It’s really hard to quantify just how big of a deal the U.S. Nationals is within the drag racing world. NHRA racers from every corner of the world come to Indy to try and be the last person standing on Monday. There’s just something magical about racing on Labor Day, and those who survive the six-day drag racing battle that is The Big Go cherish that victory for a lifetime.

Indy is very prestigious for sportsman racers, especially those who run Stock or Super Stock. The class eliminations that are run on Thursday during the U.S. Nationals is a true test of how fast a racer really is. Basically, racers in Stock and Super Stock run heads up against other racers within their designated class. Winning class at Indy is like winning the Super Bowl, Stanely Cup, NBA Finals, and World Series.

There’s also other cool sportsman specialty races that are contested at the U.S. Nationals. For the SS/AH cars, the Sox & Martin HEMI Challenge presented by the McCandless Collection is run. You can learn more about the HEMI Challenge here. The Competition Eliminator racers also have their own race, the RoofTec Comp Eliminator Cash Clash. This event features the top 16 Comp Eliminator racers who square off for a cool $30,000 payday.

For the NHRA Mission Foods Series pro racers, the U.S. Nationals is THE race you want to win. The history that surrounds Indy for these classes is so deep. Teams come to Indy ready to move mountains just to make the field. Careers and legends have been made from winning at the U.S. Nationals.

We spent a few days at the 70^th Annual U.S. Nationals, check out our gallery and get just a taste of what The Big Go is really like.