Nitro at night will include some special New England flair on Friday, May 30, with the introduction of the “No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA” as part of this year’s 12th annual NHRA New England Nationals.
The award – as well as lobster dinners for the No. 1 teams in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock – will be on the line during Friday’s second qualifying session, which is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET at New England Dragway, adding a little extra incentive for Friday’s primetime session under the lights.
A special chair made of lobster pots will await drivers on the top end, with the evening’s No. 1 qualifier sitting in the chair until they are replaced by a new No. 1 qualifier or claim the No. 1 Clawifier Award presented by NAPA. The driver will receive a large lobster, while the teams will be given lobster dinners to celebrate a thrilling performance under the lights on Friday night.
Fans will also be able to take in all the action – and the top-end festivities – live and for free on the NHRA’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as NHRA.tv.
To cap it off, a special New England Nationals lobster pot buoy trophy will await event winners on Sunday, along with the Wally trophy at the seventh of 20 races during the 2025 Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Always a fan-favorite race, New England Dragway has attracted huge crowds for more than a decade, as all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock provide a weekend of spectacular action. Following Friday’s two sessions, the must-see Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge takes part during the two final qualifying rounds on Saturday. That leads right into Sunday eliminations, which will be broadcast on FOX.
The sold-out crowd at last year’s race saw John Force (Funny Car), Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) claim race wins. It was Force, Steve Torrence (Top Fuel) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) who picked up Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge wins. Eliminations on FOX will be broadcast on Sunday, June 1 at 6 p.m. ET.
Jack Beckman took over driving duties for Force after the legend’s crash in Richmond, and has won four times, including twice this year. He’s second in points with John Force Racing teammate and reigning champ Austin Prock sitting in first. Other standouts include Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Paul Lee and local native Bob Tasca III.
With his win last season, Doug Kalitta accomplished his goal of winning at every track on the NHRA circuit. He’s trying to track down motorsports legend Tony Stewart, who took over the points lead with his second win of the season. Others to watch include reigning champ Antron Brown, Brittany Force, Clay Millican and Shawn Langdon.
Troy Coughlin Jr. earned the event win last season, but the Pro Stock ranks have been dominated by KB Titan Racing Dallas Glenn and reigning world champ Greg Anderson in 2025. The pair have been in all six finals this season, with Glenn leading the points after wins in Gainesville, Las Vegas and Charlotte.
Fans will be invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits. The stage hosts Nitro School, meet and greets, autograph sessions and much more. Race fans in Epping can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce each driver and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. Fans are also invited to congratulate the event winners at the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday.
As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 5 and 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 30 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, May 31 at 12:30 and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 1. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, 7 p.m. on Saturday, and then eliminations action from 6-9 p.m. ET on Sunday on FOX.
To purchase tickets to the NHRA New England Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information about NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.
This story was originally published on May 23, 2025. 
