Capitalizing on the increasing popularity of the Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, NHRA announced today that ESPN will be expanding its coverage of the NHRA Full Throttle Series’ six-race playoff across multiple platforms and making all of the racing available live to racing fans.

The six-race playoff begins Sept. 3-6 with the traditional Labor Day running of the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, the world’s most prestigious drag race, and ESPN2 HD will carry the final eliminations on Monday Sept. 6 from 1-6 p.m. (ET).

Live coverage of the full days of eliminations action for all six races in the Countdown to 1 will be televised on ESPN3, ESPN's live sports broadband network at www.espn3.com. It is available at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection from an affiliated service provider, and is currently available in more than 53 million homes – a majority of U.S. broadband homes. It is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers connected to on-campus educational networks and on-base military networks.

Television coverage of the remaining five races in the Countdown to 1 will be split between ESPN2 HD and ESPN HD and each of the five races will be presented in prime time.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte (Sept. 19) and the O’Reilly Auto Parts SuperStart Batteries NHRA Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas (Sept. 26) will be  televised at 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 HD; the final three races – the Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pa. (Oct. 10), the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals from the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 31) and the Auto Club NHRA Finals from Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California (Nov. 14) – will all begin at 9 p.m. (ET) and be televised on ESPN HD.

ESPN has been the television home of the NHRA Full Throttle Series since 2001 and will remain NHRA’s broadcast partner through the 2016 season. ESPN and ESPN2 are both available in approximately 100 million households.

In addition to coverage on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD, NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing will be distributed through ESPN International.

 
2010 NHRA ‘Countdown to 1’ Television Schedule

Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil    
ESPN2: Eliminations, 1-6 p.m., Sept. 6
 ESPN3.com: Eliminations, 11 a.m., Sept. 6
ESPN2: Race Day, 11 a.m., Sept. 5

O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
ESPN2: Eliminations, 7-10 p.m., Sept. 19
ESPN3.com: Eliminations,  noon., Sept. 19
ESPN2: Race Day, 10 a.m., Sept. 19          

O’Reilly Auto Parts Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals
ESPN2: Eliminations, 7-10 p.m., Sept. 26
ESPN3.com: Eliminations, Noon, Sept. 26
ESPN2: Race Day, 10 a.m., Sept. 26

Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals
ESPN: Eliminations, 9-11:30 p.m., Oct. 10
ESPN3.com: Eliminations, 11 a.m., Oct. 10
ESPN2: Race Day, 10 a.m., Oct. 10           

NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
ESPN: Eliminations, 9-11:30 p.m., Oct. 31
ESPN3.com: Eliminations, 2 p.m., Oct. 31
ESPN2: Race Day, 10 a.m., Oct. 31           

Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals
ESPN: Eliminations, 9-11:30 p.m., Nov. 14
ESPN3.com: Eliminations, 2 p.m., Nov. 14
ESPN2: Race Day, 10 a.m., Nov. 14

* All times Eastern. Schedule subject to change. Please check local listings.  

 

Event info: About | Tickets | Schedule | Entries

From the track: Results | Team reports

Coverage: Notebook | Staff blog | Live blog

Multimedia: Audiocast | Photos | Video

News and notes from Friday at the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals from O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Compiled by the National DRAGSTER staff.

FRIDAY
Last update: 2:15 p.m. (Click to latest)

Finally it's Friday: Welcome to Day 3 of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. After two days of Sportsman time trials and class eliminations, today will be the first day of qualifying for the Full Throttle classes. Alcohol qualifying is at noon and the day's lone Pro session at 5:15 p.m.

Full Throttle teams will get two more runs Saturday and two Sunday to set the fields for Monday's final eliminations.

Already big news: Even though the event is still in 2nd gear, already there have been some big developments. The first is the absence of nine-time Indy winner Frank Manzo, whose bid to unseat Bob Glidden as Indy's all-time winner will have to wait another year. Manzo's , Dominic, passed away Monday so he won't nbe in attendance.

The other big news is that the multi-time Hemi Challenge-winning duo of Charlie Westcott Sr. and Jr. both broke their Cudas yesterday and reportedly won't be part of today's always-thrilling class eliminations.

Live blogging: If you haven't already done so, check out the live blogging going on over at our Interactive@Indy page. You can follow the live commentary and asks questions of the National DRAGSTER staff covering the evevt. Check it out here. From that page you also can access the ND Staff Blog, which will be offering behind-the-scenes stories from the event.

Track records: Top Fuel - 3.816 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’09; 319.22 mph by Antron Brown, Sept. ’09 Funny Car - 4.073 sec. by Tony Pedregon, Sept. ’08; 309.84 mph by Ashley Force Hood, Sept. ’09 Pro Stock - 6.581 sec. by Mike Edwards, Sept. ’09; 209.01 mph by Edwards, Sept. ’09 Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.918 sec. by Matt Smith, Sept. ’09; 193.85 mph by Andrew Hines, Sept. ’05.

Pro Stock notes: John Nobile’s son Vince, who made his Pro Stock driving debut at Brainerd, will be back in action again at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. But instead of driving his father’s car, he will be behind the wheel of the Ford Mustang that Larry Morgan drove for the first portion of this season. Morgan’s best performance with that vehicle was a semifinal round finish at the season-opening Winternationals.

Bob Benza, who has not attended a NHRA national event since Norwalk, will be competing at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Benza’s engine builder, Tom Martino, said, we’ve been working a lot on our current engine since Norwalk and the dyno numbers are the best that we’ve ever seen. We ‘cautiously optimistic’ about our chances this weekend.

Radio Indy: WFO Radio is running an NHRA special edition show live from the U.S. Nationals.  Guests today included Terry McMillan, Steve Torrence, TJ Zizzo, Greg Stanfield, Kenny Koretsky, Lewis Bloom, Bob Frey, Alan Reinhart, and Herb McCandless. Yon listen to the archive here: http://www.media.softwar.com/wforadio/archives/archivefiles/20100903-joecastello-tue.mp3

They'll be back on the air live tomorrow (Saturday) beginning at 10 a.m.

Larry Dixon, flanked by team manager Alan Johnson, left, and crew chief Jason McCulloch, are a perfect nine for nine in 2010 Top Fuel finals.

With nine victories in nine final-round appearances, Larry Dixon’s regular-season performance in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series was extremely impressive.

Because of his stout run in the Al-Anabi Racing dragster during the first 17 races of the season, the two-time world champion must be feeling a sense of anticipation as he heads into the upcoming six playoff races as the top seed and category favorite.

Despite all those who may tell Dixon that he has world championship No. 3 locked up, he knows better. Last year, he finished second by two points to archrival Tony Schumacher. This season, he’s not guaranteeing anything despite the strong regular season. He knows that the Al-Anabi team led by team manager Alan Johnson and crew chief Jason McCulloch will need to work hard during the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship to close the deal.

That hard work begins at the biggest race of them all, the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, Sept. 1-6 at historic O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The race, the first of six events in the Countdown to the Championship, will be showcased in 10 hours of coverage on ESPN2HD.

Dixon is a three-time winner of the event and a six-time finalist. His primary rival, seven-time world champ Schumacher, has won in Indy a record eight times in 10 finals. Therefore, to get off to a great start in the playoffs, Dixon said that a win in Indy would go a long way in that department.

“We’re not going to have a different approach at all going into Indy,” Dixon said. “I’ve never been a No. 1 seed before, and I’m excited going into Indy. I’m not even thinking about the playoffs, really. I’m thinking about Indy. That is such a big race in itself that you always want to try and do well there.”

Dixon won the U.S. Nationals during his rookie season in 1995, forming an instant bond with the tradition-rich event held each Labor Day weekend. He beat Schumacher in the U.S. Nationals final in 2005 for his most recent win there.

“Whether it’s your first or fourth win, the U.S. Nationals is a special event for most racers, and I’m one of them,” Dixon said. “I have a lot of memories of going to that race when I was a kid, and it’s a big deal. What it means to do well at the U.S. Nationals has been ingrained in my head all my life. Fortunately, I’ve won three times, and a fourth with the Al-Anabi team would mean a lot.”

Dixon earned his No. 1 seed for the playoffs by racing to victories at the 50th annual season opener in Pomona and followed that memorable victory with wins in Houston, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Chicago, Englishtown, Norwalk, Sonoma, and Brainerd. He said that during that stretch, his Al-Anabi team really came into its own on the track and is well-prepared for the playoffs.

“We’ve won so many different ways,” Dixon said. “We smoked the tires and won a final that way. Another time, we pedaled the car, and other times, we have run all right. There are so many variables, and you can just have one hiccup, and somebody else wins. I feel lucky. That is straight up how I feel about it. I’ve had seasons where I haven’t won one race, so to have a season where you have won nine, it is overwhelming. These races are so hard to win.”

As are championship titles. Dixon earned his two series crowns in 2002 and 2003 during dominating seasons when he won eight and nine races during each, respectively. With a victory in Indy, Dixon could set a personal best for victories in a season and inch that much closer to his third world championship.

However, with U.S. Army driver Schumacher lurking to keep his amazing championship streak alive and hungry drivers such as veteran Cory McClenathan still searching for his elusive first series title in his Fram dragster and former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Antron Brown looking to break through, Dixon knows that the championship run promises to be filled with challenges.

The competition in the 7,000-horsepower category goes even deeper, with Doug Kalitta hovering in stealth mode in his DEWALT/Stanley/Mac Tools dragster, Brandon Bernstein looking to make a charge in his Copart/Lucas Oil dragster, and GEICO Powersports dragster driver Morgan Lucas capable of striking with a win at any time.

“There are 10 teams with an equal chance to win the Full Throttle championship, so it’s way early to even talk about a championship,” Dixon said. “But if we are lucky enough to pull it off, it would mean as much to me as everyone else on this team, including His Highness Sheik Khalid. He had a goal and vision, and Alan, Jason, and everyone else left other jobs to be a part of the Al-Anabi team. If we are successful, it would mean a lot to win a championship for our Al-Anabi team, but it would mean even more to win the title for Sheik Khalid and bring the NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel championship to the people of Qatar.”

• SCHEDULE: The first of five qualifying sessions is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3. Two sessions will be held Sept. 4, at 3 and 6 p.m., and the final two qualifying sessions will take place Sept. 5 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. Sept. 6.

• TICKETS: Call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to www.NHRAtix.com.

• ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise more than 10 hours of coverage of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. One hour of qualifying coverage will air Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. ET. NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute newsmagazine show, will air Sept. 5 at 11 a.m. ET. Two more qualifying shows will air Sept. 5, a two-and-a-half-hour show at 11:30 a.m. ET and a two-hour show at 5 p.m. ET. Five hours of final eliminations coverage will air Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. ET.

• LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil also will feature competition in all categories of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, in which some of the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series get their starts. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 1, and eliminations begin at 8 a.m. Sept. 2 and continue through Sept. 6.

• GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES: NHRA’s newest touring series will make its eighth start of the 10-race season at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. The series features some of the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars, with an eclectic mix of vintage and late-model body styles in quarter-mile competition. The first of four rounds of qualifying will be held Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m. The first round of eliminations is scheduled for Sept. 5. Eliminations will continue Sept. 6.

MISSION, B.C. – NHRA’s top bracket racers from tracks across the Northwest division will be at Mission Raceway Park to square off in head-to-head competition at the NHRA Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals, Sept. 3-5.  Top points earning drivers in seven classes will be on hand to compete for team and individual honors.  Racers in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle/Snowmobile, Sport Compact, High School and Jr. Dragster will run in the event.

Gates at Mission Raceway will open at 8 a.m. each day.  Time trials will start Friday morning at 9 and continue Saturday at 8:30 a.m.  Eliminations will start Sunday at 8:30 a.m. 

Saturday’s action will also feature the Race of Champions where the best of the best in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle/Snowmobile will compete for top honors and a chance to compete for a national championship at the NHRA Auto Club of Southern California Finals at Pomona Raceway in Calif., in November.  They’ll run against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions for a $5,000 winner-take-all purse.

Mission Raceway Park is located 10 miles north of Sumas, Wash., on Highway 11.   For more information call the track, (604) 826-6315, or visit www.missionraceway.com.

SUMMIT RACING SERIES NORTHWEST DIVISION FINALS: Fact Sheet

WHAT: NHRA Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals, where top drivers from NHRA member tracks across the Northwest division compete in seven classes for individual and team honors. Competing classes are: Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle/Snowmobile, High School, Sport Compact and two categories of Jr. Dragster. The Race of Champions, a race within a race where the top points earners from each participating track run head-to-head for individual honors, will run on Saturday. Winners of the Race of Champions in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle/Snowmobile will advance to a national run-off at the NHRA Auto Club of Southern California Finals at Pomona Raceway in Calif.

WHERE: Mission Raceway Park, Mission, B.C. Track is located 10 miles north of Sumas, Wash., on Highway 11.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, September 3-5, 2010.

SCHEDULE: Schedule for the Summit Racing Series Northwest Division Finals:

 FRIDAY, Sept. 3 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Time trials begin at 9 a.m.
  
SATURDAY, Sept. 4 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Final time trials begin at 8:30 a.m.
Race of Champions is slated for 1 p.m.

 SUNDAY, Sept. 5 -- Gates open at 8 a.m. Eliminations begin at 8:30 a.m.

PURSE: The Summit E.T. Racing Series competitors in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Sport Compact will compete for cash awards of more than $15,000.

 The winners of the Race of Champions in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman and Motorcycle/Snowmobile will advance to compete against winners from NHRA’s other six divisions at the NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November. They will each receive $3,500 for competing in the Finals and the winner in each class will receive an additional $5,000.

 Participants in the High School and Junior categories compete for trophies.

2009 EVENT WINNERS: Firebird Raceway, team champion; Chris Jaggers, Super Pro; Robby Hornby, Pro; Adam DePeel, Sportsman; Mark Adams, Motorcycle; Gerald Patzer, Sport Compact

FEATURES: More than 500 drivers in five racing categories: Super Pro (cars running 7.00 seconds to 11.99 seconds), Pro (9.00-13.99), Sportsman (12.80 and slower), Motorcycles (7.50 and slower), High School (11.00 and slower), Sport Compact (7.50 and slower), Jr. Thunder (Ages 13 to 17) and Jr. Lightning (Ages 8 to 12)

The way that Robert Hight looks at it, he has had one heck of a title-defense season in his Auto Club Ford Mustang. He has already set a personal best for victories in a season at four and won three races in a row in early summer. He has led the points for parts of the season and finished the regular season just a few points behind his team owner, John Force.

So as he and his team gear up for what should be an exciting and challenging run in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship playoffs, Hight knows that this is no time for reflection. Sure, his team has come a long way in a year. Last year, the team barely qualified for the playoffs and then made a thrilling underdog charge to take the crown.

As he prepares to try to win his third Funny Car title at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil Sept. 1-6, Hight comes to historic O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis for the world’s most prestigious drag race with a quiet sense of confidence based on his team’s consistent efforts during the regular season.

“The most I had ever won in a season was three races, and we have already won four this year,” Hight said. “At this point last year, we hadn’t even been in a final. We were very optimistic as the 2010 season started, hoping to start off where we finished last year. We have done that. What matters now is what we do going forward. If we stay together as a team and work together, help each other like we have always done in the past, then I believe our chances are good. You are never going to predict a championship, but I am very optimistic.”

Hight comes to Indy riding a streak of four consecutive final-round appearances at the Big Go. After wins in 2006 and 2008, Hight would like to add a third trophy to his collection. Last year, he finished a close second to teammate Ashley Force Hood, who made history by becoming only the third woman to win drag racing’s Super Bowl in a pro division.

Force Hood leads a host of competitors who will be trying to win the prestigious event and get their playoff runs off to a good start. The Funny Car field has proven to be one of the most competitive classes of the season with eight winners. In the past, several first-time Funny Car winners have emerged in Indy as well. Force, who has won the race four times, three-time winner Cruz Pedregon, and past winners Del Worsham, Jim Head, and Tim Wilkerson are certainly in the mix. The field also contains a host of drivers who are hungry to win the race for the first time, including Ron Capps, Tony Pedregon, Jack Beckman, Matt Hagan, and Bob Tasca III.

“This is the biggest race we have all year long,” Hight said. “This is the granddaddy of them all. Don Garlits once told me that because I had won Indy, I could retire now. I want to win championships, though. I want to win more Indys and more championships. This is a great place to start the Countdown, and we have had good luck there.”

And when it comes to the Countdown, Hight has shown that he can make it happen, no matter what position he’s in at the beginning of the playoffs.

“We proved last year that if you are in the top 10, you can win it,” Hight said. “It is all about timing, having your act together, and getting your combination right. You also need some luck along the way.”

• SCHEDULE: The first of five qualifying sessions is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3. Two sessions will be held Sept. 4, at 3 and 6 p.m., and the final two qualifying sessions will take place Sept. 5 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. Sept. 6.

• TICKETS: Call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to www.NHRAtix.com.

• ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise more than 10 hours of coverage of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. One hour of qualifying coverage will air Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. ET. NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute newsmagazine show, will air Sept. 5 at 11 a.m. ET. Two more qualifying shows will air Sept. 5, a two-and-a-half-hour show at 11:30 a.m. ET and a two-hour show at 5 p.m. ET. Five hours of final eliminations coverage will air Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. ET.

• LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil also will feature competition in all categories of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, in which some of the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series get their starts. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 1, and eliminations begin at 8 a.m. Sept. 2 and continue through Sept. 6.

• GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES: NHRA’s newest touring series will make its eighth start of the 10-race season at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. The series features some of the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars, with an eclectic mix of vintage and late-model body styles in quarter-mile competition. The first of four rounds of qualifying will be held Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m. The first round of eliminations is scheduled for Sept. 5. Eliminations will continue Sept. 6.

The Mopar Hemi Challenge race series debuted in 2001 at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Fast-forward to 2010, and the popular racing series is still going strong and set to return to the place that started it all. The second of three 2010 Mopar Hemi Challenge race series events is scheduled to take place Sept. 2-3 during the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

“The Mopar Hemi Challenge event at the U.S. Nationals has experienced remarkable growth and popularity since its inception in 2001,” said Jim Sassorossi, director-Mopar Parts, Sales and Marketing. “The Mopar Hemi Challenge has flourished for 10 years due to the passion and dedication of the grassroots racers and enthusiasts who purchase Mopar parts and spend their spare time preparing their Mopar Hemi-powered cars for competition.”

The Mopar Hemi Challenge race series pits Super Stock/A Hemi (SS/AH) '68 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas against each other in fierce quarter-mile competition. Bucky Hess etched his name in the record books in 2001, taking the first Mopar Hemi Challenge event win by defeating James Keyes for the $10,000 winner’s purse. The Bunker Hill, W.Va., resident will return to the scene of his historic Indy triumph as one of nearly 30 SS/AH competitors in what could possibly be a record field of Mopar Hemi Challenge entrants.

Joining Hess in competition will be Charlie Westcott Jr., a three-time Mopar Hemi Challenge champion at the U.S. Nationals who is coming off a Mopar Hemi Challenge victory in June at the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Ky. Westcott will compete in a '68 Plymouth Barracuda, as will his father and fellow Parma, Mich., native Charlie Westcott Sr., the defending Mopar Hemi Challenge champion at the U.S. Nationals.

“The Mopar Hemi Challenge has been a great deal, and I’m glad Mopar supports it,” said Westcott Jr., who with his father tested last week in Martin, Mich., in preparation for the U.S. Nationals. “It’s impressive that so many cars have entered for Indy. The event always has a good turnout, and it’s a fun race.”

Jim Daniels, a three-time Mopar Hemi Challenge winner and the record holder in the class with an 8.331, will compete at the event. Former Mopar Hemi Challenge U.S. Nationals champ Rick Houser will look to bring home his second win at the venue, and Don Bales, winner of the NHRA Best Appearing Car award at the 2009 U.S. Nationals for his '68 Silver Bullet Plymouth Barracuda, will attempt to capture his first Mopar HemiChallenge trophy. Other drivers entered include David Barton, Stephen Hebert, Jim Pancake, John Rains, and Joe Teuton Jr.

The Mopar Hemi Challenge race series will conclude at the JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals, Sept. 25-27 at National Trail Raceway near Columbus, Ohio.
 

NHRA race fans will enjoy unprecedented live coverage of the season's biggest race, the 56th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil, through a combination of interactive features on NHRA.com.

In addition to the popular live audiocast that allows fans to listen live to the announcers' call on the PA system and the statistical-based live-timing element introduced last year, the staffs of National DRAGSTER and NHRA.com will introduce an interactive element to this year's coverage of the Big Go that will allow fans to interact with reporters to ask questions or add comments.

The new Interactive@Indy feature will take advantage of the revolutionary technology of the CoverItLive software to provide a live blogging atmosphere for the reporters to post commentary, breaking news, and live coverage. Fans can interact with the reporters by submitting comments or questions that the staff can address, either in the blog or via private return message. This feature will go live Thursday morning.

NHRA.com's Interactive@Indy page also will host a live Twitter feed that, beginning Friday morning, will pull together tweets made by NHRA Full Throttle race teams during the event. Already more than a dozen teams have been added to the feed, including John Force Racing (John Force, Robert Hight, and Ashley Force Hood), Tony Schumacher, Kalitta Racing (Doug Kalitta, Jeff Arend, and Dave Grubnic), Kenny Bernstein Racing, Cory McClenathan, Terry McMillen, Bob Vandergriff Jr., T.J. Zizzo, Ford Racing, Bob Tasca III, Summit Racing (Greg Anderson and Jason Line), Jeg Coughlin Jr., Tim Wilkerson, Steve Johnson, and Rodger Brogdon.

Although the live blogging will not begin until Thursday and tweeting will begin Friday, fans can visit the Interactive@Indy page now and set up a reminder that will be e-mailed to them when the program begins. A permanent banner link on the NHRA.com home page will allow fans easy access to these features.

In addition to these new features, the National DRAGSTER staff will continue to post in-depth traditional blog updates in the U.S. Nationals Staff Blog, and important event information and updates will be covered in the popular Event Notebook feature. As always, the veteran Summit FastNews team will provide the critical results of record along with its expert commentary.

The Motorola Live Timing application allows fans to get real-time scoring from the event. The application also is available for mobile users. Live audio coverage begins with qualifying Friday through Sunday, which is available to NHRA members only. Monday's final eliminations broadcast is open to all visitors.
 

Like most other drivers in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Greg Anderson was hooked on the mystique of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil from the first time that he stepped onto the property at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. And like many of his peers, that first time was as a youthful wide-eyed spectator.

Now when he rolls through the gates for the world’s most prestigious drag race Sept. 1-6 as a five-time winner, Anderson will need to take a moment to compose himself. The sheer magnitude of the event raises major goose bumps, whether for a rookie fan or one of the drivers whose impact on the race creates its awesome legacy.

“I’ve never needed any kind of artificial motivation for the U.S. Nationals because it’s the biggest race of our year and the one that means the most to me,” Anderson said. “I’ve felt that way ever since I went there as a little kid and was blown away by the grand scale of it all. From the size of the event and its extensive history to the prestige associated with winning as well as the greats who have won there, just going as a spectator made an impression that lasts to this day. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would win the U.S. Nationals, let alone win it five times, so to be a five-time winner is huge to me.”

Anderson, who trails only Bob Glidden (nine) and former mentor Warren Johnson (six) on the Indy Pro Stock wins list, will try to add another U.S. Nationals victory to his resume and in the process make a run at a fourth world championship crown in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s post-season playoffs. The tradition-rich race, which will be showcased in 10 hours of coverage by ESPN2HD, is the first of six races in the Countdown.

“As if being our biggest race was not enough, this year we have the Countdown to 1 starting in Indy, which just adds a little more intrigue, suspense, and meaning to the U.S. Nationals,” Anderson said. “I don’t know how you could possibly have a more important race, but including the start of the playoffs into the event makes it seem like your entire season is coming down to that one race.”

Anderson has raced to two victories this season in three final-round appearances and enters the Countdown in fourth place, 50 points behind the series leader. Defending world champ Mike Edwards, the 1998 U.S. Nationals winner, comes into the race as the top seed over Allen Johnson, who has been a solid contender all season in his Team Mopar Dodge Avenger. Three-time Indy winner Jeg Coughlin Jr. is third in the points order, still riding high from his Brainerd victory in his JEGS.com Chevy Cobalt.

• SCHEDULE: The first of five qualifying sessions are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3. Two sessions will be held Sept. 4, at 3 and 6 p.m., and the final two qualifying sessions will take place Sept. 5 at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. Sept. 6.

• TICKETS: Call 800-884-NHRA (6472) or log on to www.NHRAtix.com.

• ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise more than 10 hours of coverage of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. One hour of qualifying coverage will air  Sept. 5 at 10 a.m. ET. NHRA Race Day presented by Lucas Oil, a 30-minute newsmagazine show, will air Sept. 5 at 11 a.m. ET. Two more qualifying shows will air Sept. 5, a two-and-a-half-hour show at 11:30 a.m. ET and a two-hour show at 5 p.m. ET. Five hours of final eliminations coverage will air Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. ET.

• LUCAS OIL SERIES: The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil also will feature competition in all categories of the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, in which some of the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series get their starts. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 1, and eliminations begin at 8 a.m. Sept. 2 and continue through Sept. 6.

• GET SCREENED AMERICA PRO MOD SERIES: NHRA’s newest touring series will make its eighth start of the 10-race season at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. The series features some of the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars, with an eclectic mix of vintage and late-model body styles in quarter-mile competition. The first of four rounds of qualifying will be held Sept. 3 at 4:30 p.m. The first round of eliminations is scheduled for Sept. 5. Eliminations will continue Sept. 6.