NHRA Summit Racing Series Set To Crown National Champions At The Strip At Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Story By: NHRA – LAS VEGAS, NV – It’s a huge weekend for the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the world’s largest motorsports program when it comes to racer participation, as 40 of the nation’s top drivers will compete for a NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship as part of this weekend’s NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Competitors in the NHRA Summit Racing Series, a list that includes more than 75,000 drivers at NHRA member tracks across North America, race in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle and Street Legal EV categories, hoping to end up with a win this weekend in Las Vegas.

The “Road to Vegas” saw standout racers picking up event wins and divisional titles, but with more than $140,000 set to be paid out to the 40 competitors attending the finals, plus contingency bonuses, a national championship Wally trophy, a championship jacket, and more, this weekend is huge on every level for the title hopefuls.

“It was another tremendous season in the NHRA Summit Series and we’re thrilled to see a great conclusion in Las Vegas as we crown national champions,” NHRA Sportsman Racing Manager Sara Walker said. “We’ve enjoyed great growth in the series and there are so many talented drivers competing this weekend. It’s exciting to put the spotlight on them in Las Vegas and we can’t wait to see who will come out on top as a NHRA Summit Racing Series National Champion.”

In 2023, the series continued to boast incredible participation and it finishes with a must-see national championship in Las Vegas. It’s also a diverse group of drivers competing in many types of vehicles, including dragsters, roadsters, sedans, coupes, motorcycles, and electric cars.

On the line is ultimate bragging rights, trophies and the impressive purse. Each divisional champion racing in Las Vegas received a Wally trophy, jacket, and purse, along with $3,000 bonus money to attend the national championship in Las Vegas. The race weekend opens with a welcome dinner and competitors are also introduced onstage during the official pre-race ceremonies at the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, putting the racers in front of the fans before running for a championship.

“The NHRA Summit Series so unique and appealing because anybody can go out and compete. That entry-level foundation of our sportsman programs is so important to the growth of our sport, so it’s great to reward these talented drivers with a big weekend in Las Vegas,” Walker said. “Our EV class, which was introduced last year, continues to grow and our traditional classes are enjoying great support as well. You really see the passion from all these drivers and it’s also very exciting to see support from partners like Summit Racing Equipment to help this series thrive.”

2023 NHRA SUMMIT RACING SERIES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITORS

Division Position Class Driver’s Name
Division 1 Finalist Super Pro Billy Boyko
Division 1 Finalist Pro ET Mike Larose
Division 1 Finalist Sportsman Denny Renninger
Division 1 Finalist Motorcycle Mike Konopacki
Division 1 Finalist Street Legal EV Danny Hoff
Division 2 Finalist Super Pro Michael Valli
Division 2 Wild Card Super Pro Mark Horton
Division 2 Finalist Pro ET Jesse Edens
Division 2 Finalist Sportsman Van Greer
Division 2 Finalist Motorcycle Santi Rodriguez, Jr
Division 2 Finalist Street Legal EV Ross Gould
Division 3 Finalist Super Pro Tony Virgilio
Division 3 Finalist Pro ET Randy Burwell
Division 3 Wild Card Pro ET Mike Tewell
Division 3 Finalist Sportsman James Ring
Division 3 Finalist Motorcycle Jason Drnach
Division 3 Finalist Street Legal EV Josh Rogers
Division 4 Finalist Super Pro Jacob Sterling
Division 4 Finalist Pro ET Jeff Riedel
Division 4 Finalist Sportsman Gage Wilson
Division 4 Finalist Motorcycle Robert Sanders
Division 4 Finalist Street Legal EV Bryan Tilson
Division 5 Finalist Super Pro Matt Driskell
Division 5 Finalist Pro ET Eugene Rowson
Division 5 Finalist Sportsman Joseph Moriarty
Division 5 Finalist Motorcycle Patrick Roetto
Division 5 Finalist Street Legal EV Kevin Rolph
Division 5 Wild Card Street Legal EV Darrell Goheen
Division 6 Finalist Super Pro Zach Meziere
Division 6 Finalist Pro ET Steve Kelly
Division 6 Finalist Sportsman Jake Biscay
Division 6 Finalist Motorcycle Terry Holloway
Division 6 Wild Card Motorcycle Cody Baldwin
Division 6 Finalist Street Legal EV Sherry Wilson
Division 7 Finalist Super Pro Chuck Hawk
Division 7 Finalist Pro ET Sean Brewster
Division 7 Finalist Sportsman AJ Crader
Division 7 Wild Card Sportsman David Rudd
Division 7 Finalist Motorcycle Michael O’Neil
Division 7 Finalist Street Legal EV Craig Merrilees