With NHRA’s first-ever regular-season championship on the line, the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, which takes place at the famed Brainerd International Raceway on Aug. 14-17, comes at a pivotal, must-see point in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
It is the 13th of 20 events during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and will feature all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock. The event will be broadcast on FS1 with elimination coverage on FOX on Sunday, Aug. 17, as world title hopefuls look to build momentum for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
For more than four decades, Brainerd International Raceway has been one of the most unique stops on the NHRA tour thanks to its festive atmosphere, the famed “Zoo” camping facility and some of the fastest racing on the NHRA circuit. The dedicated and racing-thirsty fans have flocked to the standout track to see the 12,000-horsepower, 340-mph nitro-burning machines in action, with the weekend always coming at a memorable point in the season.
Last year, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Blake Alexander (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) all won in Brainerd, while Antron Brown, Austin Prock and Greg Anderson took home Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge wins.
Ashley picked up his first Brainerd win last season when he defeated Shawn Langdon. This year, Ashley has two wins to his credit, but Langdon leads the way on the strength of three wins. He leads 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year and motorsports legend Tony Stewart by 48 points with another showdown set for Brainerd. Other Top Fuel standouts include Brittany Force, who went 343-mph in Sonoma, Sonoma winner Doug Kalitta, reigning world champion Brown and Clay Millican.
This season, the Funny Car ranks have again been dominated by reigning Funny Car champion Prock, who leads the class with five wins on the season and has a chance to clinch the regular-season championship in Brainerd. Others to watch in Brainerd will be Jack Beckman, J.R. Todd, Paul Lee, Seattle winner Matt Hagan and Ron Capps, the winningest active driver at BIR with seven wins to his credit.
Pro Stock’s Glenn won his second consecutive Brainerd race last season, defeating Mason McGaha in the final round. Glenn currently leads the way in Pro Stock, holding a 37-point advantage over KB Titan Racing teammate and reigning world champion Anderson. Anderson, originally from Duluth, Minn., is a three-time Brainerd winner. The regular season title will be decided between the KB Titan duo, but Elite Motorsports has turned the corner, with Greg Stanfield winning the most recent event in Sonoma, snapping KB Titan’s 11-race winning streak.
The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as action in Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock and Pingel NHRA Top Fuel Motorcycle Series.
Fans are invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, the entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and more. Brainerd race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate event winners.
As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:00 and 6:15 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 15 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12:00 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 17. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10:00 p.m. ET on Friday and 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1, and eliminations on FOX at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.
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