American Rebel Friday Night “Battle For The Rebel Axe” coming to NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd

BRAINERD, MN – August 8, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Always a festive atmosphere, Friday night at Brainerd International Raceway during the 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals will have an extra dose of fun and excitement with the introduction of the American Rebel Light Friday Night “Battle for the Rebel Axe.”

The Friday night qualifying session at Brainerd, which starts at 6:15 p.m. CT on Aug. 15, will award the low qualifier in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock a special cash bonus, as well as a unique Rebel Axe trophy to kick off what will be another incredible weekend at Brainerd International Raceway.

The Rebel Axe trophy will be a fully functional electric cigar box guitar, custom-built in the shape of a 12-pack of American Rebel Light. Branded with the event and sponsor logos, the unique trophy also serves as a nod to Brainerd’s rich heritage and roots to Paul Bunyan. The top qualifier in the three NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series classes will sit on a special “Throne of the North” – made from American Rebel Light cases – until they are dethroned or they take the low qualifier of the session.

The bonus payouts include $4,000 to the No. 1 qualifier of Friday’s second session in Top Fuel and Funny Car, and $2,000 for the Pro Stock standout who takes the top spot. It’s all part of a lively, thoroughly entertaining Friday night at Brainerd, which has brought a special atmosphere and excitement level for more than 40 years.

“Brainerd has always had its own magic, but Friday’s ‘Battle for the Rebel Axe’ takes it to another level,” Brainerd International Raceway owner Kristi Copham said. “With the incredible support of American Rebel Light and Andy Ross, we’re able to give fans and racers an awesome Friday night with a bonus payout, a one-of-a-kind trophy, and some special Brainerd bragging rights. We’re grateful to Andy and American Rebel Beer for helping us create what will be an awesome Friday at BIR to kick off what is always a great weekend.”

The second qualifying session leads right into Friday night’s live music schedule at the Zoom entrance band shell, which kicks off at 8 p.m. and includes Andy Ross’ headline set at 10 p.m.

For more than four decades, Brainerd International Raceway has been one of the most unique stops on the NHRA tour and this year will include several can’t-miss moments on and off the track. The Mud Rhythm Truck Series will be running in the famed “Zoo” campground at the dirt track during the weekend, along with The Patriot monster truck and drift cars on display, cementing the track’s status as a major multi-functional facility.

Leading into the national event is this weekend’s double-divisional in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Brainerd, featuring nearly 500 entries. It is one of the largest car counts the facility has ever hosted for a LODRS event, creating plenty of excitement for an unbelievable two-week stretch at the standout track.

The 43rd annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals is the 13th of 20 events in 2025. The event will be broadcast on FS1, with elimination coverage on FOX on Sunday, Aug. 17, as world title hopefuls look to build momentum for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Last year, Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Blake Alexander (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) all won in Brainerd, while Antron Brown, Austin Prock and Greg Anderson took home Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge wins.

Ashley picked up his first Brainerd win last season when he defeated Shawn Langdon. Langdon leads the points on the strength of three wins, while Top Fuel standouts include Tony Stewart, Brittany Force, who went 343 mph in Sonoma, Sonoma winner Doug Kalitta, reigning world champion Brown and Clay Millican.

This season, the Funny Car ranks have again been dominated by reigning Funny Car champion Prock, who leads the class with five wins on the season. Others to watch in Brainerd will be Jack Beckman, J.R. Todd, Paul Lee, Seattle winner Matt Hagan and Ron Capps, the winningest active driver at BIR with seven wins to his credit.

Pro Stock’s Glenn won his second consecutive Brainerd race last season and he leads the way in Pro Stock, holding a 37-point advantage over KB Titan Racing teammate and reigning world champion Anderson, who is a Duluth native. Greg Stanfield won the most recent event in Sonoma, snapping KB Titan’s 11-race winning streak.

The event will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as action in Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage Mountain Motor Pro Stock and Pingel NHRA Top Fuel Motorcycle Series.

Fans are invited to the Nitro Alley Stage, the entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and more. Brainerd race fans can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate event winners.

As always, fans get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans get a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. They can also visit Manufacturers Midway, an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 4 and 6:15 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 15 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Aug. 17. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 p.m. ET on Friday and 7 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1, and eliminations on FOX at 3 p.m. ET Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, fans can visit www.birmn.com. Tickets will also be available for purchase on the day of the event at the gate. For more information on the NHRA, please visit www.nhra.com.

About Mission Foods

MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association 

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