28th North Central Division NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals set

National Dragster, Mar 26, 2004

More than 750 of the Midwest's top bracket racers are expected for the 28th annual NHRA North Central Division Summit Racing Series Finals Sept. 17-19, 2004, at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Super Pro and Pro will again run on the eighth-mile, and Super Pro Bike, Sportsman, and High School will be run on the quarter-mile.

Among the changes for 2004 is the lowering of the Pro and Sportsman e.t. breaks. The Pro bracket will now be 6.20 to 8.99 seconds (equivalent to quarter-mile 9.80 to 13.99). The Sportsman e.t. range has been changed to 12.00 to 19.99 (equivalent to eighth-mile 7.68 to 12.50). Super Pro remains 4.50 to 7.75 (equivalent to quarter-mile 7.00 to 11.99), and Super Pro Bike will continue to be 7.50 to 15.99 seconds on the quarter-mile. The High School bracket for current high school students or 2004 graduates will be for cars 12.00 seconds and slower on the quarter-mile.

Each member track may field a team of 48 qualifiers. All qualifiers must compete in a minimum of three track points events and appear on the track's team roster. The 48-member team roster will consist of 40 bracket racers, two high school drivers, and six Jr. Dragster competitors.

In addition to the individual bracket championships, round-wins will be scored toward two separate team championships. The Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Super Pro Bike racers will compete for the Division 3 Summit Track Championship, which offers $5,000 in total bonuses and jackets for the winning team members. The Youth Team Championship is based on round-win points from the High School and Jr. Dragster divisions.

The event will feature the VP Racing Fuels Race of Champions Friday afternoon, special races within a race of the track champions in Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Super Pro Bike. Racers not involved in the VP Race of Champions may enter a Division 3 Shootout Friday evening. The High School championships will be contested Saturday, as will the first two rounds of eliminations. The NHRA O'Reilly Auto Parts Jr. Drag Racing League Division Championships and the final rounds of the NHRA Summit Racing Series Finals will be run Sunday.

The Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, and Super Pro Bike champions will advance to the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Nov. 11-14.