Nitro, Tire Smoke, And History: The U.S. Nationals In Pictures

There are drag racing events, and then there’s the U.S. Nationals. If you’ve ever been to “The Big Go,” you understand the weight of that statement. No other event stacks up against the prestige and history the U.S. Nationals brings to the table.

For a racer, getting to make a rip down Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is special anytime, but if you’re fortunate enough to do it during the U.S. Nationals, it’s just different. The smell of tire smoke and nitro just seems a little sweeter at Indy.

No two U.S. Nationals are ever alike. They all have different kinds of excitement, and there’s always a fresh big moment being created. This year, it was the pageantry of the NHRA’s 75th anniversary, the heat, and the drama of nitro racers trying to crack the 16-car fields. Oh, then there were the regular season championships that all had to be decided on race day.

Dragzine sent Kaitlyn Ward from KW Photography to the U.S. Nationals with one mission: capture the magic. As you can see from the gallery she turned in, she did just that, and now we get to share that magic with you.

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