The 27th Annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals
Roll Into Maple Grove Raceway for the 27th Annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals
Get ready to get down in the rolling hills of Reading, PA, where you can always find the most passionate and knowledgeable NHRA fans cheering for their favorite race team at the 27th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, September 29-October 2.
The Maple Grove event is the third of six in the NHRA Full Throttle “Countdown to the Championship.” This series has been in full speed, with exciting races at the zMax Dragway in Charlotte and the Texas Motorplex in Dallas. Only the top 10 drivers race to win series championships in these playoffs. Following the last “regular-season” race, the top 10 drivers had their points reset to within 10 of one another with the exception of the points leader, who started with a 30 point advantage over second place.
Be on the lookout for your favorite drivers to bring non-stop nitro-fueled action at the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals. In Top Fuel, Larry Dixon, Tony Schumacher, and the on-fire Antron Brown will be racing to the win. We’ll enjoy watching legendary John Force race in the Funny Car division against rockets like Jack Beckman, Bob Tasca, Melanie Troxel, and Mike Neff. In the Pro Stock division, you have drivers like Erica Enders, Greg Anderson, and Jason Line going head-to-head, while Hector Arana fights for the win from his son, Karen Stoffer, and Matt Smith, among others, in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class.
Seven other classes will be racing to keep everyone at the races on their toes, including Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp Eliminator, and Super Stock.
There is an extraordinary lineup to commemorate NHRA’s 60th Anniversary season, including legends like Joe Amato, Shirley Muldowney, and Don “Big Daddy” Garlits. The whole family will have a chance to get an autograph from one of the eight legends who will be in attendance throughout the weekend. Just look for the Auto-Plus midway display and legends tent!
The Sportsman qualifier begins bright and early on Thursday, September 29, with eliminations and qualifying rounds continuing right on into Friday and Saturday. Gates open at 8am daily, so you’ll get a whole day of exhilarating racing action even if you can come for only one day.
If you were one of the lucky fans who won the Auto-Plus SpeedStakes, which gave away a Grand Prize of an all-expense paid VIP weekend for two to the Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals and a First Prize of two tickets, hospitality passes, and NHRA gear, congratulations! To the rest of us who weren’t quite as fortunate, there are no worries! Tickets are still on sale for this year’s race, and trust me, you will not want to miss out on the exciting third race in the Countdown to the Championship!
Come one, come all! Let’s roll out to the hills of Reading, PA and enjoy some nitro-burning action at the 27th Annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals!
About the Author:
LiveOctane.com, fueled by Auto-Plus®, is an exciting new online community for fans of NHRA and other motorsports. We kicked off the site with the Auto-Plus 2011 SpeedStakes, which many of you entered to win the NHRA Nationals VIP SpeedStakes trip.
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