How many times have we been to a drag race and thought, “wow, I could do that!” Hands are being raised countrywide at the thought of bringing a street car to a track, becoming a licensed driver and racing down a dragstrip.
NHRA is promoting its “Become A Racer” program as the best way to move from the streets to the track, so that anyone can become a participant in drag racing at an NHRA Member Track. Through its Street Legal program, any driver can take their road-going grocery getter from the street to the track, perform laps to get licensed and race in a legal and controlled environment.
Enjoying the sport of NHRA drag racing is exactly what Wally Parks had in mind when, in 1951 he formed the National hot Rod Association (NHRA). It was his desire to move drag racing from the danger of street racing to the safety of going quick on a track. That theory remains central to the mission of NHRA.
Street Legal events are held regularly at the more than 100 NHRA Member Tracks and offer the perfect setting to not only fight illegal street racing, but Street Legal events feature the ideal setting for competitors at all experience levels to participate in this sport.
Incredibly, all it costs is $65 to sign up to earn an NHRA License and break into the Street Legal club, newly discounted to entice more involvement. A participant can bring anything from a daily driver to a high-performance steel-driven car “For me,” Top Fuel standout Clay Millican remarked, “going out to the local track is the ultimate. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a minivan or a tricked-out hot rod, it’s a chance to stomp on the loud pedal and not get in trouble!
“That’s the beauty of going to the track and getting this license. It’s so inexpensive, it’s easy to do it and, if you really want to go racing, you can do it in a minivan or whatever you want. I love the racetrack, so when I’m home I find my way to the track,” Millican explained. “I’ve got a hot rod and I don’t want to get after it on the street, so I go to the track. It becomes a lifestyle.
“It may not become your profession,” as it’s done for Millican, who earned six straight IHRA World Championships from 2001-2006, along with six NHRA national event wins in 23 final rounds. He earned three NHRA Top Fuel Wally winner’s trophies in 2023 and is running well so far this year. “Racing becomes your passion and something you can enjoy with your friends and family. You can go to the track, bring your buddies along and make all the laps you want,” with this program. “The whole process is very easy and inexpensive, and then you end up with an NHRA license and that’s pretty cool!”
Participants in the Street Legal “Become a Racer” program get to avail themselves of all the perks of being an NHRA member:
* An official NHRA Competition License Card
* Exclusive 9-second and 5-second decals for NHRA Level & Street Legal Racers, recognizing your performance on the track – racers who break into the 9’s in a quarter-mile or 5’s in an eighth-mile at an NHRA Member Track and submit to NHRA a license application get the exclusive decal, only available with the Sweet Legal NHRA competition license
* Exclusive discounts with NHRA partners, including Summit Racing Equipment
* 25% off NHRA.tv, which streams live championship drag racing action at NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national events and divisional races countrywide
* Excess medical insurance coverage of $575,000 at your NHRA Member Track
* NHRA National Dragster magazine online
Entering this Street Legal program to “Become a Racer” is a great way for any spectator and fan to jump into the sport and then eventually become a competitor in one of the many classes or series run by NHRA.
The Street Legal program has proven itself an ideal proving ground for future competitors, with several top performers in the pro ranks coming from the sport’s introductory level. Those racers include Millican and three-time Top Fuel champ Antron Brown. There are many more, including legendary Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, who is among those who got their start by acquiring a Street Legal license.
All vehicles participating in NHRA’s Street Legal events must be able to pass all state highway safety requirements for the state in which the vehicle is registered. These vehicles have to retain all ’em safety features. While the competition structure for these events can vary from track to track, a strong emphasis is placed o fun and providing a welcoming environment for first-time racers. Many Street Legal contests feature open time trials and grudge racing only, which typically invites each racer to enjoy the opportunity to make as many passes as possible down their hometown dragstrip.
Grudge racing allows participants to choose their competition, rather than participating in an organized eliminator. Win or lose, a grudge racing participant may return to the staging lanes for more time trials or more grudge runs. Street Legal events provide a legal advantage of a controlled environment, where racers of all skill levels are able to enjoy NHRA’s drag racing.
Interested? Here’s a link to become involved in NHRA’s Street Legal program: https://www.nhraracer.com/Files/StreetLegal.pdf
To locate your NHRA member track, look here: https://www.nhra.com/nhra-street-legal/member-tracks
We used to race pure stock in the old days, great way to get into racing.