5 Things To Consider As NHRA Drag Racing Returns

By Susan Wade

Fans of elite-level drag racing are excited about the sport returning to action with the NHRA’s July 11-12 E3 Spark Plugs Nationals and an unsponsored July 18-19 race, both at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Two Top Fuel favorites, Tony Schumacher and Cory McClenathan, will be back, and the Funny Car field has 18 teams on the entry list. But here, in no particular order, are some notions to consider:

1. According to NHRA President Glen Cromwell, the sanctioning body is “in a healthy position to weather the pandemic, whether it’s 2020 or 2021. I think every business has had to make changes to make sure they manage the balance sheet properly. We’ve made those changes and adjustments. Our leaders in our company have run financial models in every way possible to make sure that we remain healthy. We’re very comfortable with where we are. We’ve run the worst-case scenarios. I can assure you, we’ve run every model. We’re in a very comfortable and confident place that we’re here for many years to come.” However, not every team is.

2. Don’t expect to see any of the four John Force Racing cars on the track. Force said he would be back with four complete teams – his and current champion Robert Hight’s in the Funny Car class and the dragsters with Brittany Force and Austin Prock in Top Fuel – when racing resumes. He also said he wouldn’t promise to race at the two additional Indianapolis races in July unless his sponsors paid for their appearances. As June wound to a close, none of the JFR cars was on the entry lists. (Neither was the name of the Torrence tandem, Top Fuel reigning champion Steve and his disruptor dad Billy Torrence. But a family member said, “They are definitely going to be racing as long as there is a race to go to!”). The situation might change in the next few days, as drivers have until the Monday before the event to enter officially.

3. Raceways in Indiana have been cleared to open at 50-percent grandstand capacity. But the NHRA has set some public health guidelines it will be enforcing the following procedures (all subject to change) for the Indianapolis doubleheader:

Entry REQUIREMENTS:

Everyone 2 years old or older must wear a mask or a cloth face covering at the event. Mask must cover both mouth and nose.

Everyone must submit to a non-contact temperature check prior to entry.

By entering, each person confirms that they are not currently experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms and have not been recently exposed to the virus. You may be asked related health questions.

Everyone must maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between their party and others.

If you are sick or not feeling well, please do not come to the event.

Overall Hygiene Strategies:

Temperature check before admittance – anyone over 100 degrees Fahrenheit will not be admitted and needs to leave.

Masks/cloth face coverings required

Social Distancing required

Hand washing encouraged

Hand sanitizing encouraged

Ample supplies of soap and water, paper towels, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies will be available and used on site. Additional cleaning will be done before, during, and after the event.

TICKETS/CREDENTIALS:

Electronic and cashless payments should be utilized as much as possible including use of online/in-advance credentials/tickets and use of Print-at-home or mobile-entry tickets

ONSITE:

There will be a limit to the number of spectators allowed on site

NHRA will use the PA system to communicate on-site and supplement with signage and other communications

NHRA will provide signage or otherwise mark grandstands for social distancing and will have security/ushers to remind people of social distancing.

Concessions will be marked for social distancing in lines

Restrooms will have signage and markings for social distancing

RACER/FAN INTERACTION

Interaction between our fans and racers has always been one of the best and most unique aspects of NHRA drag racing. Racers will be using pre-signed hero cards. The pits at NHRA national events will be open to all fans, but in order to allow this, fans and racers must practice caution including but not limited to:

Limiting face-to-face contact and staying as contactless as possible

Maintaining social distancing at a minimum of 6 feet

No handshakes, fist bumps, hugs or other touching

Having hand sanitizer and wipes available

4. The NHRA started the season with a 24-race schedule, completed two events (at Pomona and Phoenix), trimmed the itinerary March 25 to a total of 19 events, then announced May 4 it would resume in August with a 16-race route that would wind from Seattle to Denver, through the Midwest, down the East Coast, zigzagging from St. Louis to East Tennessee before heading Southwest and finishing at Pomona – all in successive weeks. The NHRA on June 3 added two Indianapolis races that were supposed to preface the schedule that was set to start in August at Seattle. Since then, the Seattle race was canceled because of state and county public-health restrictions.

So that means the NHRA has lost one-third of its original schedule. Gone are the first of two races at both Las Vegas and Charlotte, along with events at Chicago, Epping (N.H.), Norwalk (Ohio), Richmond, Sonoma, and Seattle.

With reported flares in coronavirus cases in some of the 13 states the NHRA is planning to visit, other races could be at risk. Therefore, we might see mass changes to the current line-up.

And that uncertainty wreaks havoc on a race team’s budget, meaning car counts could dip and fluctuate.

5. Most of the races have been pared back to two-day events, with one day (two rounds) of qualifying Saturday and final eliminations Sunday. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series classes will begin racing Friday at national events. The U.S. Nationals will play out across three days – the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series have one qualifying round Friday and two rounds Saturday, with eliminations Sunday rather than the traditional Monday that is Labor Day.