Thursday, September 16, 2021

The long awaited return of HOT ROD Drag Week will be here Thursday, September 16, 2021. HOT ROD Drag Week is the ultimate test of a street legal drag car’s performance and durability. Not only do the cars have to be fast on track but they also have to be durable enough to withstand the rigors of driving from track-to-track on a five day tour. That’s right, rather than towed in a trailer, the race cars are street driven! Byron Dragway will host Day 4 of the five day tour of dragstrips.

Date: Thursday, September 16, 2021

Gate 2 Opens for Spectators: 7:00 AM

Schedule: Racing starts at 8:00 AM. Because the racers have to prepare their cars for long drive to their next track, racing is usually completed by about 2:00 PM.

Ticket Price: $20

Where to Buy Tickets: All tickets are sold at the gate only, on the day of the event.

HOT ROD Drag Week Explained

That’s right, take a moment to let it soak in. We all felt the pain of HOT ROD Drag Week’s cancelation in 2020, but the 2021 event is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever! HOT ROD will be taking all the precautions necessary to make sure the search for America’s fastest street car are as safe as they are fun.

HOT ROD Drag Week is a grueling five-day competition where drivers must subject their street-legal drag cars to over 1,000 miles of road tripping between daily drag racing events along a prescribed route. You want to trailer your ride or have a support truck full of tools and spares follow you around? Find a local sanctioning organization, then, because that is not how Drag Week works.

Tom Bailey blew everyone away with his Unlimited Class-winning Camaro in 2019, making a final pass of 5.998 at 250.46 mph. Will he be back for 2021 to keep his title? Some of the nation’s top drag racers compete in HOT ROD Drag Week and even a Roadkill Universe star or too like Mike Finnegan and Dave Newbern. HOT ROD will be posting links to live action coverage and race results daily, and there’s only one place to find it — HOTROD.com.

HOT ROD Drag Week 2021 Schedule

  • Registration, Tech Day, and Test ‘n’ Tune: Sunday, Sept. 12 – US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, Michigan
  • Racing Day 1: Monday, Sept. 13 – US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, Michigan
  • Racing Day 2: Tuesday, Sept. 14 – Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
  • Racing Day 3: Wednesday, Sept. 15 – Lucas Oil Raceway, Indianapolis
  • Racing Day 4: Thursday, Sept. 16 – Byron Dragway, Byron, Illinois
  • Racing Day 5: Friday, Sept. 17 – US 131 Motorsports Park, Martin, Michigan

“This year we are more excited than ever to host two of our signature annual events in HOT ROD Power Tour and HOT ROD Drag Week,” said HOT ROD’s editor-in-chief John McGann. “These events exemplify the core of what we do—and we wouldn’t be able to make it happen without our amazing participants. I am grateful and looking forward to a great year ahead. “

Check back early and often for registration information, event information updates, and coverage of both events!

Health And Safety Precautions Overview

All stops will adhere to federal, state, and local health and safety guidelines related to COVID-19 and follow a plan approved by local health departments.