ROCKINGHAM, N.C. (September 24, 2026) – SCAG Racing heads to Rockingham Dragway this weekend for the inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock, the second race of the six-race Countdown to the Championship.
The historic Rockingham facility will host its first NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series national event as the championship battle continues into the heart of the Countdown. With four SCAG Racing nitro cars set to take on the new facility, the team will look to build on the progress made last weekend at the inaugural NHRA Great Lakes Nationals in Martin, Michigan.
For Justin Ashley and the SCAG Power Equipment Top Fuel team, Rockingham presents another opportunity to continue building momentum during the Countdown.
“We’re excited to take on race two of the Countdown. A new racetrack brings an added layer of curiosity with it, which should make it a unique challenge,” Ashley said. “Tommy, Jason, and the team have been doing a great job getting this Scag Power Equipment dragster dialed in. That’s usually a recipe for success. At this point in the year every run is important. We plan to make the most of each run one day at a time. Looking forward to seeing all of our guests, partners, and dealers.”
Bluebird Turf Top Fuel driver Will Smith enters the weekend after a strong performance in Michigan, where he continued to post career-best numbers and showed the progress his team has made throughout his first full-time NHRA season.
“I’m really excited to head to Rockingham this weekend and see NHRA bring nitro racing back to such a historic facility,” said Smith. “It’s always exciting to be part of something new, and I think this is going to be a great event for the fans, our sport, and everyone involved.
“We’re coming off a really strong weekend in Michigan, where the Bluebird Turf team showed just how much progress we’ve made. We put together some great runs, had career-best performances, and proved that the hard work Glen, Scotty, Nicky, and the entire team have been putting in is really starting to show. We know there’s still more in this car, and our goal is to keep building on what we learned in Michigan, continue getting faster, and keep moving this team forward.
“One of the things I’m most looking forward to this weekend is having our SCAG dealers and customers with us. They’re such an important part of what we do and the reason we are able to do so, and getting to share these race weekends with them and put on a good show is something our entire team takes a lot of pride in. We’re ready to get to Rockingham, have some fun, and see what this Bluebird Turf dragster can do.”
In Funny Car, Daniel Wilkerson and the SCAG Power Equipment Ford Funny Car team will look to carry the momentum from a productive weekend in Michigan into Rockingham. Wilkerson made consistent runs at US 131 Motorsports Park and enters the weekend with data he hopes will translate into strong performance at The Rock.
“I am always excited to get to a new venue and meet new people,” said Wilkerson. “Last weekend was awesome, we got to meet some dedicated fans, and introduced a lot of SCAG dealers to the world of nitro drag racing. I expect more of the same this weekend.
“Plus, I’m thinking we got all of our bad luck out of the way this morning as we scrambled to get a loaner big truck after we had one hauler break down on its way out. After making four really solid runs at Martin we have good data to work with, so I expect some runs in the 80s this weekend and a really good shot at our first (but not our last) diamond Wally.”
Dave Richards will return behind the wheel of the Bluebird Turf/Versatran Funny Car, looking to continue making progress with the team and Aaron Brooks, his new crew chief.
“I’m pretty excited to get to Rockingham and see what this place is all about,” said Richards. “It’s a new track for us, so there’s going to be a little bit of figuring it out, but that’s part of the fun. Hopefully we can get there, make some good runs and not have to learn too many lessons the hard way. It’s also always cool having the SCAG dealers and customers out there. We always try to do our best for them and make them proud. I’m ready to get the weekend going and see what we can do.”
The weekend begins with two rounds of nitro qualifying Friday at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., followed by two more qualifying sessions Saturday at noon and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Qualifying coverage will be on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on FS1, with eliminations airing from 3 to 6 p.m. ET on FS1.
