The stars of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be in the spotlight during the Big Go Block Party on Aug. 25, as the town of Brownsburg celebrates the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, which will be held Sept. 2-7 at nearby Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. The free event will be held at the Brownsburg town hall and is hosted by the Town of Brownsburg, NHRA, Lucas Oil Raceway, Don Schumacher Racing and John Force Racing, and will feature family activities, entertainment and concessions from 6 to 9 p.m.
Numerous drivers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will take part in an autograph session from 7 – 8 p.m. Drivers scheduled to appear are Antron Brown, Spencer Massey, J.R. Todd, Tony Schumacher, Richie Crampton, Brittany Force, Shawn Langdon, Leah Pritchett and Larry Dixon from the Top Fuel ranks. Funny Car racers scheduled to attend are Tommy Johnson, Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, John Force, Courtney Force, Robert Hight, and Tony Pedregon. Pro Stock Motorcycle racers Andrew Hines and Eddie Krawiec also will take part in the autograph session.
Team show cars will also be on display during the event including the Top Fuel dragsters driven by Schumacher and Crampton. The Funny Car category will be represented by the machines of Ron Capps and Tony and Cruz Pedregon.
Children will enjoy the free inflatable playground and a variety of exhibitors will have interactive experiences for attendees. Local food trucks will provide hot and cold concessions.
The most historic and tradition-rich event in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals has been contested annually since 1955 and its past list of winners includes ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don ‘The Snake’ Prudhomme, John Force, Bob Glidden, Tony Schumacher and Kenny Bernstein.
The race is the 18th of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the race will once again be showcased in eight hours of coverage on ESPN and ESPN2. Richie Crampton (Top Fuel); Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car); Shane Gray (Pro Stock); and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners.
The Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals will feature intense side-by-side racing at more than 320 mph, as drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle compete for their share of the $2 million purse and important world championship points.
The stakes will be high as teams will battle for the final top 10 spots for the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs. With an increased amount of points in play due to the recent change to the point-and-a-half system for this event (150 points to the winner), the drama on Championship Monday is expected to be more amplified than ever. Perhaps more importantly, drivers will compete to earn a permanent spot in NHRA history alongside the many legends who’ve won this race in the past, as a Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals winner.
The event also will showcase the Traxxas Nitro Shootout, where the top drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car will race for $100,000 paydays in separate bonus races. The thrilling competition in both the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Series and the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, which will be highlighted by its annual Mopar HEMI Challenge for Super Stock cars, will also be featured during the event.
