When Is the Next NHRA Race? Full Schedule, Start Time & TV Coverage Guide

For fans checking the NHRA calendar on Monday, Aug. 24, the answer is straightforward: there is no Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series national event this week. Brainerd International Raceway hosted the NHRA Brainerd Nationals on Aug. 20-23, and Indianapolis follows with the sport’s signature Labor Day weekend event.

The next event is the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The complete event opens Wednesday, Sept. 2, and continues through Monday, Sept. 7. For the professional Mission Foods classes, the important television days are Friday through Monday, with qualifying spread across three days and eliminations on Labor Day.

NHRA’s official 2026 calendar places Indianapolis immediately after Brainerd and identifies the U.S. Nationals as the final regular-season stop. That makes the trip to Indiana the last opportunity for drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle to alter their regular-season position before the playoff field is locked.

Indianapolis also carries a different emotional weight from a normal points race. NHRA calls the U.S. Nationals the “world’s biggest drag race,” and that description is earned by the event’s depth, its Labor Day tradition, its history, and the size of its racing program. Hundreds of racers are involved across professional and sportsman categories, while the Mission Foods classes arrive with the regular-season championship still at stake.

The U.S. Nationals is a long-form racing weekend rather than a single Sunday show. Sportsman competition starts well before the televised professional sessions, and the professional schedule builds toward Labor Day eliminations.

Friday, Sept. 4: The professional weekend gets serious

Friday is when the U.S. Nationals transitions from the broad festival atmosphere into the core professional schedule. NHRA’s official event guide lists Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Stock qualifying at 6:15 p.m. ET, followed by Nitro qualifying for Funny Car and Top Fuel at 7:30 p.m. ET.

That first Nitro session matters because the U.S. Nationals is less forgiving than a normal weekend. Teams get fewer opportunities to recover from a poor starting point when the qualifying order becomes important and when a single run can change the bracket. Engineers are watching track temperature, lane condition, wind and the way the concrete launchpad responds as the evening develops.

Saturday, Sept. 5: The middle day of a marathon event

Saturday is packed with Sportsman racing and support-category activity. While much of that action does not carry the same national television profile as Top Fuel or Funny Car, it is an important part of what makes Indy different. The U.S. Nationals is a gathering of the entire NHRA ecosystem, not simply a four-category pro event.

For fans at home, Saturday is also a useful day to follow qualifying news and bracket implications. Drivers who find a consistent baseline early can carry that confidence into Sunday, when the final professional qualifying runs take place.

Sunday, Sept. 6: Final qualifying and the Funny Car All-Star Callout

Sunday is the last major preparation day before the Labor Day eliminations. The official guide schedules Top Fuel qualifying at noon and 2:45 p.m. ET, Funny Car qualifying at 1 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., and Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Stock qualifying at 1:25 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

The day also includes the NHRA All-Star Funny Car Callout. The first round starts at 12:45 p.m. ET, followed by the semifinals at 2:15 p.m. and the final at 3:40 p.m. NHRA has scheduled a special FS1 broadcast of the Callout at 7 p.m. ET.

Monday, Sept. 7: The race itself

The Mission Foods Series eliminations begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 7, with Top Fuel. Television coverage begins on FS1 at noon and then moves to FOX at 2 p.m. ET. That split is important for viewers because the live racing day starts before the main network window.

In other words, fans who want every professional elimination round should plan to be available from late morning rather than simply setting the television for 2 p.m. The event-day schedule and television schedule are related, but they are not the same thing.

NHRA’s 2026 television partnership with FOX Sports covers all 20 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events, with broadcasts carried on FOX, FS1 and the FOX One app. The U.S. Nationals is one of the most heavily covered events on the calendar because it stretches across Labor Day weekend.

Is the NHRA race on FOX or FS1?

For the 2026 U.S. Nationals, both networks are involved. FS1 carries the early Monday eliminations television window beginning at noon ET, while FOX takes over at 2 p.m. ET. Sunday’s qualifying-related programming and the special Funny Car All-Star Callout broadcast also use FS1.

Can you stream the NHRA race?

NHRA’s 2026 TV announcement says the series is available through the FOX One app alongside FOX and FS1. Fans using a legitimate live-TV streaming service that carries the relevant FOX Sports channel may also be able to watch through that provider, subject to the provider’s package and regional availability.

The simplest strategy is to check the FOX Sports listing inside your provider on race morning because the U.S. Nationals is scheduled across more than one broadcast window. The network change is not a programming mistake; it is part of the planned schedule.

Most NHRA races are important because they award championship points. Indianapolis is different because it also closes the regular season. The U.S. Nationals is therefore the final sorting point before the Countdown to the Championship begins.

NHRA introduced a regular-season championship again for 2026, and the final race before the playoffs carries extra strategic importance. The regular-season battle is not identical to the playoff title fight, but momentum, seeding context and the way drivers enter the Countdown all matter.

Brainerd demonstrated why that can become volatile. Going into that weekend, Doug Kalitta was already one of the principal stories in Top Fuel. During qualifying he was quickest in all four sessions, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and took the No. 1 qualifying position. He then won the Top Fuel eliminations, capping what NHRA described as a perfect weekend.

Funny Car was equally significant. Matt Hagan won at Brainerd and moved into the Funny Car points lead, while Greg Anderson won Pro Stock and added another major result to the late-season conversation.

That means Indianapolis is not simply a reset. It is the next chapter of rivalries that are already moving at full speed.

1. Can Doug Kalitta carry his Brainerd form to Indy?

Kalitta enters Indianapolis with a substantial amount of momentum. NHRA reported that the reigning champion was quickest in all four qualifying sessions at Brainerd, won the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and then won the Top Fuel final. That kind of weekend matters because it combines one-run pace with execution in elimination rounds.

The challenge is that Indianapolis is its own environment. Teams cannot simply copy a Brainerd setup and expect the same result. Track temperature, air density, surface evolution and the rhythm of a much larger event all change the engineering problem.

2. The Funny Car championship is moving quickly

Matt Hagan’s Brainerd victory changed the complexion of Funny Car by moving him into the points lead. Jordan Vandergriff reached the Brainerd final, while J.R. Todd and Austin Prock were also major factors through the weekend.

At Indianapolis, the main question is whether that late-season order holds. The U.S. Nationals is often remembered for headline winners, but for a championship team, surviving every round and starting the Countdown in a strong position can be almost as valuable as winning a single spectacular final.

3. Pro Stock remains a precision contest

Greg Anderson won Brainerd’s Pro Stock final and also captured the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge there. Pro Stock does not have the raw acceleration profile of Top Fuel, but the same basic discipline applies: a small error at the start line or a slightly imperfect engine package can turn a strong weekend into an early exit.

Indianapolis therefore rewards consistency. The final qualifying order matters, but the real test is whether a car can deliver four clean elimination rounds when the pressure rises.

4. Pro Stock Motorcycle gets its own U.S. Nationals spotlight

The 2026 schedule marks the U.S. Nationals as one of the major Pro Stock Motorcycle weekends. The final qualifying sessions and the championship implications make Indy especially valuable for riders who want to enter the Countdown with momentum.

For fans who mostly follow Top Fuel and Funny Car, this is an easy category to overlook. It should not be. The two-wheel class adds another layer to the Labor Day weekend and has a completely different launch and gearing challenge from the nitro classes.

5. The bracket can become a story of its own

At this level, qualifying is not only about being first. It is about where a driver lands in the elimination ladder, what a likely first-round opponent looks like, and how a team balances maximum qualifying performance against the need for a stable race-day package.

That is why U.S. Nationals coverage can feel more strategic than a casual viewer expects. A driver who is second in qualifying can sometimes have a favorable path, while a low qualifier may face a difficult opponent almost immediately. The scoreboard tells you the position; the bracket tells you why it matters.

Once the U.S. Nationals is completed, NHRA moves directly into the Countdown to the Championship. The remaining schedule features major traditional stops plus two 2026 additions listed on the current NHRA calendar.

The key point for a viewer is that the season is far from finished after Indianapolis. The U.S. Nationals closes the regular-season chapter, but six more Countdown events remain. That gives teams a long runway to recover from a difficult Indy result or convert late-season form into a title.

NHRA and FOX Sports announced a full 2026 broadcast package covering every Mission Foods Drag Racing Series race. The package also includes the All-Star Callout events, with coverage split between FOX and FS1 and delivered through the FOX One app.

That arrangement matters because NHRA is not a one-hour Sunday-only sport. Professional qualifying, special events and eliminations may appear in different windows, and Indianapolis is one of the clearest examples of the broader broadcast strategy.

For a casual viewer, the simplest rule is this: check the NHRA TV schedule before each race weekend rather than assuming the final will always be on FOX. In 2026, FS1 carries many events and portions of larger weekends, while FOX is used for selected premium windows.

It is also worth distinguishing the live event schedule from the broadcast start. On Sept. 7, racing begins at 10 a.m. ET at the track, but the television windows start at noon on FS1 and 2 p.m. on FOX. That gap is normal for an event whose race-day operations start before the main television block.

What about replays?

Re-air times can shift by network and by the broader FOX Sports schedule. Because those secondary windows are not as stable as the primary live slot, fans looking for a replay should use the current FOX Sports listing or the NHRA TV schedule rather than relying on an old schedule post.

Do schedule times ever move?

Yes. NHRA notes that event schedules can be delayed, postponed or rescheduled because of weather. Drag racing is particularly sensitive to rain and track conditions because the surface has to be safe and prepared for high-powered runs. The official event guide is therefore the correct place to check for same-day changes.

The NHRA Brainerd Nationals, held Aug. 20-23 at Brainerd International Raceway, was the 13th of 20 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series races in 2026 and the penultimate regular-season event.

Doug Kalitta delivered the headline in Top Fuel. He qualified No. 1, won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and then won Sunday’s eliminations. NHRA’s race-day report described the victory as the second straight Brainerd title for Kalitta and part of his late-season surge.

Matt Hagan won Funny Car and moved into the points lead. Greg Anderson won Pro Stock, continuing the veteran’s push toward another championship campaign.

That is the immediate context for Indianapolis. The next race begins with fresh track conditions, but the championship fight arrives carrying every consequence of Brainerd with it.

1. Mark Sept. 4-7 on the calendar. Indianapolis is a multi-day event, and the professional schedule ramps up before elimination day.
2. For the main race, remember Monday. Mission Foods Series eliminations begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sept. 7.
3. Start with FS1 at noon ET. The initial television coverage is scheduled there.
4. Switch to FOX at 2 p.m. ET. That is the principal network window for the U.S. Nationals eliminations.
5. Follow NHRA’s official updates on race day. Weather can move the schedule, particularly with an event of this length.

For fans who want more than the final rounds, the smart approach is to follow qualifying as well. Drag racing can change quickly because a single pass can move a driver several places in the order, and the final qualifying session directly shapes the elimination ladder.

The 2026 NHRA season is also a historical season because it celebrates the association’s 75th anniversary. The schedule mixes new milestones with familiar institutions, and the U.S. Nationals remains the clearest example of that continuity.

At a time when modern motorsport television can become dominated by short highlights and social clips, the NHRA format still rewards watching the whole process. Qualifying tells you who found the setup. The reaction times tell you who can execute. The early elimination rounds tell you who can repeat it. The final tells you who combined all three.

That progression is particularly important in Top Fuel and Funny Car, where the margin between a clean, controlled pass and an unusable run can be extremely small. A team may have the fastest car on Friday and still leave Sunday without a Wally.

The U.S. Nationals also carries a historical dimension that newer fans should appreciate. Don Garlits’ rear-engine breakthrough changed Top Fuel design; traditional drag racing machinery evolved through decades of safety, engine and chassis development; and Indianapolis became one of the central stages where that history is remembered and extended.

• NHRA official 2026 Schedule & Tickets
• NHRA / FOX Sports 2026 TV Schedule announcement
• 2026 Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals Event Guide
• NHRA Brainerd Nationals preview and regular-season context
• NHRA Brainerd qualifying and #2Fast2Tasty report
• NHRA Brainerd Nationals race result report
• NHRA U.S. Nationals 75th Anniversary feature

Schedule data and broadcast times are based on official NHRA information available as of Aug. 24, 2026. NHRA notes that event schedules can change because of weather or other on-site conditions.