summit E.T. Finals across the seven NHRA divisions, with winners advancing to take part in the championship as part of the national event. It’s the culmination of an impressive program that includes nearly $300,000 in annual series contingency postings up for grabs. Along with the purse, also up for grabs is a national championship Wally trophy, a championship jacket and much more.
“We’re thrilled to be part of another incredible season in the NHRA Summit Series and everyone at Summit Racing Equipment is looking forward to a tremendous finish in Las Vegas and the chance to crown national champions,” said Jim Greenleaf, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports & Events Manager. “These racers deserve a spotlight like the one they will get in Las Vegas and it’s also exciting to see some of the new special prizes and opportunities that have been added to the weekend for the competitors. There continues to be great growth and participation in the series, and we can’t wait to see who becomes a NHRA Summit Racing Series National Champion.”
This season, the series continued to boast incredible participation, as each of the NHRA divisions offered a multitude of new and unique items at their respective Summit E.T. Finals. An Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals also took place for the first time in NHRA history in 2024 at Napierville Dragway in Quebec. The E.T. Finals there were a championship-level event mirroring the seven NHRA Divisional E.T. Finals currently contested.
Now, it finishes with a must-see national championship in Las Vegas and a diverse group of drivers competing in many types of vehicles, including dragsters, roadsters, sedans, coupes, motorcycles, and electric cars.
On the line is ultimate bragging rights, trophies and the impressive purse. The intense racing action in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Street Legal EV categories will put on a memorable experience at the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship in Las Vegas, and it’s a weekend filled with excitement for the 40 competitors.
It starts with a welcome dinner on Thursday, Oct. 31, which will also feature a chip draw for the first four positions, who will then call out the remaining drivers to set the first-round matchups.
Special prizes will also be raffled off between the 40 finalists, including NHRA suite passes for a day, experience a nitro car warmup in the pits and more. All finalists will have marquee access during Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying sessions, as well as a parade in front of the grandstands in Vegas and introductions during the official pre-race ceremonies at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, putting the racers in front of the fans before running for a championship.
“It’s been a terrific year in the NHRA Summit Series, which continues to be a great way for a driver to compete in NHRA Drag Racing. That entry-level foundation of our sportsman programs remains a vital part of the sport’s growth and longevity, which makes a weekend like the one in Las Vegas so exciting,” said Evan Jonat, NHRA Vice President of Live Events. “Each of the classes have enjoyed strong support in 2024 and it’s great to see outstanding partners like Summit Racing Equipment see the value and importance in this series.”
Leon Fitzgerald from Anaheim, California USA 1965 - Category: FUELALT, Type: AN, Class: A/FR, Div: 7 "Anaheim Speed Engineering" Owned by Leon Fitzgerald from Anaheim, California USA Austin/Bantam by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 364 cubic inch Chevrolet with direct drive 1/4 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown | 1/4 Mile MPH: Unknown […]
Bill Alexander from Burbank, California USA 1969 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: AA/FD, Div: 7 "Bill Wishart" Owned by Bill Wishart from Fremont, California USA '69 Dragster by Pete Ogden | Powered by a 392 cubic inch Chrysler Hemi with direct drive 1/4 Mile ET: 6.740 at Fremont CA 6/28/70 | 1/4 Mile MPH: […]
Dave Braskett from Whittier, California USA (Comp Number: 787) 1982 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: TF, Div: 7 "R.J. Trotter" Owned by Ron Trotter from Arcadia, California USA '82 Dragster by Don Long | Powered by a 484 cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 5.900 at Fremont […]
Sue Ransom from Sanctuary Lakes, Victoria Australia 1985 - Category: JETFC, Type: KN, Class: Jet Funny Car, Div: 2 "Repco" Owned by Ken Warby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia '83 Datsun 280ZX by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a J34 Westinghouse thrust engine 1/4 Mile ET: 6.150 at Englishtown K-Mart/Polaroid US All […]
Sue Ransom from Sanctuary Lakes, Victoria Australia 1982 - Category: COMPDRAG, Type: PN, Class: AA/D, Div: 8 "Bob Honeybrook" Owned by Bob Honeybrook from Ashfield, Sydney, New South Wales Australia Dragster by John Maher | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Chrysler Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown | […]
Sue Ransom from Sanctuary Lakes, Victoria Australia 1983 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TN, Class: TF, Div: 7 "R.J. Trotter" Owned by Ron Trotter from Arcadia, California USA '82 Dragster by Don Long | Powered by a 496 cubic inch McGee with 2 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.107 at NHRA Orange County CA 10/15/83 […]
Sue Ransom from Sanctuary Lakes, Victoria Australia 1986 - Category: JETFC, Type: KN, Class: Jet Funny Car, Div: 2 "Repco" Owned by Ken Warby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia '83 Datsun 280ZX by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a J34 Westinghouse thrust engine 1/4 Mile ET: 6.086 at Unknown | 1/4 Mile […]
Chuck Swift from Bellingham, Washington USA 1990 - Category: WHEELIE, Type: WN, Class: Wheelstander, Div: 6 "Custer\'s Last Stand" Owned by Chuck Swift from Bellingham, Washington USA '80 Chevrolet Monza by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Chevrolet with automatic transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 10.650 at Unknown | 1/4 Mile […]
Randy Ross from Destin, Florida USA (Comp Number: 2552) 1993 - Category: SPORTSMAN, Type: HN, Class: BB/A, Div: 2 "Wyant-Ross-Custer" Owned by Randy Ross from Destin, Florida USA '89 Chevrolet Beretta by Vic Custer | Powered by a 323 cubic inch Buick with 5 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 7.535 at Unknown | 1/4 […]
Marty Jones from Toms River, New Jersey USA (Comp Number: 182G) 2025 - Category: TOPDRAG, Type: PN, Class: Top Dragster, Div: 1 "Marty Jones" Owned by Marty Jones from Toms River, New Jersey USA 2007 Dragster by Spitzer | Powered by a 582 cubic inch Chevrolet with automatic transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.153 at NHRA […]