The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing series opens at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gator Nationals, March 6 through 9 After the Gator Nationals, it will be the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, Lucas Oil Winter Nationals in Pomona and the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas during a tight four-week span. Racing is scheduled in Sonoma July 25-27 for the Denso Sonoma Nationals, with some changes taking effect this coming season.
Spencer Hyde, who has competed in both Top Fuel and Pro Modified classes, will now drive Jim Head’s Funny Car, driven by Blake Alexander the last couple of years.
Blake Alexander now drives on Chad Green’s team with his Pronto Auto Service Center backing. With Chad Green (running all the events) and his son, Hunter Green (running at selected events), they could have a three-car team. It will all come down to financial backing in Hunter’s case.
Ida Zetterstrom will drive the JCM/VP Racing/Edelbrock/Comp Cams dragster. Joe and PJ Maynard (JCM Racing) purchased the Don Schumacher Racing team (DSR) as majority owner in 2022, prior to Don Schumacher’s passing in December of 2023. Eight-time champion, Tony Schumacher, has not, yet obtained financial backing and will not (yet) be part of JCM racing team for the 2025 racing season.
Alexas DeJoria and her Banderos Team moved to JCM racing, leaving Del Worsham Racing as Del Worsham wanted to step away, competing in only a few selective events.
Bobby Bode, who drove his family’s Funny Car the last couple of seasons at several events, will drive for Del Worsham at the season opening Gator Nationals in a one race deal. He will then run selected events with his family’s Funny Car race team.
Jack Beckman, who replaced John Force and finished second in the Funny Car points race last season, will continue driving the Peak Chevrolet Camaro. John Force continues to work towards his full recovery from the high-speed accident he suffered last season. Force has not announced whether or not he will drive again in the future, but is focusing on a full recovery from his injuries. He will attend every event he can to support his team and drivers (Austin Prock, Jack Beckman and Brittany Force).
Robert Hight (three-time Funny Car season champion and president of John Force racing) will continue to sit out, while he recovers from medical issues, with no word on when or if he will return to driving.
Tony Stewart, the 2024 NHRA “Rookie of the Year” winner, will once again be driving the Top Fuel dragster in place of his wife, Leah. No firm word on when she will return to driving. Stewart finished ninth in the Top Fuel championship in 2024.
There has been no firm report on whether both Steve Torrence and his dad Billy will be racing selected events or all of the 2025 season events. The four-time champion, Steve Torrence is on the entry list for the season opening Gator Nationals in Gainesville, Florida.
The 2024 Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing series champions were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
The NHRA Heritage (Nostalgia) drag racing season opens with the famed Good Vibrations March Meet at Famosa Dragstrip in Bakersfield, March 6 through 9. The March meet features front motored top fuel dragsters, nostalgia funny cars (featuring body styles from 1969 to 1979), fuel altered (high powered roadsters running on nitromethane fuel) and numerous special nostalgia eliminator classes, very similar to the golden era of drag racing. Many local racers from the Valley and Bay areas, compete at this event each year.
NASCAR opened the season with the 67th running of the Daytona 500, which was won, for the second year in a row, by William Byron on the last lap. Christopher Bell then won the next two events in Atlanta, Georgia and Austin, Texas. Next up is Phoenix, Arizona. The series will compete at Sonoma Raceway on July 13 for the Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Indy Car opened its season in St. Petersburg, Florida with Alex Palou taking the win. The Indy Car series will once again compete at the Weather Tech Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California on July 27.
