The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is a drag racing series organized by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). This is the NHRA's top competition series, which consists of competitions in four classes, including Top Fuel Dragster, Cute Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Motorbike.
The champions of each category are determined by the points system in which points are awarded according to the final placement and the qualifying effort. Season divided into two segments. After the first 18 races, the Big 10 of each pro category is locked and competing in the last six races with very minimized point difference.
Video NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
History
The series has four main professional classes: Top Fuel Dragster, Cute Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycles. Top Fuel was the first category, with Funny Cars added in 1966, Pro Stock four years later and Pro Stock Motorcycles in 1987. Both Top Fuel and Funny Cars regularly see top speeds of over 300 miles per hour (480 km/h) today, and a thousand feet times anywhere from 3.70 to 4 seconds. Both of these cars burn fuel consisting of 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol. The Pro Stocks record is 214 miles per hour (344 km/h), with frequent times in the range of 6.4-6.7 seconds and Pro Motorcycle Pro usually runs at 190 Ã, mph (310Ã, km/h), with time at low 7- to 6-second high range. Top Fuel (designation of class: AA/D top fuel dragster) and Fuel Funny Car (class designation: AA/FC top fuel coupe) recently limited to 1,000 feet (300 m) track, instead of 1/4 historic mile [1,320 foot (402 m)], as a means to limit the top speed and increase security (there are a number of engine explosions at or near 300 mph resulting in driver injuries and deaths). Currently, driver and audience safety has been improved even as top speed often approaches and exceeds 300 mph.
Some of the popular racers to come through the series include "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, and Shirley Muldowney. All three gained much attention from the 1960s through the 1970s with their speed and personality, a rare combination today through the correctness of sponsorship politics in today's drivers. Still there are colorful characters today, such as the 16-time John Force Cars World Champion. His daughter, 2007 Rookie of the Year Ashley Force Hood has appeared on Good Morning America and The Tonight Show and was selected as AOL's Hottest Female Athlete in 2007.
On July 2, 2008, after the death of the driver of the Funny Cars Scott Kalitta, NHRA announced that the race distance for Fuel and Funny Cars would temporarily be reduced to 1,000 feet from a traditional 1/4 mile (1320 ft) range. The measure is meant to be temporary while the security solution is explored; However, the race has remained at 1000 feet since Kalitta's death. Though unpopular with the fans, the distance remains at 1,000 feet today at the request of the team as a cost-effective measure, without any indication by NHRA officials of any intention to return to the full quarter mile format in the near future. By the end of 2012, 1,000 ft of racing became recognized globally as the FIA ​​2012 European title in Top Fuel became a 1,000-foot championship, as Santa Pod and Hockenheim (the last two quarter quarter nitro strips) made the switch, and Australian nitro racing switched to a distance of 1,000 feet only for the selected track.
Countdown
Beginning with the 2007 season, NHRA implemented a playoff system to determine champions in each class, billed as Countdown to The Championship . Each season is divided into two racial segments, with most races forming the first segment, and the final event forming the second segment. After the first segment is complete, drivers in each class at or above the cutoff point in the standings (8 places to 2007 and 10 places thereafter) become eligible for the championship, while drivers below the cutoff point are eliminated from the championship bout, though they still participate in the remaining race events. Points for advanced drivers are adjusted back so that they are separated by a fixed margin, with the first place receiving bonus points. Drivers then compete for the championship during the final race of the season.
Maps NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Sponsor title
Winston cigarettes were the main sponsor of the series from 1975 to 2001, when the conditions of the Main Settlement Agreement required Winston to drop his sponsor from NHRA, or NASCAR Winston Cup Series; Winston chose to retain NASCAR sponsorship. Winston ended their sponsorship with NASCAR two years later. The Coca-Cola Company has held the title sponsorship rights for the series, based on an agreement that, in 2012, is extended to 2018. From 2001 to 2008, the series was branded with Powerade brand company, before switching to Full Throttle in 2009. 2013, following the recent sponsorship extension of Coca-Cola, the title sponsor was changed to Mello Yello.
With Mello Yello after introducing a new logo, NHRA launched a new logo for the series in January 2016, as well as a new "My NHRA" marketing campaign played on the logo to show drivers and other personalities that discuss what NHRA means to them.
Champions
Prior to 1974, the champions of the season were determined by World Finals winners. The Professional category includes Fuel, Funny Cars, Pro Stock (Mobil), and Pro Pro Motorcycles.
With driver
Broadcasting
NHRA events have been broadcast on television, with such attempts since 1985. In the 1990s, events split between ESPN, NBC, and The Nashville Network. TNN also broadcast the weekly spotlight program, NHRA Today . Due to logistical and scheduling issues, including the possibility of long turnaround time between heat, weather delay, and other factors, events are usually broadcast in solid form via tape delays. From 1992 to 2000, TNN performed live coverage of selected finals, usually with condensed packs into the air until the finals began.
In 2001, NHRA entered into an agreement with ESPN to become an exclusive announcer of the NHRA event, shortly after MTV Networks had effectively shut down CBS motorsport operations after the acquisition of CBS Cable, and the death of TNN. For 14 years in charge, ESPN faced criticism over the structure and scheduling of its coverage. Due to a scheduling conflict with another sporting property that holds its rights, ESPN typically broadcasts its NHRA coverage in inconsistent and unwanted time spots. In the final years of the contract, NHRA attempted to organize selected events so that they could be broadcast live; in the 2015 season, at least six shows were broadcast live.
In July 2015, ESPN and NHRA agreed to terminate the contract one year earlier, with the association citing the ESPN scheduling problem as a problem. In turn, NHRA announced a new television deal with Fox Sports beginning in the 2016 season. Coverage mainly aired on FS1 and FS2 cable channels, while 4 events per season were broadcast on Fox (including U.S. citizens). Fox is committed to broadcast live coverage on Sunday from at least 16 out of 23 events per season, two-hour qualifying broadcasts and encore (including NHRA's highlights program at 30 ), and coverage of the selected Sports Series event. NHRA President Peter Clifford explained that the deal would be a "game-changer" for the association, citing Fox's history of motor sports programs, as well as his commitment to increasing the coverage of NHRA events, including live network television coverage.
During the first two years of the contract, Fox has reached an average audience of 600,000 viewers - a large increase over ESPN broadcasts. Some events attract more than 1 million viewers. The association cites lucrative scheduling practices (including better time slots and encore extras, as well as NASCAR broadcasting for clues), and increased promotion of event broadcasts as part of FS1 and FS2 programming, for helping to build their audiences.
Note
References
External links
- Official website
- Official NHRA Dragra Podcast
- Drag Race Central Latest NHRA News and Analysis
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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