NHRA Adjusts 2017 Schedule
The Dodge NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn. will move up one week to Sept. 21-24 and the AAA Insurance NHRA Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill. will move back one week to Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
"I think we will see some benefits from this by moving off the weekend of the NASCAR races at Dover (Delaware),'' said Lex Dudas, vice president and general manager at Maple Grove Raceway. "We know fans over the years wanted to do both, but they had to pick and choose."
The Dover race track is only 100 miles south of Maple Grove Raceway, which now becomes the second race of the Countdown to the Championship, the six-race playoff at the end of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season that determines the champion in the four professional categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The AAA Insurance NHRA Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park now becomes the third race in the Countdown.
"Hosting our event on the last weekend of September should provide more enjoyable conditions for our fans," said Chris Blair, Gateway Motorsports Park's executive vice president and general manager. "In addition, many of the racers would like the opportunity to attack our racing surface under ideal conditions for shattering records."
| Revised 2017 NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE | |||
| NHRA Mello Yello Series Regular Season | |||
| Feb. 9-12 | Circle K NHRA Winternationals | Pomona | |
| Feb. 24-26 | Advance Auto Parts NHRA Nationals | Phoenix | |
| March 16-19 | Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals (PSM) | Gainesville | |
| March 31-April 2 | Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals | Las Vegas | |
| April 21-23 | NHRA SpringNationals | Houston | |
| April 28-30 | NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (PSM) | Charlotte | |
| May 5-7 | NHRA Southern Nationals (PSM) | Atlanta | |
| May 19-21 | NHRA Kansas Nationals | Topeka | |
| June 2-4 | NHRA New England Nationals | Epping | |
| June 8-11 | NHRA Summernationals (PSM) | Englishtown | |
| June 16-18 | NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals | Bristol | |
| June 22-25 | Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (PSM) | Norwalk | |
| July 6-9 | Route 66 NHRA Nationals (PSM) | Chicago | |
| July 21-23 | Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals (PSM) | Denver | |
| July 28-30 | Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals (PSM) | Sonoma | |
| Aug. 4-6 | NHRA Northwest Nationals | Seattle | |
| Aug. 17-20 | Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals (PSM) | Brainerd | |
| Aug. 30-Sept. 4 | Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals (PSM) | Indianapolis | |
| NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship | |||
| Sept. 15-17 | NHRA Carolina Nationals (PSM) | Charlotte | |
| Sept. 21-24 | NHRA Keystone Nationals (PSM) | Reading | |
| Sept. 29-Oct. 1 | AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals (PSM) | St. Louis | |
| Oct. 12-15 | AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals (PSM) | Dallas | |
| Oct. 26-29 | NHRA Toyota Nationals (PSM) | Las Vegas | |
| Nov. 9-12 | Auto Club NHRA Finals (PSM) | Pomona | |
| (PSM) – Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle | |||