Wed, 16 Sep 2015, 20:16 PM JEGS Northern Sportsnationals to Showcase NHRA Lucas Oil Series

Courtesy of NHRA Field Marketing

HEBRON, Ohio - NHRA will showcase the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competitors at the last of three JEGS SPORTSnationals events taking place this year when National Trail Raceway hosts the eleventh annual JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals, Sept. 18-20. Featured are drivers in eight NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series categories, who will vie for valuable points leading to divisional and national championships.

The JEGS NHRA Northern SPORTSnationals boasts a guaranteed purse of nearly $65,000 with an additional $300,000 up for grabs in contingency postings. Competing classes include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock Eliminator, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. NHRA Lucas Oil Series national event points will be awarded to drivers in all categories except Super Street. The event will also include the division's popular Brodix/Steve Schmidt Top Sportsman and Spitzer Race Cars Top Dragster categories that, along with Super Street.

Along with opening day qualifying and time trails action on the quarter mile, the event kicks off with the Central Ohio Ford Dealers Youth Career Day on Friday morning, Sept. 18. The career day brings more than 1000 high school and vocational tech students to the track to learn about the various careers in motorsports through guest speakers and displays from various tech schools and companies involved in motorsports.

While the focus of the event will be on competition in the core NHRA Sportsman categories, Saturday's action will include the Moser Sportsman Shootout along with class eliminations in Stock and Super Stock.

NHRA reintroduced the SPORTSnationals eleven years ago at No Problem Raceway Park in Belle Rose, La., to rave reviews from racers and spectators. Prior to that, NHRA had hosted the SPORTSnationals from 1974-1986 at a trio of tracks, including Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Ky., (1974-'80; 1985-'86), the old Houston International Raceway (1981-'82) and Lucas Oil Raceway (1983-'84).

The JEGS NHRA Cajun SPORTSnationals held in March at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La., was the first of the three events planned for the year and was followed by JEGS NHRA Pacific SPORTSnationals at Auto Club Dragway at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., back in May.

TICKETS: General admission tickets for the JEGS Northern SPORTSnationals are $15 Friday, $20 Saturday and $15 Sunday. Children 6 to 12 years old are $5 each day, kids 5 and under are admitted free with paid adult and every ticket includes a pit pass. For ticket information, contact National Trail Raceway at (740) 928-5706 or visit www.NHRA.com or www.NationalTrailRaceway.com.

JEGS NHRA NORTHERN SPORTSnationals FACT SHEET

WHAT: Eleventh annual JEGS NHRA NORTHERN SPORTSnationals, a national event exclusively for NHRA Sportsman competitors in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series. Sportsman competitors in eight categories will be featured in competition, with seven of those categories earning points leading to 2015 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series world championships. Featured NHRA Lucas Oil Series categories include Comp Eliminator, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas and Super Street. The Spitzer Race Cars Top Dragster and Brodix/Steve Schmidt Top Sportsman classes will also run at the event.

WHERE: National Trail Raceway, Hebron, Ohio. 2650 National Road, SW, Hebron; approximately 20 miles east of Columbus on old U.S. Highway 40, one mile north of Interstate 70 at the Kirkersville exit. From Columbus, take I-70 to Highway 158 north and follow the signs, or take I-70 to Highway 37 north to U.S. Highway 40 and follow the signs.

WHEN: Friday through Sunday, September 18-20, 2015.

PURSE: Posted purse of nearly $65,000, plus over $300,000 in contingency postings.

SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, Sept. 18 - Qualifying and time trials, 10 a.m.
CENTRAL OHIO FORD DEALERS YOUTH CAREER DAY, 8 a.m. - noon
TOP DRAGSTER/TOP SPORTSMAN/COMP ELIMINATOR Qualifying at 4 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 19 -- Qualifying and time trials, 8 a.m.
STOCK / SUPER STOCK CLASS Eliminations at 8:30 a.m.
MOSER SPORTSMAN SHOOTOUT at 1 p.m.
TOP DRAGSTER Qualifying at 1:30 and 4 p.m.
TOP SPORTSMAN Qualifying at 2 and 4:30 p.m.
COMP ELIMINATOR Qualifying at 2:30 and 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 20
FINAL ELIMINATIONS begin at 8 a.m.
JR. DRAGSTER Time Trials at 10:30 a.m.
COMP ELIMINATOR/TOP DRAGSTER/ TOP SPORTSMAN round 1 begins at 11 a.m.
WINNER'S CIRCLE at 5 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENTS: Moser Sportsman Shootout and Stock/Super Stock Class Racing - Saturday.

TICKETS: For tickets contact National Trail Raceway, (740) 928-5706 or visit www.NationalTrailRaceway.com

GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $15, Children (6-12), $5; Saturday: Adult, $20, Children (6-12), $5; Sunday: Adult, $15, Children (6-12), $5; Children 5 and under, free with a paid adult.

DEFENDING WINNERS: Rick Brown (Comp); Dan Fletcher (Super Stock); Michael Beard (Stock); Edmond Richardson (Super Comp); Troy Coughlin Jr. (Super Gas); Bo Butner (Super Street); Bob Mandell Jr. (Top Sportsman); Phillip Oakley (Top Dragster)

ABOUT THE TRACK:
National Trail Raceway started out as a 320-acre facility built by Clark Rader Sr., along with sons Clark Jr. and Ben, in the fall of 1963. At that time it was the fifth largest of its kind in the United States. In 1972 the Rader family expanded and improved the facility and allowing them to play host for the first time to the Springnationals.

In 1996, the NHRA purchased the track, bringing an end to the Rader era. NHRA has made significant improvements to the historic facility including the addition of the three-level timing tower and corporate suites, a TV production area, asphalt-covered pit areas and staging lanes, concrete guard walls that run the entire length of the racing surface and an extensive drainage system to control water runoff.