NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Cancels Arizona Nationals
One of just eight venues to host an NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series event will not be able to host the NHRA in 2021.
The NHRA and Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park announced on Friday that the he 2021 NHRA Arizona Nationals, originally scheduled for April 23-25, has been cancelled, leaving an opening on the 2021 schedule.
That opening could go to Tulsa, Okla., as Tulsa Raceway Park (formerly Southwest Raceway) was rumored to be in the running for a 2021 race earlier this winter.
NHRA officials blamed ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Arizona and in particular the Phoenix area for the early announcement to cancel the event. The Arizona Nationals were were one of 22 events to make the original 22-race schedule.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on the 2020 NHRA schedule, as the series was able to contest just 11 events at eight venues. Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park hosted the second race of the 2020 season that was hoping for 24 races.
“We’ll miss our annual stop at Wild Horse Pass, but we are working on new options for 2021,” said NHRA president Glen Cromwell. “We hope that fans in the area will try to make it to another one of our events.”
The Gila River community, track and NHRA officials mutually agreed not to host the Phoenix event in 2021, primarily based on COVID-19-related issues.
“We have enjoyed being host to the NHRA Arizona Nationals for the past 36 years,” said Mark Grado, General Manager of Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. “However, due to many circumstances beyond our control, including current COVID-19 restrictions, unfortunately the event is not feasible for the 2021 season.”
“Our focus remains on making the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series a memorable experience for our fans, racers, sponsors, partners and tracks. We’ve gotten interest by other tracks in adding an event to the schedule. We’re not sure if this is possible for 2021, but we’re definitely looking into it,” Cromwell continued.
The 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series is set to begin March 11-14 in Gainesville, Fla.
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