NHRA announces purse increase, ’09 schedule

NHRA has released its 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule today featuring 24 events. In addition, NHRA announced an event purse increase in excess of $1.3 million.

Beginning in 2009, national event winners in both Top Fuel and Funny Car will each receive $50,000, an increase of 25 percent. Pro Stock national event winners will receive $25,000, and Pro Stock Motorcycle winners will receive $10,000. At the most prestigious drag racing event in the world, the 55th running of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, winners in the top two nitro classes will receive a check for $100,000, and Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle winners will earn $50,000 and $20,000, respectively.

Increases at national events also were announced for runners-up, semifinalists, and second-round finishers. At the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, increases were announced for semifinalists and second-round finishers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle received increases for runner-up and second-round finishers. In all, the total increase in event purses in the four Professional classes is $1,353,700.

In 2009, the total purse for professional categories for all POWERade Series races except the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is $660,000 for events including Pro Stock Motorcycle and $625,000 for those without bikes. The total professional category purse for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2009 will be $862,500.

The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to the same venues as 2008, with only slight changes to the dates due to the change of holiday weekends. The series, however, will celebrate several landmark anniversaries at some of its long-standing and fan-favorite facilities. Celebrating its 40th anniversary and serving as the East Coast kickoff to the season will be the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville (March 12-15). The NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown (June 11-14) also will feature a 40th anniversary theme. Also celebrating significant special anniversaries will be the 30th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver (July 10-12), the 25th annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals in Phoenix (Feb. 20-22), the 25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals in Reading (Aug. 20-23), and the 10th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas (April 2-5).

The season will begin at historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California with the 49th annual NHRA Winternationals Feb. 5-8. Scheduled for its traditional Labor Day weekend date will be the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7 at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The world's largest drag racing event will represent the final race in the NHRA Countdown to the Championship regular season and serve as the last opportunity for racers in all four Professional categories to lock down a spot in the top 10 and a chance in the last six events of the season (five events for Pro Stock Motorcycle) to win the inaugural NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championship.

The six-race Countdown to 1 will feature a challenging four-week stretch of consecutive races: the NHRA Nationals in Concord (Sept. 17-20), the O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas (Sept. 24-27), the O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals in Memphis (Oct. 2-4), and the Virginia NHRA Nationals in Richmond (Oct. 9-11). From there, the series heads to Nevada for the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals Oct. 29-Nov. 1 and concludes two weeks later at the 45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Nov. 12-15.

Also on the schedule are the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals (March 27-29) in Houston, the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals (April 16-19) in Atlanta, the O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals (May 1-3) in Madison, the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals (May 15-17) in Bristol, the O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals (May 29-31) in Topeka, and the NHRA Route 66 Nationals (June 4-7) in Chicago. The summer months will again include a stop in Norwalk for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (June 25-28) and the historic Western Swing, beginning in Denver with the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals July 10-12 and continuing with the Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals in Seattle (July 17-19) and the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma (July 24-26). The 28th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd will take place Aug. 13-16.

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD, a part of the ESPN network, the worldwide leader in sports, will again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis, for all 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events featuring action from Saturday's qualifying rounds and Sunday's race.

Earlier this year, NHRA announced that Full Throttle, The Coca-Cola Company's energy drink, will replace POWERade as the series sponsor beginning in 2009.

2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Schedule

49th annual NHRA Winternationals Feb. 5-8 Pomona
25th annual Checker Schuck's Kragen NHRA Nationals Feb. 20-22 Phoenix
40th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals March 12-15 Gainesville (PSM)
22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals March 27-29 Houston (PSM)
10th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals April 2-5 Las Vegas
29th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals April 16-19 Atlanta (PSM)
13th annual O'Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals May 1-3 Madison (PSM)
Ninth annual O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals May 15-17 Bristol
21st annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals May 29-31 Topeka
12th annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals June 4-7 Chicago (PSM)
40th annual NHRA SuperNationals June 11-14 Englishtown (PSM)
Third annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals June 25-28 Norwalk (PSM)
30th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals July 10-12 Denver (PSM)
22nd annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals July 17-19 Seattle
22nd annual Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals July 24-26 Sonoma (PSM)
28th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 13-16 Brainerd (PSM)
25th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals Aug. 20-23 Reading (PSM)
55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Sept. 2-7 Indianapolis (PSM)
Second annual NHRA Nationals Sept. 17-20 Concord(PSM)
24th annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals Sept. 24-27 Dallas (PSM)
22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals Oct. 2-4 Memphis (PSM)
Fourth annual Virginia NHRA Nationals Oct. 9-11 Richmond
Ninth annual ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals Oct. 29-Nov. 1 Las Vegas (PSM)
45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals Nov. 12-15 Pomona (PSM)
(PSM) – Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle

2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event purses
(bold represents increases)

Top Fuel/Funny Car

Pro Stock

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Winner: $50,000

Winner: $25,000

Winner: $10,000

Runner-up: $22,000

Runner-up: $11,000

Runner-up: $4,000

Semifinalists: $18,000

Semifinalists: $9,000

Semifinalists: $2,000

Second round: $14,000

Second round: $7,000

Second round: $1,600

First round: $10,000

First round: $5,000

First round: $1,200

17th & 18th place: $3,000

17th & 18th place: $1,500

17th & 18th place: $500


2009 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals purse
(bold represents increases)

Top Fuel/Funny Car

Pro Stock

Pro Stock Motorcycle

Winner: $100,000

Winner: $50,000

Winner: $20,000

Runner-up: $30,000

Runner-up: $15,000

Runner-up: $5,500

Semifinalists: $20,000

Semifinalists: $10,000

Semifinalists: $3,000

Second round: $15,000

Second round: $7,500

Second round: $2,000

First round: $11,000

First round: $5,500

First round: $1,500

17th & 18th place: $3,000

17th & 18th place: $1,500

17th & 18th place: $500