DINWIDDIE, VA – May 23, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – After a year away from Virginia Motorsports Park, NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series teams are eager to return to the standout facility for a unique two-day event format featuring three qualifying rounds on Saturday for the upcoming Virginia NHRA Nationals on June 22-23.
For the first time in NHRA history, all professional categories (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle) will take part in three qualifying sessions on Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday at the ninth of 20 races during the 2024 season.
As part of a loaded two days, fans will get the chance to see 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph nitro machines in action three times on Saturday, as well as the thrilling Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the first time. The specialty race brings competitive racing to Saturday qualifying to Richmond – as well as a bonus purse and bonus points – and will take part during the final two qualifying sessions on Saturday before all the NHRA stars look to win on Sunday on one of the top track surfaces on the NHRA tour.
The 2022 Virginia NHRA Nationals saw Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) take home titles. This year, the event will again be broadcast on FS1, with shows on Saturday and Sunday.
Force, a two-time Top Fuel world champion, claimed the Virginia NHRA Nationals back in 2022, obliterating track records in the process. While she is still seeking her first win of the 2024 season, she’ll be ready to hit the track and take on the other competitors in the class including points leader Justin Ashley, Shawn Langdon, reigning champion Doug Kalitta and former champs Steve Torrence and Antron Brown. Fans at VMP can also watch racing legend Tony Stewart make his Richmond Top Fuel debut.
Austin Prock took over Funny Car driving duties for Hight at the start of the 2024 season and has enjoyed instant success, picking up an event win from Phoenix and four No. 1 qualifiers so far this season. He’ll look to keep rolling along in an absolutely loaded field that features Virginia native and points leader Matt Hagan, 16-time world champion John Force, Gainesville winner J.R. Todd, Bob Tasca III, three-time world champion Ron Capps, Alexis DeJoria, Daniel Wilkerson and Paul Lee.
Returning to Virginia in 2024 is the Pro Stock category, which is led by points leader Dallas Glenn. He won the most recent race in Chicago,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Motor Sports NewsWire…