This years event has been cancelled. I was looking forward to this more than anything this year.

This year officially sucks..........................

Well I concur this sucks. We were actually planning on making the Norwalk race this year. It finally fell on a different weekend than the NMCA race in Chicago, was actually the week before so we were coming already had the rooms booked.

That sucks.

I initially thought maybe SMP shuffled stuff around for maybe other events with better spectator support, but looks like NHRA won’t be holding an event there this year either. Crazy year.

NHRA national event has been slotted for the Monster Mopar weekend.
Doug

I kind of figured this would happen with all the other stuff postponed or canceled. I love this event because I get to see old friends and have a nice weekend party with racing . Be nice if they could move it to September for this year but it is quite the event to just throw together

Gus

The recent NHRA announcement states no racing until August, with fans, unless significant changes due to the pandemic. I’d bet they’ll try to get the Western swing in then skip Brainerd, MN then hit INDY. They certainly have been vague on plans.

As per the announcement, no Western swing this year. It also sounds like no regional or division races as well until August. I’m sure more than those races to. Stay safe.

They picked up the bracket finals this year and it bumped the no prep race a week later. Their schedule is pretty jam packed.

just received this revised email from NHRA
NHRA ANNOUNCES REVISED PLAN TO RESTART 2020 MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES


NHRA officials announced today that they are working with state and local officials as well as host tracks and teams on a revised Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule, which will be announced soon. The season is expected to resume, with fans in attendance, in August and will consist of 18 total events for 2020, including the two that kicked off the season. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will continue to be contested at each Mello Yello Series event.

The revised schedule previously announced is in flux because of the fluid nature of the pandemic situation. At this time, it is certain that the events planned for June and July are postponed. Those events are the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on June 5-7 (Gainesville, FL); Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals Presented by Pennzoil on June 12-14 (Houston, TX); NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals on June 19-21 (Bristol, TN); Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on June 26-28 (Norwalk, OH); Route 66 NHRA Nationals on July 9-12 (Chicago, IL); Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil on July 17-19 (Denver, CO); and NHRA Sonoma Nationals on July 24-26 (Sonoma, CA).

THIS IS STUPID.

NHRA was going to open back up June 5-7 in Gainesville... then run every week for 4 weeks straight to get caught up, with the first 4 races in states that are opening up starting this week. (Fla. Tex. Tenn. Oh.)

My wife was at Wal-Mart today and and they are allowing 1000 people in at one time.... A 1000 people in a aprox. 40,000 sq, ft. building. Yet we can't be outside on a 40 acre + plot of land. This is just wrong.

If they want to push the western swing off until Fall, I could understand it.

what is the possibility of moving the Monster Mopar race to September?

Great...... now we’re ALL KEYBOARD RACERS this year! I was fortunate enough to hit a few events in Phoenix and entered MaTs which fell victim to the virus. I think I’m just done this year....

what is the possibility of moving the Monster Mopar race to September?

There is going to be a similar event in Bowling Green in September and Josh is involved.

I do not believe that is true. In fact Norwalk may not even get the NHRA race this year.

From what I have seen... it is not true. No nationals until August.
Norwalk is not on the revised schedule at all that is listed on classracer.

For the folks saying no lucas oil races, where are you getting that from the announcement? It specifically states Mello Yello races. I read this as NHRA needs fans in the stands to pull off those races. So they are postponed until that can happen.

Read it and weep.
https://www.nhra.com/news/2020/nhra-announces-revised-schedule-mello-yello-drag-racing-series
Doug

Not NHRA, but I had three VIP tickets for the Street Outlaws no prep race at Bandimere the end of August. The place where I bought the tickets from, The FOAT, sent me an email yesterday to get a refund. I am going to take advantage of the refund, not because of the virus, but do to all of the uncertainty of the changing schedule. I looked at Bandimere’s web site and Facebook but they have not posted anything about the NHRA or the No Prep race.

Hell, just saw that most Wendy’s are taking hamburgers off the menu due to no beef. This is crazy S#%+.

Stay safe.

March 25th.

I hope they do. But I don’t think the NHRA could be any more vague.

What am I missing Doug? Thats the revised schedule from March. How does Sonoma being the same weekend as monster mopar cancel monster mopar?
The announcement yesterday said no NHRA national events until August. I do not believe the national has anything to do with this.
Or am I missing it?

As of yesterday. Unconfirmed NHRA schedule. No Norwalk.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nhra/a32369857/nhra-cancels-june-july-race-schedule/

So what is the real reason the monster mopar event has been cancled ? The Blue suede cruise event is july 10th thru july 12th. just before the mopar race, and the Pontiac Nationals is July 31rst thru August 2nd, the week end after the mopar race. So is this something that was cancelled by Bader jr. or was this cancelled by Josh. Both of the other races listed here are still on the schedule

Unconfirmed from Autoweek
Who knows what the real deal is. NHRA post 23 hrs ago says national event at Norwalk June 26/28. My Boo Boo. Which I took to be Monster Mopar date which in reality is July 24/26
Doug

NHRA is not racing NAtional Events until at least August. They have not released the new dats or any changes to the divisional schedules yet but I am fairly certain the next D7 event is not happening which is fine with me as no one wants to race in June in Vegas anyway. kinda hot

NHRA announces revised plan to restart 2020 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series | NHRA

https://www.nhra.com/news/2020/nhra...tart-2020-mello-yello-drag-racing-series

https://www.competitionplus.com/dra...lk-facility-no-longer-part-of-nhras-2020

16 consecutive weekends of “2 day events” starting in August.

Highly doubt we’re gonna see any sportsman cars. That sucks.

Agreed, personally I enjoy the sportsman classes more than the pro.

On Brian Lohnes' NHRA Podcast he said the events are 3 days with Friday being all sportsman cars and Saturday and Sunday being "normal" days but the Pro cars only get 2 Qualifying passes. He was unsure of the schedule for the US nationals.

just imagine all the ice cream that will not get eaten this summer. Sad indeed. Birdtracker

Yeah and a couple hundred cases of beer too

Gus

I usually eat one ice cream a day. Really thats all I can handle. One time I was there and was talking to the guy behind the counter. He said the record for a 3 day weekend was 37. I left with my ice cream shaking my head!!! Birdtracker

I cancelled the event - I was not forced to do anything by the track --

These races have been cancelled:

DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas
NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga.
Virginia NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.
NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.
NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte

The others not on the schedule, including Norwalk, have been postponed and there are gaps in the schedule where they could be run. Not to say some or all of them could eventually be cancelled.

Most of this is not on NHRA it depends on what the hosting states and cities will allow, at least in my opinion.

The track in Tulsa is hosting a big race this weekend with lots of restrictions, however in California I would not be surprised if they did not race this year.

I get that you rent the track for the event. Are you out the rental fee if the track can't be open? Need a minimum # of entry's?

No, If the track wasnt able to open then I would only loose the money spent on my side up to that point - I wouldnt owe the track anything

Fact is that it takes 450 racers just to cover rental and expenses to put on the race - and everything else to cover the purse -

If the state cant tell you when they are going to open - if you can have spectators (not looking good at this point) that you have to use porto johns (no public restrooms/showers otherwise) it gets to a point where racers are going to only race for trophies or you make a decision to pull the plug -


I wish I could just throw out 130-140k for my closest friends to come race for 3 days (maybe) but economics are real. We work on about 10% profit - If we lose what spectators we currently get - thats 0% margin - if we lose a single racer thats going red - so I made the call.

It really came down to have 1 more race in 2020 and quite potentially go bankrupt - or postpone till 2021 so we can keep it going.... that was the way it went down

Thanks for clearing it up. Best to hear the reason from the horses mouth. See everyone in 2021.

Certainly sounds like the most sound decision in your case. Thanks for the explanation. The local Keeneland Conourse event cancelled, great show that I volunteer for every year, similar economics forced the decision due to a lot of participants traveling from across the nation.

Sure would have liked the decision to have have been held off on being made until the first of June
Will know a bunch more by then, good, bad, indifferent
Had it stayed scheduled, i seriously doubt guys wouldn't have showed up, if anything, support likely would have been record breaking, if i know the guys who go every year as well as i think i do.
That all being said, if by waiting till June 1 would have lost the spot on the Norwalk calendar.... that is a different story.
We were nearly 3 months out from the event. That is a long time.
But, Josh is a good guy, it is what it is.