2023 action in the Legends Nitro Series - Wayne Lederer photo
2023 action in the Legends Nitro Series – Wayne Lederer photo
The supercharged, nitro-burning Legends Nitro Series is set for a 10-race 2024 schedule that accompanies NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Series over six events as well as competing during four NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitions. This nostalgic Funny Car racing is certainly the proper complement to action at both the Heritage Hot Rod nostalgia and Mission Foods professional events.
There are two new venues on this year’s schedule, as the Legends Nitro Series makes stops at Firebird Motorsports Park outside Phoenix during NHRA’s Arizona Nationals. Later in the year the series heads to Oregon for the inaugural Summer Nationals at Woodburn Dragstrip, located 30 miles south of Portland.
Legends Nitro Series competition, in its first year proved to be accommodating to straight-line racing fans, with their supercharged, nitro-burning V-8 engines and two-speed gearboxes beneath 1970s-era body styles that give fans plenty of pop, even as these cars reward skillful drivers. The series’ rules format and the cars’ aesthetics are designed to bring nostalgia to fans who were around when these cars were newer and also for the amusement of recent aficionados of drag racing as they relive match racing in its heyday.
After a single season, “We were very pleased with the response to the first full season of Legends Nitro Series,” said Bill Windham, co-promoter and series competitor. “Bringing these cars to national event audiences, and being featured on FOX coverage has brought attention to the category at both staple events and new venues,” he remarked.
“We are pumped up about going to Phoenix and Woodburn for the first time and returning to those tracks where we put on great racing in 2023,” Windham stated.
Legends Nitro Series will have continuing support from Modern Warriors “Your Tactical Specialists,” from KC Turbos, Red Line Synthetic Oil and Boychuk Ventures Inc. The series has added supporters who will be revealed in future announcements. Racers have been prepping their cars to combat inaugural champion Bobby Cottrell, who will be looking to take a second consecutive title in this series. According to the series, he’ll have a host of viable opponents.
The season gets underway the first three days of March, as Famoso Dragstrip suitably hosts the March Meet March 1-3. The second date for this series is at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip for the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, being held March 21-24. Two weeks later, April 5-7, Legends Nitro Series again joins the NHRA Mission Foods professionals at Firebird Motorsports Park for the NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Boise, Idaho’s Firebird Raceway hosts Legends Nitro Series at two of their signature events – the Ignitor Nitro Opener May 17-19 and the Nightfire Nationals, held August 2-4. Between the Idaho races, there’s an eastward trek for back-to-back weekends where the Legends Nitro Series reverberates between the Thunder Valley Raceway mountains during NHRA’s Thunder Valley Nationals, scheduled June 7-9 at Bristol Dragway.
The following weekend, the series intends to build on last year’s record-breaking turnout for the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals presented by Holley, as historic Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, KY hosts the nostalgia Funny Cars June 15-17.
There will be a slight break in the action for this series, which goes on hiatus after Bowling Green, coming back to run, first at Idaho for their second date and then for the inaugural Summer Nationals at Woodburn Dragstrip on August 23-25.
These nostalgia Funny Cars return to Bakersfield the weekend of October 25-27 to race in conjunction with the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals. The schedule concludes on The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the penultimate NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event, October 31-November 3.
To learn more about Legends Nitro Series and to purchase tickets, please visit www.LegendsNitroSeries.com.
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