The U.S. Nationals drag race is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association, or NHRA. The event is formally known as the NHRA U.S. Nationals and is one of the premier meetings on the professional drag-racing calendar.
The race traces its lineage to the first NHRA Nationals, held in 1955 at Great Bend Municipal Airport in Kansas. It later moved through venues in Oklahoma City and Detroit before settling at Indianapolis Raceway Park in 1961. The facility is now known as Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Indiana.
Fans often call the event “The Big Go,” a nickname that reflects its scale, long history, major purse, and importance to racers. It is traditionally held over Labor Day weekend and includes numerous professional and sportsman categories, not merely one Top Fuel or Funny Car contest.
The NHRA itself was founded in 1951 by Wally Parks as a governing and promotional body for drag racing. Its role includes writing competition rules, licensing participants, organizing national events, and overseeing the championships. NASCAR and the FIA are important motorsport organizations, but neither sanctions the NHRA U.S. Nationals.