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TOPEKA, KS – August 2, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Known as the House of Speed, Heartland Motorsports Park is again set to host the exciting, must-see action of 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph racing from the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series at the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor on Aug. 12-14.
It is the 14th of 22 races during the 2022 season and the event will mark the first time since 1997 that all four NHRA professional categories (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle) will be in action at Topeka. That guarantees a thrilling and memorable weekend at a facility known for record-breaking performances and monumental speeds, as fans get to enjoy a primetime nitro qualifying session on Friday, two qualifying sessions on Saturday, and final eliminations on Sunday.
With the Countdown to the Championship playoffs approaching, the race also comes at a pivotal point as race teams look to pick up a key win at Topeka’s House of Speed. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) won the 2021 event, and this year’s race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), including live eliminations coverage starting at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 14.
Brittany Force enjoyed a historic moment with her father, John, last year in Topeka, as they shared the winner’s circle for the first time and became the first father-daughter to win at the same race in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series history. That was her only win last season, but B. Force has been impressive in Top Fuel in 2022, racking up four victories and the points lead. But getting a repeat win won’t be easy in a loaded field that includes Mike Salinas, who also has four victories this year, two-time race winner Doug Kalitta, Leah Pruett, Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher, Justin Ashley, Clay Millican and Josh Hart.
J. Force earned an incredible 10th Funny Car victory at Heartland Motorsports Park a year ago, continuing his amazing success at the facility. Last year was his first Topeka win in 13 years and he’ll try to make it two in a row against a star-studded group of competitors. That list features points leader Robert Hight, who has four wins this year, Matt Hagan, defending world champ Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon, who each have four wins at Topeka, Sonoma winner Bob Tasca III, J.R. Todd, Alexis DeJoria, Tim Wilkerson, and Chad Green.
Dallas Glenn’s memorable rookie season in Pro Stock included a huge moment in Topeka when he had a perfect .000 reaction time in the final round to pick up the victory en route to NHRA Rookie of the Year honors. He has a win in 2022, but everyone is chasing points leader and four-time champ Erica Enders, who has an impressive six victories already this season. She’ll look to keep rolling against stiff competitors like reigning world champ Greg Anderson, Kyle Koretsky, Troy Coughlin Jr., Aaron Stanfield, who has a pair of wins this year, Matt Hartford, and rookie Camrie Caruso.
It is Pro Stock Motorcycle’s first trip to Heartland Motorsports Park in 25 years and only points leader Angelle Sampey has a victory among active riders, picking up the win in 1997. But the exciting two-wheeled category is back and ready to put on a show, with plenty of championship contenders looking to position themselves for the Countdown to the Championship. Joey Gladstone, who picked up his first career win in the class at Sonoma, is only two points behind Sampey in the standings, while other standouts include reigning world champ Matt Smith, Steve Johnson, Angie Smith, Jerry Savoie, Karen Stoffer, Eddie Krawiec and Jimmy Underdahl.
The event also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as Street Legal exhibition runs. After nitro qualifying on Friday and Saturday, fans can see an exciting performance from the “Miss Elle” jet funny car driven by Mickey McCormick, as well as a wheelstander exhibition from the “Walking Tall” PT Cruiser driven by “NitroMike.” On Saturday, fans can also attend Nitro School to learn more about how the cars operate and reach their thrilling speeds.
Race fans at Heartland Motorsports Park 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 the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor event winners.
As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Topeka. This unique opportunity gives fans a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 12 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 14. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.
To purchase tickets to the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor, fans can visit www.nhra.com or call 800-884-6472. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.
About Camping World Holdings, Inc.
Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is America’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy, and our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of associates serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enables us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With over 185 locations in 40 states, Camping World, and sister company Gander RV, have grown to become prime destinations for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com.
About NHRA
Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 22 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League for youth ages 5 to 17. With over 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Source: National Hot Rod Association
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