The official 2026 NHRA schedule release date was August 28, 2025, when the association announced its historic 75th anniversary calendar. The season runs from March 5 through November 15, covering 19 different tracks across 16 states. Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock compete at all 20 national events — one more than 2025. Pro Stock Motorcycle joins 14 rounds. Every race is broadcast exclusively on FOX Sports, with select marquee events on the main FOX broadcast network.

The 2026 NHRA drag racing season introduces significant headline changes. Four new national event venues debut: South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel (Southern Nationals), Maryland International Raceway (Potomac Nationals), U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan (Great Lakes Nationals), and Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina (NHRA Nationals at The Rock). The iconic Maple Grove Raceway was removed from the schedule following its sale, replaced by the Michigan venue.

Off-track, the 2026 season marks the first without John Force as a driver after more than four decades behind the wheel of a Funny Car. Brittany Force also stepped away to start a family, replaced in Top Fuel by Josh Hart. Meanwhile, Tony Stewart continues his drag racing involvement as both a team owner and Top Fuel competitor through his alliance with Richard Freeman’s Elite Motorsports. Leah Pruett returns to the Top Fuel seat at Tony Stewart Racing after two seasons away.

Below is the complete NHRA 2026 calendar with exact race dates, venue names, locations, and TV networks. The regular season runs from the Gatornationals in March through the U.S. Nationals in early September. The Countdown to the Championship playoff then follows with six events culminating at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona in November. Use this as your printable NHRA race calendar 2026.

Regular Season — NHRA Race Dates 2026

Countdown to the Championship — Playoff Schedule 2026

The full NHRA championship schedule 2026 was initially released August 28, 2025. It was later revised in November 2025 when Rockingham Dragway was added to the Countdown, replacing zMAX Dragway in that playoff slot. The final adjustment came in December 2025 when U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Michigan replaced Maple Grove Raceway following its sale.

Key Events to Watch on the NHRA 2026 Calendar

Understanding the NHRA drag racing 2026 class structure helps you appreciate exactly what you are watching at each national event. Four professional classes compete at NHRA Mission Foods events, each with distinct machinery, rules, and championship points battles. The NHRA drag racing format is uniquely accessible — pit lanes are open to all ticket holders, so fans get face-to-face access unavailable in any other major motorsport.

All-Star Callout Format

The 2026 NHRA season introduces an All-Star Callout competition at select events, based on a format from the Discovery TV program Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings. In this format, drivers select their own opponents in early elimination rounds, creating must-watch rivalry matchups and strategic maneuvering from the moment qualifications end. The Callout was used at the Gatornationals and the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Norwalk.

For fans new to the sport, our full explainer on NHRA drag racing covers how elimination brackets work, what the qualifying sessions determine, and why reaction time at the Christmas tree lights can be just as decisive as horsepower. You can also learn how racing timing works across motorsport in our race timing explainer.

Attending a live NHRA race is a fundamentally different experience from watching on television. With pit lanes open to every ticket holder, fans can walk through the working garages, watch engine rebuilds between rounds, and stand just feet from the crews. Securing your NHRA schedule 2026 tickets early — especially for marquee events like the Gatornationals, U.S. Nationals, and NHRA Finals — is essential, as prime grandstand sections sell out weeks in advance.

NHRA Ticket Prices 2026 (Estimated)

The inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals at Maryland International Raceway offered a free limited-edition NHRA pennant to the first 4,000 fans in attendance on Sunday — a 75th anniversary promotion that proved extremely popular. Watch for similar giveaway events throughout the remainder of the season. The sport prides itself on accessibility, with pricing that is among the most family-friendly of any major motorsport in North America.

For fans planning their first visit, our guides on how NHRA drag racing works and racing flags explained will help you understand everything you’ll see trackside before you even sit down.

The complete NHRA TV schedule 2026 was officially released on February 13, 2026, the same day it was announced. FOX Sports is the exclusive broadcast partner for the entire 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, meaning all 20 national events air on either FS1 or the main FOX broadcast network. This is the most comprehensive single-network deal in NHRA television history.

For fans who want more than the network broadcast, NHRA.tv offers an unrestricted streaming package covering every pass from every class, from entry-level Sportsman through Top Fuel — all weekend long. The platform includes live timing overlays showing reaction times, 60-foot splits, and trap speeds, which adds significant depth to race watching. If you are wondering what channel NHRA is on today, always cross-reference your local cable listings as broadcast times can shift due to weather delays or track prep issues.

The U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis is the one event broadcast on both FS1 and FOX during the same weekend — qualifying on FS1, with Sunday’s final eliminations on the main FOX network. This dual-network treatment reflects the flagship status of “The Big Go” in NHRA’s broadcast relationship with FOX Sports.

The NHRA Countdown to the Championship is a six-race playoff format that determines the ultimate class champions in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. After 14 regular-season rounds, the top points earners have their standings compressed into a tighter spread before the Countdown begins. This format ensures the title battle remains alive — and intense — through all six playoff rounds.

The structure is designed to reward consistency across the season while creating championship drama at every event from September through November. A single first-round exit during the Countdown can drop a driver from championship contention to outside the top five in standings almost immediately. The teams that manage tire traction in autumn conditions, execute clean pit stops, and keep their engines reliable across six grueling weekends typically emerge as champions.

2026 NHRA Countdown Format Breakdown

The Countdown opens at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan — a brand-new venue making its national event debut as a playoff race. It runs through Rockingham Dragway (another debut), Gateway, Texas Motorplex, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and concludes at the historic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

For understanding how championship points work across motorsport, see our racing championships scoring explainer. For real-time Countdown standings as the 2026 season progresses, the official NHRA platform at NHRA.com updates within minutes of each Sunday’s final elimination round.

The NHRA Nevada Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway serves as the penultimate Countdown event — traditionally a make-or-break weekend where the championship picture crystallizes. Arriving at Pomona for the Finals with a significant points lead is the only way to race conservatively; everyone else must win outright.

The NHRA schedule 2026 results through the first seven completed events show a wide distribution of winners across classes — a healthy sign for a competitive season. Checking NHRA race results after each Sunday’s eliminations has become a Monday morning ritual for millions of fans. The official NHRA platform provides complete timing data — reaction times, 60-foot splits, and trap speeds — within minutes of each final.

Results table shows confirmed winners through June 7, 2026. Full updated results available at NHRA.com.

Shawn Langdon has been the early standout in Top Fuel, winning both the Route 66 Nationals at Joliet and the inaugural Potomac Nationals at Maryland International Raceway. Richard Gadson leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings through the early events, consistent with his dominant form from late in the 2025 season.

For fans tracking the NHRA points standings 2026 in real time, Drag Race Central provides lap-by-lap timing including reaction times, 60-foot increments, and top-speed data as each elimination round unfolds. This level of telemetry detail is exactly why drag racing is one of the few motorsports where data watching is as engaging as the visual spectacle itself. See our broader guide on how race timing works for context on what the numbers mean.

• → Official 2026 NHRA Schedule & Tickets — NHRA.com
• → Autoweek: NHRA’s 75th Anniversary Schedule Features Two New Tracks
• → SPEED SPORT: NHRA & FOX Release 2026 Television Schedule
• → Autoweek: Rockingham Replaces zMAX on 2026 NHRA Countdown Schedule
• → Las Vegas Motor Speedway: NHRA Announces Historic 2026 Schedule
• → Performance Racing Industry: Historic 2026 Schedule Announced for 75th Anniversary NHRA Season