Carolina Dragway kicked off its 68th season in 2025 with a robust schedule of events that featured many different attractions. Located in Aiken, South Carolina, this legendary NHRA-sanctioned, quarter-mile facility opened in 1957 and has been a staple in the community ever since.
All that was needed for this to be a race season to remember was good weather, but unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. Track manager Chris Kneece was eager to see the track’s planned events become a reality, but he soon realized that the weather was going to negatively affect the race season more than usual, and that’s putting it mildly.
“We’ve had 27 rainouts this year!” says Kneece, who took over managing the track in 2024. Among the hardest hit this year was the track’s Thursday night test-and-tune and grudge racing program, which typically draws huge crowds. “We lost two months of Thursday nights this year,” says Kneece, adding, “And many of those rainouts were on days that started out beautiful, and then a rainstorm would seemingly come out of nowhere!”
This region typically enjoys mild winters, so test-and-tune events are scheduled as early as February, along with NHRA chassis certification. February is also a popular time to begin no-prep races, while March ushers in the first bracket race, although the rain did play a major spoiler with that as well.
Grudge race promoter Mike Hill also brings his events to Carolina Dragway, beginning in March, along with other events as the season progresses. Cars and Coffee is another popular gathering that’s held at Carolina Dragway throughout the year, with the first meeting typically scheduled in March. Summit Bracket points racing kicks off in mid-March as part of a 10-race series. March Madness bracket racing closed out the month, with racers battling it out for $20K per day in prize money.
April’s lineup was filled with numerous test-and-tune sessions, along with Die Hard day, Last Man Standing Triggaman Productions, and a pair of points bracket races to punctuate the month.
The Night of Fire in early May is always a huge fan favorite, featuring Funny Cars, Fuel Altereds, jet dragsters, and wheelstanders. The event is held in conjunction with the NHRA Open, making it a huge weekend of racing action. No Mercy Grudgefest closed out the schedule for the month of May.
Many great events were slated for June, including Keefa and Stephen Clay’s King of the South race. July typically features test-and-tune sessions, bracket events, and Street Car Nights. Chris Tyrone’s Radial Fest and Q’s Labor Day Bash were featured attractions on August’s schedule.
Mike Hill’s Grudge Fest and Stephen Clay and KO’s Street Cars events returned to the lineup in September. October had a full slate of events as well, including Import vs. Muscle and multiple opportunities for test-and-tune.
November hosts one of the most beloved gatherings of the year with the Big Bucks Bracket Race, now in its 21st running. Drag Illustrated was on hand to enjoy this legendary event, which features $20K per day in prize money and Wally trophies for the winners. On Saturday, Vance Houston parked his gorgeous Camaro in the winner’s circle, as he and his team celebrated the win on day one. Shane Maddox went the distance on Sunday, emerging victorious in his dragster.
The annual Big Bucks Bracket Race closes out the year for dial-in-style racing, while various test-and-tune sessions, Cars and Coffee, and grudge events continue into December.
