For the 16th season, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will compete at top flight NHRA Drag Racing facilities across the county for the 2017 season. The upcoming 2017 schedule will feature 45 divisional events with a minimum of six in each of the seven divisions. There will also be 26 regional events featuring the 260-mph Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes.
“The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing series is the very best of sportsman racing, which highlights the foundation of the NHRA,” said NHRA president Peter Clifford. “This series allows fans to enjoy drag racing competition at many levels, often showcasing future stars in classes where many pro racers began their careers. We’re extremely thankful for everything the Lucas family does to support this series and are excited to see another great season of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in 2017.”
New for the coming season is the return of two tracks to the series, Orlando Speed World Dragway and South Georgia Motorsports Park. Orlando Speed World Dragway will have the distinction of hosting the first NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event of the year on Feb. 25-26 and the 2017 season will conclude at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nov. 2-5.
The season will also include two doubleheader weekends taking place at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kan., July 27-30 and Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley City, Utah, Sept. 21-24. The Topeka event will also include a regional event. Galot Motorsports Park will be the only eighth-mile event in the series when they hold their event on April 8-9.
The season will also feature two events during the course of the year at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Pacific Raceways and Woodburn Dragstrip.
Bandimere Speedway will change their regional event format to a Friday-Saturday, two-day event with eliminations on Saturday night. Several of the other regional events will run Top Alcohol eliminations on Saturday night as well.
“Lucas Oil is immensely proud to be part of the sportsman racers and the Lucas Oil Drag Racine Series,” Morgan Lucas. “The sportsman competitors are the backbone of the NHRA and we are proud and honored to be part of the organization. We thank all the racers for their love, passion and all they do for the sport of NHRA Drag Racing. We look forward to the 2017 season and wish the racers the best of luck.”
Bonus programs available to competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series include the $100,000 JEGS Allstars. Individual divisions will also have additional bonus programs available to racers.
In addition to Lucas, some prominent graduates of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series who have gone on to successful careers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series include Brandon Bernstein, Shawn Langdon, Courtney Force, Erica Enders, Brittany Force, Alexis DeJoria, and Jeg Coughlin.
2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Schedule
Northeast Division
Virginia Motorsports Park — April 21-23
Maple Grove Raceway — May 26-28
Lebanon Valley Dragway — June 30-July 2
New England Dragway — July 21-23
Atco Dragway — Aug. 4-6
Cecil County Dragway — Aug. 18-20
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park — Sept. 8-10
Southeast Division
Orlando Speed World Dragway — Feb. 24-26
Auto Plus Raceway at Gainesville — March 10-12
South Georgia Motorsports Park — March 31-April 2
Galot Motorsports Park — April 8-9
Atlanta Dragway — May 19-21
Silver Dollar Raceway — Oct. 14-15
Rockingham Dragway — Oct. 27-29
North Central Division
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis — April 28-30
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park — May 19-21
Route 66 Raceway — June 2-4
Gateway Motorsports Park — July 21-22
TBD — Aug. 4-6
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis — Aug. 11-13
Beech Bend Raceway Park — Aug. 25-27
South Central Division
Royal Purple Raceway — March 24-26
No Problem Raceway Park — April 7-9
Texas Motorplex — April 28-30
Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park — June 23-25
Thunder Road Raceway Park — Sept. 15-17
Thunder Valley Raceway Park — Oct. 6-8
West Central Division
SRCA Dragstrip — June 2-4
Bandimere Speedway — June 16-17
Heartland Park Topeka — July 27-28
Heartland Park Topeka — July 29-30
Brainerd International Raceway — Aug. 12-13
Tri-State Raceway — Sept. 8-10
Northwest Division
Firebird Raceway — May 5-7
Mission Raceway — June 2-4
Pacific Raceways — June 23-25
Woodburn Dragstrip — July 14-16
Pacific Raceways — Aug. 18-20
Woodburn Dragstrip — Sept. 15-17
Pacific Division
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park — March 3-5
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — April 7-9
Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway — May 19-21
Sonoma Raceway — July 21-23
Rocky Mountain Raceways — Sept. 21-22
Rocky Mountain Raceways — Sept. 23-24
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — Nov. 2-5
2017 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Regional Schedule
East Region
Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville — March 10-12
Virginia Motorsports Park — April 21-23
Maple Grove Raceway — May 26-28
Lebanon Valley Dragway — June 30-July 2
New England Dragway — July 21-23
Atco Dragway — Aug. 4-6
Cecil County Dragway — Aug. 18-20
North Central Region
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis — April 28-30
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park — May 19-21
Route 66 Raceway — June 2-4
Gateway Motorsports Park — July 22-23
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis — Aug. 11-13
Beech Bend Raceway Park — Aug. 25-27
Central Region
No Problem Raceway Park — April 7-9
Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park — June 23-25
Bandimere Speedway — June 16-17
Heartland Park Topeka — July 27-29
Tri-State Raceway — Sept. 8-10
Thunder Valley Raceway Park — Oct. 6-8
West Region
Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park — March 3-5
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — April 7-9
Mission Raceway — June 2-4
Woodburn Dragstrip — July 14-16
Pacific Raceways — Aug. 18-20
Woodburn Dragstrip — Sept. 15-17
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway — Nov. 2-5
This story was originally published on November 21, 2016. 
