NHRA Countdown To The Championship Schedule Change Announced For 2018

Story By: SCOTT SMITH / NHRA – GLENDORA, CA – The complexion of the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship will take a new form as four of the national events will change dates for the upcoming season.

The Dodge NHRA Nationals will kick off the six-race playoff stretch at historic Maple Grove Raceway on Sept. 13-16. The scenic facility located outside of Philadelphia has long been a hot bed of racing and often produces national record performances.

The series will move to St. Louis on Sept. 21-23 for the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals for the next event in the Countdown. Located in the shadow of the St. Louis Arch the event will be an integral stop on the tour.

Racers pursuing a world championship will then compete at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals at the Texas Motorplex on Oct. 4-7. The all-concrete racing surface has produced champions as a host of NHRA events for over 30 years.

zMAX Dragway will host the NHRA Carolina Nationals on Oct. 12-14 at one of the premiere facilities in the country. The popularity of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will be on display as the points battles tighten up nearing the end of the season.

The penultimate race in the Countdown will be the NHRA Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 28-28. The 2018 season will conclude and champions will be crowned at the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Nov. 8-11.

A full season schedule can be found on NHRA.com and the new race dates are below.

2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship
Sept. 13-16 Dodge NHRA Nationals Reading, Pa.
Sept. 21-23 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis
Oct. 4-7 AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Dallas
Oct. 12-14 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, N.C.
Oct. 25-28 NHRA Toyota Nationals Las Vegas
Nov. 8-11 Auto Club NHRA Finals Pomona, Calif.