Story By: NHRA – INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A chance to race for a national championship in Las Vegas is again on the line for competitors in the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the world’s largest motorsports program when it comes to racer participation, as the 2024 Summit E.T. Series scheduled was announced today.
Drivers will compete at NHRA member tracks across the seven divisions in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Motorcycle, and Street Legal EV categories, all with the hopes of advancing to the NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship, which takes place Oct. 31-Nov. 3 as part of the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The more than 75,000 drivers will race for event wins, divisional titles, and, ultimately, the chance to race for national glory on the “Road to Vegas.” The Summit E.T. Finals in the seven NHRA divisions, plus an eighth E.T. event in Canada, take place during late August, September and October, with the winners advancing to compete for a national championship.
There will also be three first-time locations for the Summit E.T. Finals, as racers in Division 5 will compete on Sept. 14-15 at the new Flying H Dragstrip outside Kansas City. In Division 3, racers will head to the standout Summit Motorsports Park facility in Norwalk, Ohio on Sept. 13-15.
Plus, an Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals takes place for the first time in NHRA history in 2024 as well, with the race taking place Sept. 6-8 at Napierville Dragway in Quebec. The E.T. Finals will be a championship-level event mirroring the seven NHRA Divisional E.T. Finals currently contested.
Summit Racing Equipment, an industry leader in the distribution of auto racing parts and equipment through catalogs and the Internet, continues to be a strong supporter of the program, boasting a partnership of more than 20 years.
“The NHRA Summit Racing Series continues to be such a great program and we’re thrilled to continue to offer our support of these amazing sportsman racers,” said Jim Greenleaf, Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports & Events Manager. “The racers get a unique opportunity to compete on a national level without a travel commitment, and there’s huge stakes on the line.
“Just winning a divisional championship is a terrific accomplishment, but the chance to compete in Las Vegas for a national championship is a huge honor. We’ve loved the overwhelmingly positive response from the racers competing at the Summit Racing Finals in Las Vegas and we can’t wait to watch all the action this year.”
At the national championship in Las Vegas, a special Wild Card entry will fill the eighth spot in each category, joining the champions from the seven division Summit Racing Series E.T. Finals. Previously, five Wild Card entry recipients have also gone on to win a world championship over the years.
These five lucky divisions will also have an extra chance to take the “Road to Vegas”
- Super Pro Division 1
- Pro ET Division 7
- Sportsman Division 2
- Motorcycle Division 5
- Street Legal EV Division 3
The national champions in 2023 included Billy Boyko (Division 1) in Super Pro, Mike LaRose (Division 1) in Pro ET, Jake Biscay (Division 6) in Sportsman, Patrick Roetto (Division 5) in Motorcycle, and Josh Rogers (Division 3) in Street Legal EV.
The division champion in the NHRA Summit Series receives an impressive prize package, including a Wally trophy, jacket, and purse, along with $3,000 bonus money to attend the national championship in Las Vegas. There, the experience is second-to-none for each competitor. The weekend begins with the champions’ welcome dinner and each driver gets a major spotlight throughout the national event. They are introduced on stage during the official pre-race ceremonies and then compete for a championship in front of a huge crowd in Las Vegas.
The championship competitors will be competing for a huge purse of more than $145,000 that is paid out to the 40 competitors attending the finals, plus contingency bonuses, a national championship Wally trophy, a championship jacket, and more. In all, there is over $400,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs at the seven divisional ET finals and the national championship.
The event in Las Vegas marks the culmination of outstanding racing that takes place throughout the year with some of the top bracket racers across seven divisions. The popular Summit ET Series allows drivers to campaign several types of vehicles, including dragsters, roadsters, sedans, coupes, motorcycles, and electric cars, to compete in the different categories, bringing together an impressive list of standout competitors racing for bragging rights, trophies, and an impressive purse.
The EV category in the NHRA Summit Racing Series is reserved for only foreign and domestic OEM production electric vehicle automobiles and trucks. All vehicles must be street driven and must be able to pass all state highway safety requirements and retain all OEM safety features.
“Summit Racing Equipment continues to provide incredible support for the Summit Series, which is the grassroots foundation of NHRA’s sportsman program,” NHRA Sportsman Racing Manager Sara Walker said.
“From the ‘Road to Vegas’ starting at our local NHRA member tracks to the divisional championships to the national championship in Las Vegas, this journey is so exciting and always so rewarding for everyone involved. We’re all looking forward to a great season in the NHRA Summit Series, seeing the passion of all the competitors and finishing it off with a spectacular weekend in Las Vegas.”
2024 NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals Schedule
- Division 1 – Lebanon Valley Dragway, West Lebanon, N.Y., Sept. 20-21
- Division 2 – South Georgia Motorsports Park, Cecil, Ga., Sept. 12-14
- Division 3 – Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio, Sept. 13-15
- Division 4 – Ardmore Dragway, Ardmore, Okla., Sept. 6-8
- Division 5 – Flying H Dragstrip, Odessa, Mo., Sept. 14-15
- Division 6 – Pacific Raceways, Seattle, Aug. 29-Sept. 2
- Division 7 – The Strip at Las Vegas Motorsport Speedway, Las Vegas, Oct. 9-13
Eastern Canadian E.T. Finals, Napierville Dragway, Quebec, Sept. 6-8
NHRA Summit Racing Series National Championship
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Oct. 31-Nov. 3