NHRA Brings a Championship Playoff Race to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Oct. 30 to Nov. 1

by Ryan Rose

What Is Happening

The event's full name is the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals powered by Dodge. It is part of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, the top level of the sport. NHRA announced in May that Mopar and Dodge signed on as the title and "powered by" sponsors of the race.

According to NHRA, the Las Vegas race is the next-to-last event of the 20-race season, which is part of NHRA's 75th anniversary campaign. It is also the fifth of six races in the postseason. That means drivers chasing a title come to Las Vegas with a lot on the line. A good weekend here can lock up a championship. A bad one can end a title run.

Brad Gerber, NHRA's vice president and chief development officer, put it this way in the NHRA announcement: "This race always plays a huge role in the championship chase." Darren Bradshaw, senior vice president of Mopar North America, said, "Mopar and Dodge are proud to help continue the tradition."

Racing actually starts before the weekend. The speedway schedule lists sportsman qualifying, time trials and early elimination rounds on Thursday, Oct. 29. NHRA's announcement lists the event as Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 for that reason. The main three-day weekend, with the pro classes and the weekend tickets, runs Friday through Sunday.

The weekend is packed with more than the pro classes. NHRA says it also includes:

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series racing.
NHRA Summit Racing Equipment E.T. Series Finals presented by Hoosier, where world champions will be crowned.
The season finale of the JBS Equipment NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Elite Motorsports.
An interactive Mopar and Dodge fan display in the midway.

If you cannot make it in person, NHRA says FS1 will carry the race, including Sunday's eliminations on Nov. 1.

How the Kids Deal Works

This is the part most local families will care about. The speedway's event page says: "First four children 12 and under are free in General Admission with adult purchase." So a parent with a General Admission ticket can bring up to four kids age 12 or younger at no charge.

There is one catch to know before you leave the house. The speedway also says tickets or credentials are required for gate entry for children age 12 and under. In other words, free does not mean you just walk your kids in. Plan to get their free tickets or credentials ahead of time, and call the speedway at 800-644-4444 if you are not sure how to do that.

The free deal is for General Admission. If you want a reserved seat or a premium package, check the speedway site for how kids are handled in those areas. We do not have verified ticket prices to share, so check lvms.com or call the box office for current pricing before you go.

Ticket Options at a Glance

The speedway lists several ways to attend:

Weekend tickets: General Admission, Reserved and Platinum seating, good for all three days, Friday through Sunday. The speedway says every ticket includes pit pass access, and every seat has a view of the track. Some seats may have a partial obstruction.
Club Nitro Platinum packages: A covered Platinum grandstand seat, hospitality tent access Friday through Sunday, one hot meal each day, continental breakfast Saturday and Sunday, complimentary beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks, access to a Burnout Viewing Area near the starting line, a souvenir gift, and one VIP parking pass per day for every two packages.
Trackside RV camping: Open from noon Monday, Oct. 26 to noon Monday, Nov. 2. It is a dry, gravel site with showers and security, plus paid water, pump-out and ice. Each space includes four General Admission weekend wristbands and one tow pass. You can add up to four more wristbands at $146 each, for a maximum of eight per space. The speedway says inventory is limited and you must call to buy.

That pit pass access is a big deal for kids. Getting close to the cars and crews between rounds is a highlight for a lot of first-time fans.

A packed grandstand under blue skies at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during an NHRA drag racing event

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Families

The timing makes this race a natural pick for local families. Friday, Oct. 30 is Nevada Day, a state holiday, and City of Las Vegas offices and centers are closed that day. For a lot of families, that means a three-day weekend. Saturday is Halloween. And early Sunday morning, daylight saving time ends and clocks fall back one hour. That is a lot packed into one weekend, and a free-kids event fits right in.

The free admission for kids also stands out at a time when family outings can add up fast. With up to four kids free on one adult General Admission ticket, a family of five or six can spend a full day at a pro sporting event for the cost of the adult tickets, plus food and parking.

For kids who like cars, this is about as loud and exciting as it gets. Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars are the nitro-burning headliners of the sport. Bring ear protection for everyone, especially little ones. Even a short burnout can be loud enough to scare a young child without it.

The race also draws race teams, crews and out-of-town fans, and the speedway opens trackside RV camping for the whole week. Events like this bring visitor spending to local businesses, especially on a holiday weekend.

Background: A Fall Tradition at The Strip

NHRA calls this the annual fall race at the speedway and a longtime standout on its schedule. Some of the sport's biggest names have piled up wins here. According to NHRA:

Erica Enders has 10 Pro Stock wins at the track, the most in NHRA history.
Greg Anderson has eight Pro Stock wins at the track.
Tony Schumacher has eight Top Fuel wins, and Antron Brown has six.
Ron Capps and Matt Hagan each have six Funny Car wins, tied with John Force and Robert Hight for the most.

Last year's winners were Brittany Force in Top Fuel, Matt Hagan in Funny Car, Dallas Glenn in Pro Stock and Gaige Herrera in Pro Stock Motorcycle. Hagan, a four-time world champion, comes back as the defending event winner.

The Mopar and Dodge brands have a direct tie to the field. NHRA says they partner with Tony Stewart Racing, which fields Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett and Funny Car driver Matt Hagan, and with racing legend Tony Stewart himself. As of NHRA's May announcement, Stewart had won last year's regular-season championship and already had one Top Fuel win this season. Mopar and Dodge also sponsor the Countdown race in Martin, Michigan, in September.

The Daily Schedule

The speedway's schedule lists all times in Pacific time and notes they can change. Here are the highlights for each day.

Friday, Oct. 30 (Nevada Day): Gates open at 7:30 a.m. Sportsman eliminations start at 8 a.m. The speedway suggests arriving around 9:30 a.m., when the midway opens. Pro Stock qualifying (car and motorcycle) runs at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Nitro qualifying for Funny Car and Top Fuel runs at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween): Gates open at 7:30 a.m. Nitro qualifying runs at noon and 2:30 p.m. Pro Stock qualifying runs at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The Dodge Grudge Race finals are at 2:15 p.m. Top Alcohol and Legacy Nitro Funny Car eliminations start in the late afternoon, so families with trick-or-treat plans can still catch most of the day and head home.

Sunday, Nov. 1 (race day): Gates open at 7:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., fans can join the SealMaster Track Walk and Pre-Race Ceremonies on the starting line. Nitro eliminations start at 11 a.m., and Pro Stock eliminations at noon. The Jr. Dragster and Jr. Street exhibition is at 4:05 p.m., followed by the Parade of Champions at 4:10 p.m. Pro Stock finals are at 4:30 p.m., Nitro finals at 4:40 p.m., and the Winners Circle at 4:50 p.m.

If your family likes to see a little of everything, the support classes fill the gaps between pro sessions. On Friday, the schedule lists Summit E.T. National Championship time trials at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., Top Alcohol qualifying at 11:15 a.m., Legacy Nitro Funny Car qualifying at noon and Pro Mod qualifying at 12:15 p.m. The DeeCell Comp Clash semifinals run at 12:40 p.m., with the finals at 3:15 p.m. On Saturday, Summit E.T. eliminations start at 1:45 p.m. and Sportsman quarterfinals close the day at 5:45 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, the finals stack up fast: Summit E.T. at 3:40 p.m., Legacy Nitro Funny Car at 3:50 p.m., Top Alcohol at 3:55 p.m. and Pro Mod at 4 p.m.

A Quick Guide to the Four Pro Classes

If this is your first drag race, here is a simple way to tell the four title classes apart:

Top Fuel: The long, skinny dragsters with the engine behind the driver and a big wing in the back.
Funny Car: Nitro cars with a one-piece body shaped like a street car that lifts up for the crew to work on the engine.
Pro Stock: Cars that look the most like what you see on the road, but are built purely for racing.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: Purpose-built drag bikes, ridden by some of the most precise racers in the sport.

Kids usually love the nitro classes most, because of the noise and the smoke from the burnouts. The pit pass that comes with every weekend ticket is the best way to see these cars up close.

What Happens Next

After Las Vegas, only one Countdown race remains. That means the standings will be very tight coming out of Sunday's finals. If you are a fan of a certain driver, Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas may be where their season is made or lost.

For locals, the next few days are about planning. RV move-in starts at noon Monday, Oct. 26. Sportsman racing starts Thursday. The pros hit the track Friday. If you want to go, now is the time to sort out tickets, including the free kids' credentials, and to decide which day works best for your family.

RVs and campers lined up in the trackside camping area at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at sunset, with desert mountains behind

Ryan's Take

One of the things I love telling people who are thinking about moving here is how much there is to do that has nothing to do with the Strip. A world-class drag race with free entry for kids is a perfect example. You get big-league sports, a family day out, and a holiday weekend all in one.

It is also a reminder of how much Las Vegas has grown as a sports town. Between racing at the speedway, hockey, football and more, families here have real options every weekend. When buyers ask me what life is like in the southwest valley or Summerlin, this is the kind of thing I point to. Living here means big events are a short drive away, not a plane ride.

What You Can Do

If you want to go, here is a simple game plan:

Pick your day. Friday and Saturday are qualifying days. Sunday is race day, with eliminations and finals.
Get the kids' credentials. Up to four kids 12 and under are free in General Admission with an adult ticket, but they still need tickets or credentials to get in.
Mind the clock on Sunday. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. on the new time, so the extra hour is on your side.
Pack ear protection for everyone, plus sunscreen, water and a jacket for the early gate time.
Check the official sources. The schedule can change. Visit lvms.com or call 800-644-4444 before you leave.

If you plan to make a full long weekend of it, pair the race with a local trunk-or-treat on Halloween or a quiet Nevada Day at home. Either way, it is a fun, low-cost way to spend a few hours with the kids.

Thinking about a move within the valley, or curious which neighborhoods put you closest to the things your family loves to do? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com