Track Sales, Shuffling Crew Chiefs and More Mark End of the Race Year
The 2025 Performance Racing Industry Show hosted the year’s end of changes in the race industry, but they kept coming even after the show ended. Check out the round up of upheaval and upcoming anniversaries!
December in the racing world is for parts shuffling, team announcements and changes to sanctioning bodies. As the [primarily] US-based Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Indianapolis revealed, there are serious volleys being waged between the – now – premier sanctioning bodies for straight-line racing. Both NHRA, which is celebrating 75 years of existence in its upcoming season, and IHRA, which has pretty much opened its own crypt and climbed out, are in active competition to see which tracks they can assume and how to they suffocate the other.
It’s not an unusual tale, by any means. Sanctions looking to appeal to the same groups of racers are always upping the ante to compete. Whether purchasing new tracks, as IHRA did last week when it bought the Reading, PA-adjacent Maple Grove Raceway from the Koretsky family that rescued the track from demolition a bit more than three years ago, or changing venues when IHRA’s purchase was announced and NHRA felt the need to find a new track for the opening of its six-race Countdown to the Championship playoff series at Michigan’s U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, the action was fierce and the continuing reverberations are plentiful.
But there was more. A lot more. Paul Lee, who earned his first Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series winner’s trophy at Arizona this year and worked through the 20-race season to finish within the top 10 and compete in the six-race Countdown to the Championship in Funny Car, has lost both of his crew chiefs that helped Lee to his sixth-place overall result for 2025. Jonnie Lindberg is now with John Force Racing, assisting Mike “Zippy” Neff as he tunes Alexis DeJoria’s Chevrolet SS in 2026. John Medlen will join Brian Corradi as co-crew chiefs for Antron Brown. The latter hasn’t been formally announced yet, but there are confirmations that this is occurring, particularly when mentioned to the driver/owner, whose eyebrows raised appreciably. Brown announced the appointment of partnership specialist Kevin Contardo to lead sponsor relations next year.
Aaron Brooks has packed his suitcase and will now be working with Dave Richards’ Bluebird Turf Funny Car team in 2026, as SCAG Racing ups its game in NHRA’s anniversary season. Todd Smith is now co-crew chief at Kalitta Motorsports with Dickie Venables, working to turn around 2018 champion J.R. Todd’s tough 2025 campaign, which saw the driver mired in 11th place once the finale was canceled in Pomona. Smith had charge of Jack Beckman’s flopper when that driver secured the 2012 Funny Car championship.
During PRI’s three days of news, NHRA released its full category schedule, now changed of course due to the sale of Maple Grove and NHRA’s subsequent move to Michigan for its initial playoff race. In its 75th season, NHRA has announced purse increases of almost 15 percent for Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors, together with a 33-percent increase for Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car regional championship purses – for every one of its seven regions. Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car will race 13 times in 2026.
Racing is all about numbers. Just before the annual NHRA “prom” in Temecula, CA, it was announced that 16-time Funny Car champion John Force and six-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson became the first two members of the 1000 Round Win Club, receiving custom embroidered tuxedo jackets as well as framed certificates of membership into this truly exclusive club. “Turning on 1000 win lights is a testament to more than just longevity,” said Elon Werner, Werner Communications founder. “It represents dominance, excellence and perseverance. I was present,” he noted, “at the top end for each of these drivers to achieve this milestone. I will never forget the emotion and sense of accomplishment John and Greg exhibited.”
Force achieved his milestone in 2008 and eventually earned 1,460 round wins as a professional in straight-line racing before his retirement prior to the rained-out finals in Pomona a month ago. Anderson joined Force when he turned on his 1,000th round win light in June at Bristol Dragway; the KB Titan Racing team leader has added to that total and now holds 1,022 round wins through the close of the 2025 campaign.
Elite Motorsports, the largest professional drag racing team in NHRA has confirmed Sander Racing Wheels as its newest partner, supplying wheels for all of Elite’s entries: the group includes Pro Stock’s six-time world champion Erica Enders, five-time door-slammer champ Jeg Coughlin Jr., the Top Fuel dragster for 2024 NHRA Rookie of the Year Tony Stewart and the team’s growing Pro Mod program, headlined by Mason Wright.
NHRA’s affiliation with Holley is increasing, with a variety of new programs for this 75th anniversary season in 2026. The company’s affiliation with Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors includes the Sportsman Racer Appreciation presented by Holley, which takes place at this year’s season opener, the 57th annual Gatornationals. The Best Losing Package presented by Holley will be awarded at each national event’s opening round in Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Super Stock and Stock. Best Losing Package in each class goes to the car making the best mathematical run relative to its index/dial-in and reaction time, albeit in a losing effort.
The industry leader in fuel-system design, Holley continues to offer the Holley EFI Never Rest Award, honoring racers who overcome adversity to compete and perform at NHRA national events. “It’s our goal to continue to build relationships and create programs that give back to the sportsman racers,” said Dan Walters, Holley senior director, safety and racing. “We wanted to be creative with these programs and we look forward to working with the sportsman competitors next season.
NHRA’s 75th anniversary season will feature diamond Wally trophies for all series that were on display on the sanction’s elevated stage throughout the three-day Performance Racing Industry show. The trophies were adorned by medals awarded to every winner. But that’s only the beginning of the 75th anniversary campaign: there will be commemorative fan tickets, with each of the 20 races celebrating a unique special moment at the track. NHRA is honoring legends at every circuit, including Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Don Prudhomme, John Force, Kenny Bernstein, Joe Amato and many more making appearances.
NHRA will name its top 75 racers during the 2026 season, with the list becoming available in book form, together with a 75th anniversary coffee table book and 74th anniversary website. VICE TV will have a six-part docuseries premiering January 21, with a new episode each week leading into the 57th Gatornationals that start the season in early March. There’s also a new NHRA mobile game that will be released early next year, allowing virtual nitro, classic car racing. Of course this anniversary wouldn’t be complete without appropriate merch and apparel. There’s a fan vote to celebrate the most memorable moments of NHRA’s first 75 years.
Several years ago, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES had massive exposure at PRI. These days the open-wheel series that is centered in the Indianapolis area has been absent from the show. The few exceptions are the annual display of both Scott Dixon’s and Alex Palou’s pair of Chip Ganassi Racing Honda-powered Dallara cars – representing a total of 10 INDYCAR championships – and suppliers’ wares. Both cars were on-site this year, while the Ganassi team announced Sunoco of the primary partner to Kyffin Simpson’s No. 8 Dallara/Honda.
After a pair of disastrous cheating episodes the past season and a half, INDYCAR has decided to go with independent officiating for the 2026 and, hopefully beyond. A three-man independent officiating board comprised of team-owner choices former NASCAR crew chief and team owner Ray Evernham and Raj Nair, former Ford Motor Co. North American president, together with FIA-appointed Ronan Morgan, will be responsible for full officiating oversight, including the hiring of race control personnel and INDYCAR technical inspection. The three are responsible fore enforcing rulebooks for both the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT. They will select a managing director of officiating (MDO and establish the operating budget for their group, known as INDYCAR Officiating Inc..
NHRA isn’t the only racing entity celebrating a milestone season in 2026: Team Penske marks 60 years of open wheel, sports car and stock car racing, together with the team’s forays into Formula One. Started as a small sports car operation, Team Penske has evolved into one of the most successful teams in racing history. “Our 60th anniversary is a tremendous milestone for our organization,” said Roger Penske. “The 2026 season will give us the opportunity to celebrate the people, partners and fans who have helped shape Team Penske since 1966, while also looking ahead to the future.”
Team Penske will introduce a refreshed anniversary identity that will appear on all its race cars, uniforms, digital platforms and merch. The team will also elevate its Hall of Fame program for the 2026 season, recognizing individuals whose leadership, ingenuity and dedication have contributed to the team’s success. There will be displays at NASCAR’s Charlotte, NC Hall of Fame, featuring historic race cars, championship memorabilia and rarely-seen artifacts from Team Penske’s archives. The Penske Gallery at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Museum will have anniversary displays as well the Penske Racing Museum in Scottsdale, AZ.
FOX Sports, which bought into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES has announced race broadcast start times for both the INDYCAR and INDY NXT series. The one-third owner of the series will show all 127 races on broadcast television, the sole American premier race sanction with all North American contests on network TV. The 2026 campaign does intersect with the FIFA World Cup, with the footballers serving as lead-in or follow-up to many of the mid-summer events. The INDY NXT race broadcast start times for its 17 contests, with events on FS1 and FS2, are shown below.
|
FOX SPORTS’ 2026 INDY NXT BY FIRESTONE RACE COVERAGE SCHEDULE:
| Date | Venue | TV | Time (ET) |
| Sunday, March 1 | Streets of St. Petersburg | FS1 | 10 a.m. |
| Sunday, March 15 | Streets of Arlington | FS1 | 11 a.m. |
| Saturday, March 28 | Barber Motorsports Park Race 1 | FS1 | 1 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 29 | Barber Motorsports Park Race 2 | FS1 | 11 a.m. |
| Friday, May 8 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 1 | FS2 | 4 p.m. |
| Saturday, May 9 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course Race 2 | FS1 | 2:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, May 31 | Streets of Detroit | FS1 | 10:30 a.m. |
| Sunday, June 7 | World Wide Technology Raceway | FS1 | 5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, June 20 | Road America Race 1 | FS1 | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, June 21 | Road America Race 2 | FS1 | Noon |
| Saturday, July 4 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 1 | FS1 | 1 p.m. |
| Sunday, July 5 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race 2 | FS1 | 10 a.m. |
| Sunday, July 19 | Nashville Superspeedway | FS1 | TBA |
| Sunday, Aug. 9 | Portland International Raceway | FS1 | 2 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 30 | Milwaukee Mile | FS1 | 11 a.m. |
| Saturday, Sept. 5 | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 1 | FS2 | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Sept. 6 | WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Race 2 | FS1 | 12:30 p.m. |
Note: Dates and times are subject to change.