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COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP HITS KEY POINT IN ST. LOUIS AT NHRA MIDWEST NATIONALS
ST. LOUIS (Sept. 6, 2024) – At the start of the NHRA Countdown to the Championship playoffs, drivers in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series know only 24 rounds of racing remain in the season. In that mix is the 13th annual NHRA Midwest Nationals, which again comes at a critical juncture on Sept. 27-29 at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis.
A mainstay in the Countdown to the Championship, the annual race at the fan-favorite facility again serves as the halfway point in the six-race playoffs, finishing off an important stretch of three straight racing weekends in September.
Fans have always packed the standout track and the action starts immediately when all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle hit the track in St. Louis on Friday.
Beginning with a pair of qualifying sessions on Friday – including an epic session under the lights – the intensity and excitement is non-stop in this important Countdown to the Championship race, continuing with two qualifying sessions on Saturday and eliminations on Sunday, where all the top drivers will look to continue their championship journey.
Last season, Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all collected wins in St. Louis and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage airing at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 29.
Millican, a fan-favorite in the Top Fuel ranks, earned his first win from World Wide Technology Raceway last season when he took down Brittany Force in the finals. Millican has one win on the 2024 season from the prestigious Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, starting the playoffs sixth in points. Reigning Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta currently leads the points thanks to his three wins in 2024, while others to watch include Justin Ashley, who has three wins this year, as well as multi-time champs and past St. Louis winners Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence and Antron Brown, along with stars like Tony Schumacher and Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart.
Hagan picked up his second career St. Louis win last year over Ron Capps en route to his fourth NHRA Funny Car championship. Hagan is currently third in points, thanks to his two event wins in 2024. Leading the way is first-year Funny Car driver Austin Prock. Prock took over driving duties for Robert Hight at the beginning of the season and has collected five event wins, including the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. Veterans Bob Tasca III, J.R. Todd, Hagan, Jack Beckman and Capps will be ready to take on Prock and his hot rod in the Countdown and St. Louis.
Anderson, the winningest Pro Stock driver, has three wins at St. Louis. The five-time champion has collected wins from Phoenix and Charlotte this year and is on the hunt for his sixth world title. Standing in front of him is his KB Titan Racing teammate and Pro Stock points leader Dallas Glenn, who has three wins on the season and is looking for his first NHRA title. In second is Indianapolis winner and four-time 2024 winner Aaron Stanfield, while reigning champ Erica Enders has six St. Louis wins – the most of any driver in NHRA history – and will be looking for her second win of the season.
Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Herrera has dominated the class for the last two seasons. In 2024, he has won seven of the nine Pro Stock Motorcycle races heading into the playoffs. The other riders to earn wins are 2023 Rookie of the Year Chase Van Sant, who won in Seattle, and the six-time champ Matt Smith, who earned the Sonoma win and also has a class-best five wins in St. Louis. Smith, Van Sant and the rest of the field are putting all their efforts towards taking down the seemingly unstoppable Herrera.
The NHRA Midwest Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ and Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown. It is the penultimate race in Pro Mod’s “Road to the Championship” and the final race of the season in Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown. The ET Racing Showcase, Jr. Arch Shootout, Budweiser Challenge, high school challenge and Jr. Dragster Shootout will all take place during the weekend as well.
Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at World Wide Technology Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the St. Louis event winners.
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 hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food, and fun.
NHRA Mission Food Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:30 and 7:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 27, and the final two rounds on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 12:00 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 29. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 27 and 2 p.m. ET on Sunday Sept. 29, with eliminations starting at 3 p.m. ET on FS1 on Sunday.
Tickets may be purchased at the WWTR ticket office, by phone at (618) 215-8888, or online at www.wwtraceway.com. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com. |
