Napa Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals to Serve as Football Adjacent Broadcast on FOX for First Time

NHRA announced today that the 15th annual NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway will air on FOX adjacent to a FOX football broadcast on Sunday, Oct. 4, highlighting an exciting NHRA on FOX schedule for NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.

The FOX broadcast in St. Louis will mark a sixth straight year a race in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship playoffs will be broadcast adjacent to a football game on FOX, including last year’s broadcast that drew the highest viewership in NHRA history. It will be the first time the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals will appear on that broadcast, as the standout track serves as the third of six playoff races during the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series’ milestone campaign in 2026.

The annual stop at World Wide Technology Raceway has been a popular destination for years, consistently attracting sellout crowds to the fan-favorite facility. It is also home to some of the quickest and fastest passes in NHRA history, serving as a premier destination in the Countdown to the Championship and for the special FOX broadcast.

“We are thrilled that FOX has selected the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals to be a part of an amazing broadcast day in conjunction with their football broadcast,” said Chris Blair, World Wide Technology Raceway executive vice president and general manager. “This opportunity showcases our track, our city, our region and the incredible fans that make WWT Raceway so special. There’s nothing like NHRA Drag Racing, and we are thrilled to share this spectacular event to a global audience and new potential fan base.”

This unique opportunity with FOX has led to massive audiences on the national broadcast network, including last year at Texas Motorplex in Dallas, when NHRA enjoyed the biggest viewership in its history with 2.065 million viewers and an impressive peak audience of 3.631 million.

Most markets on Sunday, Oct. 4, will see NHRA action from the NAPA Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals following football broadcasts early in the day. Those markets will air the NHRA playoff race from 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET following the football on FOX game, while some markets will air NHRA coverage from 2-4 p.m. ET, leading directly into football on FOX action.

NHRA’s extensive 2026 coverage on FOX kicked off this past weekend from a sold-out Maryland International Raceway with the inaugural NHRA Potomac Nationals presented by JEGS, opening a stretch of five races that will be on the broadcast network during the regular season.

This weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals presented by bproauto at New England Dragway (June 7) will also be on FOX, as well as the upcoming Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals from Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio (June 28), the Muckleshoot Casino Resort NHRA Northwest Nationals from Pacific Raceways in Seattle (July 26) and the prestigious Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals from Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (Sept. 7).

For more information on NHRA, including 2026 race dates and the full television schedule, please visit www.nhra.com.

This story was originally published on June 4, 2026.

The post Napa Auto Parts NHRA Midwest Nationals to Serve as Football Adjacent Broadcast on FOX for First Time first appeared on Drag Illustrated.

View the full article