Greg Anderson NHRA Pro Stock

(Image/Autoweek)

There will be eight-car Pro Stock fields, instead of the customary 16, at certain NHRA events next year following NHRA’s decision this week to restrict the number of Pro Stock competitors at nine of 24 races scheduled for the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

“As the sanctioning body, NHRA is charged with making decisions that are in the best interests of the sport of drag racing,” said Graham Light, NHRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, in a statement. “Low participation and interest forces us to evaluate the resources being devoted to the category in light of the indicators trending downward.”

The change in field size is designed to boost competition and renew interest in NHRA Pro Stock racing—suggesting the smaller fields will bring more excitement to qualifying.

The scheduled NHRA events with eight-car Pro Stock fields will be Houston, Topeka, Epping, Englishtown, Bristol, Denver, Sonoma, Seattle, and Brainered, NHRA officials said.

According to Dragzine, not even half of the 21 NHRA events so far in 2017 had full Pro Stock fields.

“We hope this change in field size at selected events will help increase excitement and fan interest,” said NHRA president Peter Clifford.

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