NHRA AWARDS CEREMONY RETURNS TO PECHANGA RESORT

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 22, 2025) – The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony is again slated to take place at Pechanga Resort Casino in the heart of scenic Southern California Wine Country.

The 2025 ceremony, which takes place for the fourth straight year at Pechanga Resort Casino, is set for Monday, Nov. 17, following the final race of the season and the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, the 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, which takes place Nov. 13-16 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Along with serving as the host of the NHRA Awards Ceremony, Pechanga Resort Casino has been named the “Official Resort Casino of Pomona Dragstrip,” which has hosted a pair of NHRA events for six decades.

At the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals, Pechanga Resort Casino will also have an exclusive resort offer available for fans at the legendary track, as the NHRA closes out the 2025 season and prepares for its 75th anniversary season in 2026 with a spectacular finale and a memorable awards ceremony.

“NHRA represents pure American ingenuity – taking machines to their absolute limit and pushing boundaries that shouldn’t be possible. That’s the Pechanga story, too,” said Sean Vasquez, President, Pechanga Development Corporation. “We’ve built one of the premier resort destinations in California on our sovereign land, creating thousands of jobs and economic opportunity for our region.

“Hosting the NHRA awards ceremony brings together two great American success stories, the thunder of drag racing and the entrepreneurial spirit of the Pechanga Band.”

The NHRA Awards Ceremony, an invitation-only black-tie affair, will honor and celebrate the 2025 world champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. It will also award the 2025 NHRA Rookie of the Year, a Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and the NHRA Crew of the Year Award presented by Red Line Oil in each professional category.

The annual event opens with a pre-event cocktail reception at 5 p.m., followed by a formal sit-down dinner at 6 p.m., and the awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. The official after party will conclude the evening’s festivities.

Champions in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will also be honored at Pechanga Resort Casino, with a ceremony taking place from 4-5 p.m., joining the activities at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony, where they will also be recognized.

Located just 60 miles south of In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, Pechanga Resort Casino is the largest resort/casino on the West Coast and is nestled in Temecula Valley’s picturesque Southern California Wine Country.

Offering the closest experience to Las Vegas any visitor can get, the top-rated resort, which was named the top casino in California and “Best U.S. Casino” by USA Today, offers AAA Four-Diamond comfort and amenities in its 1,100 spacious guest rooms and suites, a wide variety of fine dining options, an award-winning 18-hole golf course, spa services, wine tasting, and more than 3,500 slot machines, tables games and poker rooms.

Pechanga Resort Casino is nominated for an impressive 10th time in USA Today’s 10Best.com Readers’ Poll for the Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas. Fans and race teams can visit Pechanga.com/vote everyday through Aug. 25 to cast a vote for Pechanga Resort Casino.

Highlights from the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Awards Ceremony will be available on the NHRA YouTube page, as well as photos and interviews on the red carpet before the ceremony on NHRA’s social media pages.