Some Pro Stock fans long for the way Pro Stock was 20 years ago. Matt Hartford isn't one of them. 

Sure, 48 entries were vying for 16 spots for race day in a field separated by .055 from pole position to bump. But Hartford, who won the NHRA U.S. Nationals over the Labor Day weekend, believes the Pro Stock of today is more refined, accessible, and competitive than ever. 

In those so-called glory days of factory hot rod racing, the divide between the haves and have-nots was very defined.

Are you looking to solidify your role in the drag racing industry?

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When you’re a hired driver, it’s essential to stay focused on the task at hand and not let minor bumps in the road divert your attention elsewhere. 

For instance, when you are making a run and a competitor comes into your lane and crashes your brand-new car, you stay focused. It’s just a bump in the road.

Or, when you are working your way to the final round of the NHRA U.S. Nationals, and a brake pressure sensor breaks, sending your car off the racing surface at the end of the track and leaving uncertainty as to whether you will have to go to a back-up car, it’s no cause for concern. It’s merely a bump in the road. 

Every year, NHRA classes add new drivers, and the Pro classes are no exception.
 
In 2024,a new face in the Pro Stock category will be Sienna Wildgust. 

Passion. It’s all about how you display it.

And for Funny Car racer Blake Alexander, it was on full display at the NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio. Moments after scoring an exhilarating and hard-fought win, he put it on full display without a corporate correctness care in the world. 

Then, the television crew shoved a microphone in his face.  

Drag racing is alive and well, and there’s no finer example than the recently completed Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. The television coverage of the event drew an impressive viewership of nearly 2.1 million for its original airing on Fox. This marked the largest audience for this event on the Fox networks since 2017, highlighting the monumental nature of the occasion.

Viewership remained strong throughout the NHRA broadcasts on Fox, with Sunday’s airing of the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout and Monday’s eliminations. 

Summit Racing Equipment has reaffirmed its commitment to the World Drag Racing Alliance (WDRA) and its sportsman racing programs for the upcoming year. The WDRA announced the renewal of its partnership with Summit Racing, with the Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series (SSDRS) set to be the focal point of the organization's bracket racing initiatives at WDRA member tracks throughout 2024. The highly anticipated 2024 WDRA Summit World Championships will be hosted by Montgomery International Dragway in the upcoming season.

Travis Shumake has long sought to chart his own path in drag racing.

The son of legendary Funny Car racer Tripp Shumake recently took a significant step in that direction as he began the licensing process behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster on the Tuesday following the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Shumake, who acquired his Top Fuel dragster, affectionately named "Judith Light," in the spring of 2023, made three runs down the Indianapolis Raceway Park track.

During the session, Shumake gradually improved his performance. His first pass covered nearly 200 feet, while the second reached around the 400-foot mark before tire smoke forced him to shut off the car. On his third attempt, Shumake executed a planned 600-foot shut off, clocking in at an impressive 3.939 seconds and 254.90 mph. Not only did this run count towards Shumake's Top Fuel license, but it also surpassed his previous best pass of 3.967 seconds in a nitro Funny Car.