![\"Steve](\"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Steve-Torrence-Pomona1-min-e1646262966414.jpg\")
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The great Wally Parks began the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) more than 70 years ago, in a concentrated effort to take straight-line racing off local streets and onto dedicated race tracks, where both participants and fans could enjoy the opportunity to take their hot rods – and even their daily drivers – down a race track without having to worry about the safety of those around them, and themselves. Oh, and getting busted for street racing.<\/p>\n
That ideology hasn\u2019t left NHRA over the course of seven decades, but the manner in which street vehicles are introduced to the racing environment, and the way they are both produced and enhanced for racing purposes has developed massively over the years.<\/p>\n
To make certain street legal motorsports retains its home in NHRA\u2019s universe, the sanctioning organization has made significant changes to its Street Legal program, in order to continue the primary mission of eliminating the dangerous and illegal practice of street racing, an activity that has become more prevalent in recent years.<\/p>\n
Throughout its history, NHRA has held Street Legal events at member tracks across North America, but felt the need to update and improve the program. \u201cThis couldn\u2019t come at a more crucial time for our industry and sport,\u201d noted Matt DeYoung, track manager at Tucson (AZ) Dragway. \u201cWe continue to see manufacturers make faster vehicles available right off the showroom floor, while increasing features that couldn\u2019t be overlooked anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Working together with its member tracks to improve and grow the Street Legal experience, NHRA believes many of the changes it\u2019s about to enact will grow both grudge racing and NHRA\u2019s Street Legal program, all the while keeping faster OEM cars from taking to the streets and causing unintended issues for non-participants.<\/p>\n
One objective is to allow racers with OEM model-year 2014 and newer production cars to run as quickly as the 9-second mark and\/or 150-mph (or 5.40 in the eighth-mile). For production cars from 2008-2013, the allowable time is 10-seconds and\/or 135-mph (6.40 in the eighth-mile).<\/p>\n
NHRA has decreed the following OEM items must be retained unaltered: antilock brakes, airbag functions, stock frame\/unibody construction (including OEM floors and firewall), together with complete functionality for all other OEM safety-related systems. NHRA\u2019s Street Legal program will permit tires other than OEM, but they have to be DOT-approved.<\/p>\n
Convertible cars and T-tops that are quicker than 13.49 (8.25) for the drop-tops and 11.49 (7.35) for T-tops must meet Summit Racing Series rollbar and roll-cage requirements. Drivers who are running quicker than 10.00 (6.39) or faster than 135-mph must have an NHRA Level 6 license. An NHRA Level 7 competition license is also available to racers whose ETs are above the 10-second mark (6.40).<\/p>\n
NHRA will recognize racers\u2019 on-track performance with distinctive and unique Street Legal decals, available for those who break the 13, 12, 11 and 10-second benchmarks in the quarter-mile and those who break the 9, 8, 7 and 6-second benchmarks on an eighth-mile local track. Racers who break into the 9\u2019s in the quarter-mile and 5\u2019s in an eighth at NHRA member tracks, who submit to NHRA a license application, receive exclusive decals, only available with the Street Legal NHRA competition license.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt NHRA,\u201d said Lonnie Grim, national tech director, \u201cWe very much support OEMs commitment to performance and recognize that there is still a very large market for performance cars. At the same time, we acknowledge that NHRA needs to keep pace with the current trends, which is why we\u2019ve introduced these rules adjustments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder these new guidelines,\u201d Grim continued, \u201cowners of Shelby GT 500, Corvette ZR-1, Dodge Demon, Tesla Plaid, or other high-performance vehicles will have the ability to participate in and enjoy NHRA Street Legal racing events without making extensive modifications to their cars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Street Legal NHRA racing is available for domestic and foreign OE< production-type automobiles and trucks. While NHRA condones the use of aftermarket parts, all of these machines must be street driven and drives have to show state-issued poof of registration and valid insurance information. All vehicles must be equipped with a valid license plate(s) and must be able to pass all state highway safety requirements for the state in which the vehicle is registered.<\/p>\n
Many of NHRA\u2019s Street Legal events feature open time trials and grudge racing only, which allows each participant to make as many passes down the drag strip as possible. And the grudge racing element allows participants to choose their competition instead of participating in an organized eliminator.<\/p>\n
That kind of grudge racing will also find its way into a national event next week, during the 53rd Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Florida. When NHRA\u2019s Camping World Drag Racing Series alights in Florida for the third – of 22 – races this year, there will be a special eight-member race-within-a-race, the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout.<\/p>\n
The eight participants are reigning four-time Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence, 2017 world champ Brittany Force, Phoenix victor Mike Salinas, Pomona winner and 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Ashley, three-time champ and new team owner Antron Brown, nine-time race winner Leah Pruett, 49-time national event winner Doug Kalitta and 2013 Top Fuel titleholder Shawn Langdon. The latter two nabbed their spots last weekend during the Arizona NHRA Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park.<\/p>\n
This Saturday-only event will feature a first round late Saturday morning, March 12, with semifinals to follow at 1:30. The final round is scheduled for 3:15PM and is part of FOX\u2019s live Saturday broadcast.<\/p>\n
The unique aspect of this event within the Gatornationals is the aspect of calling out the competition. Starting with Torrence, the driver gets the first selection of the seven remaining participants, followed by Force (if she\u2019s not chosen by Torrence) until all match-ups are set. Torrence isn\u2019t giving away his intentions in the week leading up to this event:<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to let everyone think about it for a week or two, and then I\u201dm going to tell you who it\u2019s going to be (in Gainesville),\u201d the Texan said. \u201cThere\u2019s no weak competition, so it\u2019s going to be pretty stout. It\u2019s going to be pretty cool to watch. We\u2019re going to try to do our jobs, but we\u2019ve got our work cut out for us,\u201d Torrence admitted.<\/p>\n
After the first round, the driver with the quickest winning run gets to call out their semifinal opponent, which automatically locks in the second matchup. The new Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout is the first time that unique twist has taken place in an NHRA Camping World specialty race; the rest of the field can\u2019t wait to see how it goes down in Gainesville. While most of these eight drivers already are known for intra-class rivalries, \u201cThe callout gives it an edge, m makes it exciting and, I think, you\u2019ll see some rivalries for sure,\u201d said Force. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to cut lights and you better have your \u2018A\u2019 game, or you\u2019re going to be left behind,\u201d added Salinas.<\/p>\n
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