Sportsman Appreciation Dinner Returns Ahead of Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – August 21, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – For a third consecutive year, the NHRA Sportsman Appreciation Dinner will be held ahead of the opening day of the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

More than $80,000 worth of door prizes and giveaways will be up for grabs on Tuesday, Aug. 26, including details on how one sportsman competitor at The Big Go can win an 84-inch $17,000 Cornwell Tools toolbox.

The third annual Sportsman Appreciation Dinner, which has included a huge crowd each of the last two years, will recognize the accomplishments and dedication of the more than 800 Sportsman racers, crews, and guests who will be competing at the world’s biggest and most prestigious drag race that weekend.

The free dinner will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Top Eliminator Club building at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and will also be attended by NHRA staff and a host of sponsors. NHRA announcer Jason Galvin will be the emcee for the event.

Ice cream will be provided by Performance Racing Industry (PRI) and Laris Motorsports Insurance will again supply drinks for the dinner.

All competitors racing at The Big Go will receive door prizes, as well as raffle tickets for a massive list of prizes totaling more than $80,000, including:

• Three Carlyle Tools 4-Drawer Carts
• A Deecell Solar Power System for your racing trailer, fully-installed
• A Racetech Composite Style Racing Seat
• An MSD Power Grid and Controller, Holley Dominator Carburetor and Racepak Data Logger
• A Simpson Helmet, Simpson Hybrid and a HANS IV
• A 7100 Watt Remote Start Generator from A-iPower
• An announcement on how one sportsman competitor at the U.S. Nationals can take home an 84-inch Cornwell Tools toolbox.

As well as products or certificates for product from: Summit Racing Equipment, BlueDEF/OWI, Racing Electronics, K&N, JEGS, ABRO, Gen-Y Hitches, Speedmaster, CP Carillo, Red Line Oil, Moser Engineering, Harvest Hosts, ATI, Cordova Coolers, Jesel, Moduline Cabinets, Weldon Racing Pumps, Portatree, Callies Performance, Strange Engineering, Mickey Thompson Tires, Auto Rod Controls, Calvert Racing, Ohio Crankshaft and more.

“This event is one of the most important events of the year for the NHRA,” NHRA Sportsman Manager Jason Galvin said. “It’s a way to say thank you at our biggest event with the most sportsman racers in attendance at any national event all season.

“It’s a way for the companies that support NHRA and its racers to give back, and a way to celebrate as we head into the most important week of racing this season at the Cornwell Quality Tool U.S. Nationals. We look forward to welcoming each of the competitors in our Lucas Oil and Right Trailers classes, along with their crew and family, to celebrate them ahead of the NHRA’s marquee event.”

To purchase tickets to the 71st annual Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, 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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