NHRA Announces First Lucas Oil Series Doubleheader In History

Perhaps taking a page out of the IHRA’s book of money-saving efforts, the NHRA has announced today the first official doubleheader Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event in its 60-year history, scheduled for the Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, Ariz., the week following the NHRA Arizona Nationals.

This inaugural Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series doubleheader weekend will consist of a standard Division 7 race on Thursday and Friday, February 23-24, followed by a regional Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event that will feature Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car on Saturday and Sunday, February 25-26.

“This format provides a huge benefit to the sportsman racer,” said division director Mike Rice, of NHRA’s Division 7.  “Specifically, it helps reduce travel costs by allowing racers to compete in two races in one weekend. And, for those sportsman racers that decide to race in the NHRA Arizona Nationals the previous weekend, it provides an opportunity to compete in three points events in a 10-day window.  I would like to thank Charlie Allen and his team at Firebird International Raceway for their assistance and willingness to make this concept become a reality for the sportsman racers.”

There has never been an official doubleheader weekend in NHRA history, however, rain reschedules and the like have caused a pair of events to be contested or completed on the same weekend. According to the NHRA press release, if this event is proven successful and a financial benefit to the racers as intended, the doubleheader concept may be utilized more in the future. The IHRA, largely focused on its sportsman program these days, has been employing the divisional doubleheader program for the last handful of years to benefit the racer by combining two races to reduce travel costs, effectively killing two birds with one stone. Anything that genuinely benefits the struggling sportsman racer gets our seal of approval.