NHRA announced its 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule as part of a whirlwind of announcements and activities at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis on the eve of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals presented by Auto-Plus at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
Highlighting the 2013 schedule is the inaugural NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., June 20-23. The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series' visit to the Northeast marks a process of more than a decade in the making, which NHRA says positions it as offering the most geographically diverse schedule of any major motorsports series in the country.
The six-race 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, NHRA's playoffs, kicks off in the fall with four consecutive weeks of racing: the NHRA Nationals in Charlotte, N.C. (Sept. 13-15); the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals in Dallas (Sept. 19-22); the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis (Sept. 27-29); and Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals in Reading, Pa. (Oct. 3-6).
The season concludes out west with the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas (Oct. 24-27) and returns to where it all began for the season finale with the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Nov. 7-10).
The Pro Stock Motorcycle class will compete in a 16-race schedule, with six of those races in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
ESPN2 will once again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis, of all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events featuring action from qualifying rounds on Saturday and Sunday's race.
2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
53rd annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals, Feb. 14-17
Pomona, Calif.
29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, Feb. 22-24
Phoenix, Ariz.
44th annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals, March 14-17
Gainesville, Fla. (PSM)
14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5-7
Las Vegas, Nev.
Fourth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 19-21
Charlotte, N.C.
26th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals, April 26-28
Houston, Texas (PSM)
33rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, May 3-5
Atlanta, Ga. (PSM)
25th annual NHRA Kansas Nationals, May 17-19
Topeka, Kan.
44th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals, May 30 – June 2
Englishtown, N.J. (PSM)
13th annual Ford NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 14-16
Bristol, Tenn.
Inaugural NHRA New England Nationals, June 20-23
Epping, N.H.
16th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, June 27-30
Chicago, Ill. (PSM)
Seventh annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, July 4-7
Norwalk, Ohio (PSM)
34th annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 19-21
Denver, Colo. (PSM)
26th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 26-28
Sonoma, Calif. (PSM)
26th annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals, Aug. 2-4
Seattle, Wash.
32nd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Aug. 15-18
Brainerd, Minn. (PSM)
59th annual NHRA U.S. Nationals, Aug. 28 – Sept. 2
Indianapolis (PSM)
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship
Sixth annual NHRA Nationals, Sept. 13-15
Charlotte, N.C. (PSM)
28th annual AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals, Sept. 19-22
Dallas, Texas (PSM)
Second annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, Sept. 27-29
St. Louis, Mo. (PSM)
29th annual Auto-Plus NHRA Nationals, Oct. 3-6
Reading, Pa. (PSM)
13th annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals, Oct. 24-27
Las Vegas, Nev. (PSM)
49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov. 7-10
Pomona, Calif. (PSM)
PSM: Event will include Pro Stock Motorcycle