300 MPH Nitro burning drag racing action is coming back to St. Louis for the fourth annual AAA Insurance National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Midwest Nationals – September 25 – 27 at Gateway Motorsports Park for one of the loudest, most exhilarating, heart-pounding weekends in St. Louis motorsports. The event is the 20th of 24 races in the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and the second of six playoff races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Events include:
NHRA Fan Fest, Thursday, September 24, 2015 4pm – 6pm. Mike Shannon’s Steak and Seafood, Free Event
AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, Friday, September 25 – Sunday September 27, 2015 Gateway Motorsports Park
No other sport allows fans to get up close and personal with the athletes like NHRA does. Every ticket is a pit pass and gives every fan direct access to their favorite racers, cars, teams and to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on earth. Fans can watch highly-skilled crews as they crank up their engines and perfect the fastest machines on land. And bring a Sharpie for the readily available autographs and photo opps at every corner. On the Midway, manufacturers and sponsors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, and freebies.
The NHRA Countdown to the Championship will feature all four professional categories: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Drivers in the Countdown to the Championship will be looking to gather all the points they can to this event, as the competition gets tighter and the spirits get more intense in the fight for the 2015 championships. .
The 2014 AAA Midwest Nationals winners at Gateway Motorsports Park include Funny Car driver Courtney Force, Top Fuel driver Antron Brown, Pro Stock driver Dave Connolly (who beat 2012 and 2013 Gateway Motorsports Park winner Erica Enders-Stevens in the semi-finals) and Pro Stock Motorcycle driver Jerry Savoie.
Last year’s win for the 2012 National Top Fuel Champion Brown’s was his fourth win at Gateway Motorsports Park including 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Courtney Force is the daughter of drag racing legend John Force, the Babe Ruth of the drag racing industry. With her run at Gateway Motorsports Park, Courtney Force became the first female to win four Funny Car events in a single season. Courtney Force is officially the winningest female in Funny Car NHRA history.
The AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals will be celebrating all week, with family events for speed lovers of all ages. Among other events, the NHRA Fanfest - massive hot rod party - will be held this year on Thursday, September 25 at Mike Shannon’s Steak and Seafood for the very first time. This free, adrenaline-focused, fan-centered promotional event opens at xx for fans and will run until xx pm including an exclusive opportunity to meet the stars of the NHRA with an autograph session between 5:00pm -6:00pm. A 12:30pm press conference will be held at Shannon’s for the media with lunch to follow. Music, ticket giveaways and games will fill the streets as NHRA fans from across the country pour into St. Louis for three days of racing action.
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 25 - LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying
NHRA J&A SERVICE PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 2:15 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 2:45 and 5:15 p.m.
SATURDAY, Sept. 26 - LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations
NHRA J&A SERVICE PRO MOD SERIES qualifying at 1 p.m.; first round of eliminations at 3:45 p.m.
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, Sept. 27 - Pre-race ceremonies, 10 a.m.
MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 11 a.m.
TICKETS: Gateway Motorsports Park is currently selling full event and individual event reserved and general admission tickets, New - Top Eliminator Club tickets, and RV Packages for the NHRA September 26 – 28, 2014 event on www.gatewaymsp.com/NHRA2015 or by calling 618- 215-8888 or 855-RACETIK (855-722-3845)
TELEVISION: Sunday, Sept. 27, ESPN2 will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 3 a.m. (ET)
Sunday, Sept. 27, ESPN2 will re-air one hour of qualifying highlights at 2 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 27, ESPN2 will televise three hours and 30 minutes of elimination coverage starting at 8:30 p.m. (ET).
ON THE WEB: Get instant results, access to photos, video and audio clips and the latest news updates from every event on the Internet at www.nhra.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GatewayMSP and Twitter @GatewayMSP and at www.gatewaysmp.com
BACKGROUND: This world-class facility has hosted NHRA events in the past starting in 1997 and featured tight racing with many surprise winners. Drivers in the Countdown to the Championship will be looking to gather all the points they can as including this event there will be only four races remaining before champions are crowned for the 2014 season.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.737 sec. by Antron Brown, Sept. ‘12; 327.74 mph by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ‘13
Funny Car - 4.001 sec. and 320.20 mph by Matt Hagan, Sept. ‘13
Pro Stock - 6.496 sec. and 213.47 mph by Jason Line, Sept. ‘12
PS Motorcycle - 6.769 sec. and 198.58 mph by Hector Arana, Sept. ‘13
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.680 sec. by Antron Brown, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.; 332.75 mph by Spencer Massey, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.
Funny Car - 3.901 sec. by Jack Beckman, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.; 329.58 mph by Matt Hagan, Aug. ‘15, Brainerd, Minn.
Pro Stock - 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May ‘14, Englishtown, N.J.
PS Motorcycle - 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.88 mph by Hector Arana Jr., April ’15, Charlotte, N.C.
The vision for the new Gateway Motorsports Park is to create a racing lifestyle that attracts enthusiasts, professionals, amateurs and car lovers by harnessing the energy and passion of the thousands of racing fans in the heart of the Midwest.
Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering nearly 200 acres, Gateway is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the region, encompassing a ¼ mile NHRA-sectioned drag strip, 1.25 mile NASCAR Speedway, 1.6 mile road course, a state-of-the-art Karting facility and a new 14-acre, multi-purpose dirt off-road venue.
For more information about Gateway Motorsports Park visit www.gatewaymsp.com .
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