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2018 NHRA Schedule Reduces Number Of Consecutive Race Weekends
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The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has tweaked its 2018 schedule, with the more major changes coming during the six-race playoffs it calls the Countdown to the Championship.
NHRA’s 24-race Mello Yello Drag Racing Series—18 “regular season” races and six Countdown challenges—starts and ends as it always has in Pomona, California. From its initial race in February through the end of May, the schedule remains similar.
Changes begin with a couple swapped dates (Englishtown and Joliet) as well as more break time.
Once the playoffs get underway after the Nationals at Indy, major changes were made to the Countdown to the Championship schedule, which kicks off September 13–16 in Reading, Pennsylvania.
A week after the Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, teams will travel to St. Louis, which is followed by a week’s respite before the teams travel to Dallas. Two weeks later, teams will face off at Charlotte’s zMax Dragway.
While this year’s schedule saw the Countdown start with three races in three weekends, the 2018 schedule will have less back-to-back racing.
The changes are said to be intended to give crews some respite in the middle of the season, rather than having three straight or four consecutive as seen this year, while the changes in the Countdown could allow some testing and technical changes that might not otherwise be possible.
2018 NHRA Mello Yello Series Regular Season
Feb. 8-11, Winternationals, Pomona, CA Feb. 23-25, Arizona Nationals, Phoenix, AZ March 15-18, Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL April 6-8, DENSO Spark Plugs Nationals, Las Vegas, NV April 20-22, SpringNationals, Houston, TX April 27-29, Four-Wide Nationals, Charlotte, NC May 4-6, Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA May 18-20, Menards Heartland Nationals, Topeka, KS May 31-June 3, Route 66 Nationals, Chicago, IL June 7-10, Summernationals, Englishtown, NJ June 15-17, Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN June 21-24, Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, Norwalk, OH July 6-8, New England Nationals, Epping, NH July 20-22, Mopar Mile-High Nationals, Denver, CO July 27-29, Toyota Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma, CA Aug. 3-5, Northwest Nationals, Seattle, WA Aug. 16-19, Lucas Oil Nationals, Brainerd, MN Aug. 29-Sept. 3, Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, IN
Countdown to the Championship
Sept. 13-16, Dodge Nationals, Reading, PA
Sept. 21-23, Insurance Midwest Nationals, St. Louis, MO
Oct. 4-7, AAA Texas Fall Nationals, Dallas, TX
Oct. 12-14, Carolina Nationals , Charlotte, NC
Oct. 25-28, Toyota Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 8-11, Auto Club Finals, Pomona, CA
NHRA’s 24-race Mello Yello Drag Racing Series—18 “regular season” races and six Countdown challenges—starts and ends as it always has in Pomona, California. From its initial race in February through the end of May, the schedule remains similar.
Changes begin with a couple swapped dates (Englishtown and Joliet) as well as more break time.
Once the playoffs get underway after the Nationals at Indy, major changes were made to the Countdown to the Championship schedule, which kicks off September 13–16 in Reading, Pennsylvania.
A week after the Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, teams will travel to St. Louis, which is followed by a week’s respite before the teams travel to Dallas. Two weeks later, teams will face off at Charlotte’s zMax Dragway.
While this year’s schedule saw the Countdown start with three races in three weekends, the 2018 schedule will have less back-to-back racing.
The changes are said to be intended to give crews some respite in the middle of the season, rather than having three straight or four consecutive as seen this year, while the changes in the Countdown could allow some testing and technical changes that might not otherwise be possible.
2018 NHRA Mello Yello Series Regular Season
Feb. 8-11, Winternationals, Pomona, CA Feb. 23-25, Arizona Nationals, Phoenix, AZ March 15-18, Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL April 6-8, DENSO Spark Plugs Nationals, Las Vegas, NV April 20-22, SpringNationals, Houston, TX April 27-29, Four-Wide Nationals, Charlotte, NC May 4-6, Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA May 18-20, Menards Heartland Nationals, Topeka, KS May 31-June 3, Route 66 Nationals, Chicago, IL June 7-10, Summernationals, Englishtown, NJ June 15-17, Thunder Valley Nationals, Bristol, TN June 21-24, Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, Norwalk, OH July 6-8, New England Nationals, Epping, NH July 20-22, Mopar Mile-High Nationals, Denver, CO July 27-29, Toyota Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma, CA Aug. 3-5, Northwest Nationals, Seattle, WA Aug. 16-19, Lucas Oil Nationals, Brainerd, MN Aug. 29-Sept. 3, Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, IN
Countdown to the Championship
Sept. 13-16, Dodge Nationals, Reading, PA
Sept. 21-23, Insurance Midwest Nationals, St. Louis, MO
Oct. 4-7, AAA Texas Fall Nationals, Dallas, TX
Oct. 12-14, Carolina Nationals , Charlotte, NC
Oct. 25-28, Toyota Nationals, Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 8-11, Auto Club Finals, Pomona, CA
