2009 Sportsman nationals schedule announced

NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES ON TAP FOR 2009

GLENDORA, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2008) -- NHRA has released the 2009 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule. The Series, which is headlined by the powerful Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes, features 44 races across the country throughout NHRA's seven geographic regions. Competitors in eight classes in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series vie for divisional and national championships and a share of the year-end purse worth more than $560,000.

In addition to the Alcohol-powered categories, the Series also features NHRA's Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street classes. Each division also runs a Top Sportsman and a Top Dragster series in conjunction with their Lucas Oil events, and a Sportsman Motorcycle Series presented by Harley Davidson is contested in selected divisions.

"It's hard to believe that the 2009 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series is already around the corner," said Lucas Oil Products President and CEO Forrest Lucas. "We are so pleased and excited to continue our involvement with NHRA's sportsman racers. They really are the backbone of this sport and we know first-hand what it takes to be involved in drag racing at this level and it's not easy. We truly appreciate every one of those racers who is out there supporting the Lucas Oil Series."

The 2009 schedule also includes three JEGS SPORTSnationals events and the JEGS Allstars Invitational. The SPORTSnationals are designed to highlight NHRA's sportsman racers and give them a national event all their own. They will be run in Belle Rose, La., Fontana, Calif., and Columbus, Ohio. The JEGS Allstars event is the culmination of a year-long points battle where the top points-earning drivers in each class represent his or her division and square off against each other at the NHRA national event at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. The JEGS Allstars purse is worth $100,000.

In addition to giving local racers an opportunity to race for championships close to home, the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series has been a training ground for many drivers in NHRA's POWERade Drag Racing Series. Funny Car racers Jack Beckman and Tony Bartone are among today's pros who have earned national championships in the Lucas Oil Series. Other former Lucas Oil national champions include Pro Stock drivers Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Jason Line, as well as Top Fuel pilot Steve Torrence. Many other current POWERade racers claim divisional titles on their resumes.

-credit: nhra