The NHRA 24-race schedule for 2018. Like in previous years, the 2018 season will start and end at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. The first event is the Winternationals on February 8 to 11 and the last the Auto Club NHRA Finals between November 8 and 11. The season promises to be an intense 10-months of adrenaline-charged events.
The regular season runs from February to September. Of course, the Winternationals is the first event of the regular season with the last being the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, IN. What a special way to close the season?
National record performers
The drag strip for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals stands at 700-feet above sea level. In all the 18 events, racers have to earn 100 points to win. For making a qualifying attempt, teams get 15 points instead of 10. In the qualifying round 1, 2 or 3 bonus points are on offer for the five racing sessions. For those who qualify, they will get 1 to 8 points.
In the fours summer months, there is there are back-to-back races that provide a busy schedule for the warmer months of the year. What’s different this year is that the dates will change slightly with the first event happening between May 31 and June 3. Moved to a later date between July 6 and 8 is the NHRA New England Nationals at the New England Dragway just outside Boston. Most Successful Female Drag Racers Ever.
The last six events of the year are part of the Countdown to the Championship. This last set of races kicks off with racing for three weeks non-stop. The first race of the Dodge NHRA Nationals will be held at the historic Maple Grove Raceway between September 13 and 16. At this scenic facility located just outside Philadelphia, there have sprung a number of national record performers.
Between September 21 and 23, the Championship series will move to St. Louis. The annual AAA Insurance NHRA event is usually held in the shadow of St. Louis. In fact, this is one of the key races of the Championship.
The next stop for racers pursuing the World Championship is the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals. This will take place at the Texas Motorplex between October 4 and 7. Here, they have an all-concrete racing surface which has produced a number of champions for a span of more than 30 years.
The NHRA Carolina Nationals will be held at the zMAX Dragway between October 12 and 14. The zMAX Dragway is one of the premier venues in the entire country. It is at a point like this that the NHRA Mello Yello Racing Series comes to a climax as the competitors fight for points towards the close of the season.
In the penultimate race, the competition will move to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the NHRA Toyota Nationals will be held between October 25 and 28. The last race of the Championship will be the Auto Club NHRA Finals at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona between November 8 and 11.
