THE 2026 INTERVIEW ISSUE |
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ROYCE MILLER |
JASON PETERSON |
RAUL TORRES |
DAN VANHORN |
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Georgia, SGMP isn’ t new to NHRA sanctioning and was actually slated to hold the now-scrapped Peach State NHRA Showcase of Speed event last fall. Torres and wife Jennifer purchased the facility from Ozzy and Maria Moya in 2023. SGMP is known primarily as the home of Donald Long’ s iconic radial races, Lights Out in February and No Mercy in October. A Division 2 double divisional at SGMP was also scheduled for early April.
Royce Miller is the owner of Maryland International Raceway in Budds Creek, Maryland. MIR will host the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals May 29-31. Miller and his
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family have owned and operated MIR since 1989. Though he sold the track to IHRA’ s former parent company, IRG, in 2015, he stayed on as track GM and reacquired the track in 2021. Located around an hour south of downtown Washington D. C., MIR and its Potomac Nationals will introduce fans around the nation’ s capital to NHRA professional drag racing during the United States’ 250th anniversary. MIR will also host a Division 1 double divisional in mid-June.
The NHRA Countdown to the Championship will begin September 18-20 at the inaugural Great Lakes Nationals at Martin, Michigan
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’ s U. S. 131 Motorsports Park led by Jason Peterson and his wife, Stephanie, for the last 23 years. It’ s a multi-generational facility, as the Petersons’ son, 2025 DI 30 Under 30 honoree Samuel Peterson, leads the track prep program, and Stephanie’ s father, former Rockingham Dragway owner Steve Earwood, recently came on board as an advisor. Martin will hold its first NHRA Division 3 divisional event in July as well.
Finally, the NHRA Nationals at The Rock will roll into Rockingham Dragway September 25-27. Business partners Dan VanHorn and Al Gennarelli acquired the historic
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North Carolina track from Steve Earwood in 2022 and have spent the last three years updating the aging facility. Under both NHRA and IHRA sanctioning over the years, Rockingham has also hosted prominent ADRL and PDRA national events. Rockingham will close out the Division 2 season with a double divisional in late October.
How long has hosting an NHRA national event been on your wish list? Raul Torres: From the very get-go. I set my goals and my expectations very high in anything I’ ve ever done.
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U. S. 131 MOTORSPORTS PARK IN MARTIN, MICHIGAN, UNDERSTANDS WHAT WILL PUT FANS IN THE STANDS, FROM WHEELSTANDING DOORSLAMMERS TO 11,000-HORSEPOWER NITRO CARS. |