2026 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle Calendar (Updated)

Press Release | December 16, 2025

NHRA to kick off 2026 Countdown to the Championship with debut event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park

U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will have a NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event in 2026, with the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals set to open the 2026 Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

The event will take place Sept. 18-20 at the standout facility in Martin, Mich., serving as the 15th of 20 races during NHRA’s special 75th anniversary season and the first of six playoff races. Tickets go on sale for the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals on Feb. 1.

It marks the first NHRA national event at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, giving NHRA four new national event facilities during the 2026 campaign and further displaying NHRA’s growth during the special milestone season that includes a premier list of national event tracks in 19 markets across the country.

“Hosting an NHRA national event underscores our continued commitment to excellence, safety, and delivering unforgettable motorsports entertainment,” U.S. 131 Motorsports Vice President of Operations Jason Peterson said. “We are honored to welcome the NHRA, its competitors, sponsors, and fans, and we look forward to showcasing our facility, our staff, and our passionate racing community that makes this region so special.”

The first two races in the Countdown to the Championship will be at two new facilities in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, as the Great Lakes Nationals in Martin, Mich., is followed by a trip to historic Rockingham Dragway for the NHRA Nationals at The Rock. Both U.S. 131 and Rockingham Dragway are preceded by first-time stops at South Georgia Motorsports Park on May 1-3 and Maryland International Raceway on May 29-31.

Known as “The Fastest Track in Michigan,” U.S. 131 Motorsports Park has maintained its status as one of the Midwest’s premier drag racing facilities for decades, drawing fans from nearby markets in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. A favorite for both racers and fans alike, the Peterson family has built the track into a marquee destination for more than two decades, making it a prime candidate to host an NHRA national event.

That comes to fruition in 2026, hosting a must-see playoff race during NHRA’s massive 75th anniversary season.

“We are thrilled to welcome U.S. 131 Motorsports Park to the NHRA national event schedule in 2026. It’s a historic milestone for the facility, and it’s another terrific way to celebrate our 75th anniversary season, bringing the incredible action of NHRA Drag Racing to the passionate fan base in Michigan,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said.

“Opening the Countdown to the Championship at U.S. 131 will be extremely meaningful during our 75th anniversary season, as it reflects NHRA’s continued commitment to growing the sport and bringing championship-level NHRA racing to outstanding venues. The track’s dedication to its racers and fans and its enthusiasm as a new NHRA member track makes it an excellent addition to the national tour, and we look forward to launching the Countdown there in 2026.”

U.S. 131 Motorsports Park will also host an NHRA national open on July 8-9, leading into a NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional event on July 10-12.

NHRA officials have announced the 2026 schedule for the Pro Stock Motorcycle category in the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, including the dates for the GETTRX NHRA All-Star Callout.

Matt Smith and John Hall at 2024 NHRA Sonoma Nationals

This is a press release from NHRA…

Pro Stock Motorcycle will be contested at 14 races, plus the GETTRX All-Star Callout in Sonoma. The special 75th NHRA season begins with the 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals on March 5-8 at legendary Gainesville Raceway.

PSM will also race at the four-wide race in Charlotte and at South Georgia Motorsports Park during NHRA’s national event debut there. The two-wheeled category will also compete in Chicago, as part of NHRA’s national event debut at Maryland International Raceway, Bristol and Norwalk in a busy May and June.

The eight riders who qualify for the GETTRX Pro Stock Motorcycle Callout will compete in the bonus race at the Denso NHRA Sonoma Nationals on July 17-18. The eight standouts will only compete in the Callout in Sonoma, as it won’t serve as one of the 14 points-earning events for the category.

The entire class returns in Indy before taking part in all six races in the Countdown to the Championship (Reading, TBD, St. Louis, Dallas, Las Vegas and Pomona).

The popular Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, which brings competitive racing, a bonus purse and bonus championship points to Saturday qualifying, will return in 2026 as well, taking place at 13 regular-season events, including the four-wide race in Charlotte.

UPDATE November 11, 2025

Rockingham Dragway set to host NHRA national event in 2026

NHRA and Rockingham Dragway have announced that the historic track will host a full NHRA national event for the first time in track history as part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary celebration in 2026.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series is headed to “The Rock.”

NHRA and Rockingham Dragway have announced that the historic track will host a full NHRA national event for the first time in track history as part of NHRA’s 75th Anniversary celebration in 2026.

The NHRA Nationals at The Rock will take place Sept. 25-27 at Rockingham Dragway, serving as the 16th of 20 races in the 75th anniversary season and the second of six races in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

As part of a special press conference at the track on Monday, reigning and six-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson and Rockingham Dragway co-owner Dan VanHorn helped make the exciting announcement to local Richmond County officials, including Senator Dave Craven, Rockingham City Manager Monty Crump, and House of Representative’s Ben Moss, bringing 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel and Funny Car nitro machines, as well as Pro Stock cars and Pro Stock Motorcycle, to the track.

NHRA previously held an all-star invitational from 1989-1998 at Rockingham Dragway, but next year’s playoff race will mark the first full national event to ever take place at the facility, which was originally built in 1971.

“This is an exciting moment in Rockingham Dragway’s rich history to host an NHRA national event during their 75th anniversary season,” VanHorn said. “We could not be more thrilled to host all the stars of the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and provide our amazing fans with a show and event like this. This is enormous for this facility and all of Richmond County, and we’re thankful for everyone who has supported us and helped make an event like this happen.”

Rockingham Dragway returned to the NHRA Member Track Network in 2015, hosting annual divisional races, and VanHorn and Al Gennarelli purchased the facility in 2022. Since then, they’ve made significant upgrades and renovations to the facility, working closely with Richmond County Tourism, the City of Rockingham, and the State of North Carolina.

The improvements helped breathe new life into the facility, renovating the historic track with new racing and pit-area surfaces, timing and announcing systems, upgraded bathrooms and concessions, new scoreboards and equipment, updated signage, and much more.

Heading into the NHRA national event in 2026, the track is planning additional updates as well, including finishing renovations to the trademark grandstands, the addition of new asphalt pits, updated scoreboard and grandstand fence locations, and more.

“There’s been a lot of work and resources put into this facility, and we’re proud of what has been accomplished in such a short time,” VanHorn said. “As we continue to move forward with new projects and improvements, we’re extremely excited about what the future holds. Richmond County Tourism, the City of Rockingham, and the State of North Carolina have played a critical part in this process, and it’s amazing to have such great partners who believed in our vision to host an NHRA national event.”

The race will feature playoff action in all four Professional categories in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle), as well as a full slate of racing in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series and the popular NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

The addition of Rockingham Dragway will give the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series three new destinations during the upcoming 2026 season, as the track joins South Georgia Motorsports Park and Maryland International Raceway as new stops during NHRA’s highly anticipated 75th anniversary celebration.

While it marks an exciting moment for NHRA and in Rockingham Dragway’s impressive history, it also represents an added opportunity for NHRA to reach fans in new markets in Richmond County, Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville.

“As we celebrate NHRA’s 75th Anniversary in 2026, it’s fitting we expand our reach to a historic track like Rockingham Dragway and the area’s passionate racing community,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “We’ve been thrilled to work with Dan and Al, and the entire team at Rockingham Dragway to bring an NHRA national event to the facility.

“They have shown tremendous dedication in elevating and improving their facility, and we can’t wait to showcase those efforts on a national stage. This also reflects our continued commitment of growing the sport, expanding to new areas, and celebrating what has made NHRA so special for 75 years.”