2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series

The 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Season was announced on May 14, 2019.[1]

2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season
LeagueNHRA
SportDrag racing
ChampionsTBA

It is the 65th season of the National Hot Rod Association's top drag racing competition. On March 25, 2020 and again on May 5 2020, the schedule was revised after the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be 18 Top Fuel and Funny Car events, 16 NHRA Pro Stock events (with three Non-Championship Mountain Motor Formula events), and 14 Pro Stock Motorcycle events.[2]

Schedule

Schedule released June 3, 2020. Schedule is pending further revisions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 NHRA Mello Yello Schedule[3]
Date Race Site TV Winners
Top Fuel Funny Car Pro Stock PS Motorcycle
Feb 6–9 60th Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com Pomona, CA FS1* Doug Kalitta (1) Jack Beckman (1) Jeg Coughlin, Jr. (1) N/A
Feb 21–23 NHRA Arizona Nationals Chandler, AZ FS1* Steve Torrence (1) Tommy Johnson, Jr. (1) Erica Enders (1) N/A
July 11-12 E3 Spark Plug NHRA Nationals Brownsburg, IN Fox
July 17-19 Lucas Oil Raceway Brownsburg, IN Fox N/A N/A
Aug 7-9[4] Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil Morrison, CO Fox MM
Aug 13–16 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Brainerd, MN FS1 MM N/A
Aug 21-23 Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals presented by Minties Topeka, KS FS1* N/A
Aug 28-30 Southern Nationals Commerce, GA FS1 MM N/A
Sep 3-6 Denso Spark Plugs NHRA U.S. Nationals Brownsburg, IN Fox
Sep 11-13 Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil Mohnton, PA FS1
Sep 17-20 NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals 4 Lanes Concord, NC FS1
Mar 12–Sep 27 GVL Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville, FL FS1
Oct 2–4 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals Madison, IL FS1*
Oct 9-11 NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals 2R Bristol, TN FS1
Oct 15–18 AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals Ennis, TX FS2
Oct 23-25 Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil Baytown, TX FS1*
Oct 29 – Nov 1 Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil Las Vegas, NV FS1
Nov 12–15 Auto Club NHRA Finals Pomona, CA FS1

All races scheduled starting July 9 (when the season is scheduled to return after the COVID-19 pandemic) will be held with only two rounds of qualifying, except Charlotte (four lanes). No Friday qualifying for races after the restart except Charlotte.

* Finals televised on tape delay. Ennis, TX race broadcast tentatively set for FS2 because of the 2020 Major League Baseball Playoffs. Dates and times yet to be determined.

MM Pro Stock Car at this event is a non-championship race featuring the Mountain Motor formula, which has no engine displacement limit, can use carburetors or electronic fuel injection, and weighs a minimum of 2,450 pounds, compared to the NHRA Pro Stock formula that features electronic fuel injection, a 500ci (8193cc) engine displacement limit, and 2,350 pounds weight. All two-lane Mountain Motor races will feature eight-car fields.[5]


Additional Rules for Specially Marked Races

4 Lanes: The Charlotte race will compete with cars on four lanes.

  • All cars will qualify on each lane as all four lanes will be used in qualifying.
  • Three rounds with cars using all four lanes.
  • In Rounds One and Two, the top two drivers (of four) will advance to the next round.
  • The pairings are set as follows:
    • Race One: 1, 8, 9, 16
    • Race Two: 4, 5, 12, 13
    • Race Three: 2, 7, 10, 15
    • Race Four: 3, 6, 11, 14
    • Semifinal One: Top two in Race One and Race Two
    • Semifinal Two: Top two in Race Three and Race Four
    • Finals: Top two in Semifinal One and Semifinal Two
  • Lane choice determined by times in previous round. In first round, lane choice determined by fastest times.
  • Drivers who advance in Rounds One and Two will receive 20 points for each round advancement.
  • In Round Three, the winner of the race will be declared the race winner and will collect 40 points. The runner-up will receive 20 points. Third and fourth place drivers will be credited as semifinal losers.

GVL: Event started March 12 with some classes finishing on the 14th. Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Stock, Stock, and Competition Eliminator classes, which had started, were allowed to finish behind closed doors. The NHRA postponed the Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Modified, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and Factory Stock Showdown classes to September 25-27.

MM: Pro Stock Car at this event is a non-championship race with the Mountain Motor formula. At St. Louis, both NHRA Formula and Mountain Motor will race.

Schedule changes

Removed and Merged Events

The NHRA removed three races from and merged two races from the original NHRA schedule when the season was suspended during the Gainesville Raceway event as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These events include the following:

Merged

Two venues with two events each had their schedules reduced to one race. In each instance, the date during the suspension was removed.

Cancelled

Seven venues lost their NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events entirely during the 2020 season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:

Event changes

Races in Charlotte and St. Louis have switched weekends for this year.[1] Scheduling changes made primarily to avoid NASCAR events in some markets.

The only race that does not feature Pro Stock Car will be Indianapolis 2. Last year, Atlanta did not feature either Pro Stock formula. The three rounds that will feature Mountain Motor but not the NHRA Pro Stock class are Denver, Brainerd and Atlanta. St. Louis will feature both NHRA Formula and Mountain Motor.

The NHRA also cancelled the Countdown format owing to the fewer races in 2020.

References
  1. https://www.nhra.com/news/2019/2020-nhra-mello-yello-schedule National Hot Rod Association, NHRA releases 24-race Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule for 2020 season, NHRA Staff, May 14, 2019], Retrieved Feb. 9, 2020.
  2. NHRA.COM Staff. "NHRA announces revised schedule for Mello Yello Drag Racing Series". NHRA.COM. NHRA. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  3. National Hot Rod Association – 2020 Schedule & Results, Retrieved Jun. 2, 2019.
  4. "Mile High Nationals". Bandimere Speedway. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  5. NHRA.COM Staff. "Mountain Motor Pro Stock to compete at four NHRA national events in 2019". NHRA.COM. National Hot Rod Association. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
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