Positivity, combined with a lot of hard work, breeds positive results, and for the National Hot Rod Association, there’s a lot of positivity going around as the 2016 season roars to life — arguably more than at any point in the last decade and a half. That is, in large part, thanks to a new television agreement with Fox Sports that will present the most compelling and attractive broadcasting package drag racing has seen since the Diamond P and TNN days.

The NHRA, following months of anticipation and build-up, finally got the chance to show the drag racing world what it could do at the season-opening Circle K Internationals at the famed Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, debuting their self-produced coverage on FS1 over the course of three days, and culminating in a live viewing of the professional final rounds on Sunday afternoon. A set of final rounds that, we should add, went off without a hitch.

Perhaps most importantly to disgruntled former viewers of the ESPN drag racing coverage, each of the three programs began on time, as promised, providing hope that finally, drag racing might get a fair shake by a network. And while the Saturday evening qualifying show may have been run at a very ESPN-like hour (in the middle of the night), the broadcasts were, unlike ESPN, re-aired many, many times in the days following the race. In fact, as of this writing more than a week and a half after the Internationals concluded, one can still catch a replay of the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Sportsman show — a definitive improvement from the package the NHRA has operated under for the last 15 years.

The quality and abundance of coverage, in and of itself, is a valuable asset moving forward, providing greater ammunition for race teams as they walk into corporate boardrooms to pitch sponsorship proposals; the mere increase in television time delivering greater return for a potential backer. But even more importantly, 32,000 more viewers tuned in to watch the Winternationals broadcast compared to one year ago, for a five percent net increase in viewership. The 18-49 demographic also increased a full 23 percent year-over-year, showing that the positive vibes extend beyond the walls of the NHRA offices in Glendora, California to the drag racing faithful. Those numbers, while not earth-shattering, delivered an immediate response to series brass that timing is everything — and that taking a chance and walking away from the world’s top sports network for a somewhat unproven new home wasn’t a misguided effort.

One of the most significant changes for those tuning in was the presence of former Funny Car world champion driver Tony Pedregon to the announcers booth, joining Dave Rieff in the seat once occupied by popular driver-turned-television-analyst Mike Dunn. While some sharply criticized the move when it was announced late last year and again with the debut of the FS1-aired coverage last month, the pair got the job done and should only improve with additional camera-time. Maybe in time T-Ped can even win over some of his detractors.

There were, of course, some obvious changes to the end product. Quite noticeable were the digitally-implanted logos of Goodyear and Harley-Davidson on the racing surface, and while annoying to some, we’d say if that’s the small cost to pay for the NHRA to deliver improved television coverage, then have at it. Beyond that, a number of fresh new camera angles provided a brand new perspective, and we were glad to see the super slow-motion footage still a part of the package. The increased inclusion of Lewis Bloom for some historical and statistical pieces are a welcome addition, as are the canned race shop interviews, which give a much more polished — dare we say NASCAR-like — feel to the programming.

At the end of the day, the new television package is a clear improvement for the organization that only stands to improve. The nitro categories, with full fields and race victories, and even a championship garnered over the last several months by drivers who are not from John Force Racing or Don Schumacher Racing, remain at a highly competitive level.

And, with a largely solid string of executive decisions (the Pro Stock debacle being the one swing-and-miss, in our opinion) from new president, Peter Clifford, there’s plenty of reason to believe that the NHRA could finally re-route itself to a more prosperous future. We certainly hope so, because despite the explosive growth of other genres inside of the sport, NHRA remains the mainstream face of legitimate drag racing.