Fans get Free Preview of Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals courtesy of Richmond Auctions

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – September 2, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – For the third straight year, fans will be able to watch the opening days of the world’s biggest drag race for free on NHRA.tv and the NHRA YouTube page.

Beginning with the start of Wednesday qualifying through the final round of the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge on Friday, fans will get a free preview of the prestigious 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park courtesy of Richmond Auctions.

It’s the third straight year fans will get a chance to watch every pass on Wednesday and Thursday in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series on NHRA.tv and the NHRA YouTube page, as well as qualifying and eliminations in the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge, action in the Top Alcohol ranks, qualifying in JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and Right Trailers Outlaw Street, and the opening round of Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Racing begins at 8 a.m. ET on both Wednesday and Thursday, and 9 a.m. on Friday, with free coverage running through the finals of the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge, which is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday.

“It’s a pleasure to sponsor once again the NHRA live stream program during the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. We’ll be highlighting all the Sportsman classes Wednesday through Friday, including Stock and Super Stock Class Eliminations and, of course, the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge. All these sportsman racers are the backbone of the sport we so dearly love, and they deserve the recognition,” said Mike McCandless, CEO of the McCandless Collection and Co-Owner of Richmond Auctions.

McCandless has been part of the free preview for the past three seasons, with Richmond Auctions getting involved for the first time in 2026.

An epic Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals is on tap this year, with special NHRA 75th anniversary highlights including:

• Appearances from NHRA legends Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato, Shirley Muldowney, Larry Dixon, Darrell Gwynn and more.
• A celebration of NHRA’s 75-year history with exhibition runs on Friday and Sunday from the classic Rat Trap and Bradford’s Fiat nitro Fuel Altereds.
• Plus, push-start cackle cars on Friday and Sunday driven by NHRA legends.
• A new-look Nitro Mall, special apparel, displays and more.
• Free parking for all fans in attendance for the entire weekend.
• Night qualifying on Friday, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge on Saturday and the PlayNHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday before Labor Day raceday.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 4, two rounds at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 5 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 12 and 2:45 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept 7.

Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 3 and 10:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, and eliminations at 12 p.m. on FS1 on Monday, shifting to FOX at 2 p.m.

To purchase tickets to the 72nd annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12-and-under are admitted free. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. 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 more than 100 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 In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip 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 

####