Looking to bet on the new NHRA season? Although NHRA betting markets provide lots of thrills, you will have to wait until March when the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville formally starts the new season.
So, what to do till then? Try out some motorsport-themed slots in the best online casinos and make some quick money? Or, try betting on other motorsport competitions like Formula 1 and Formula E before the NHRA becomes a part of the offering?
Should none of the above seem appealing right now, then enjoy browsing our list of the best narratives to keep an eye on for the 2025 NHRA season below.
Josh Hart recruits Jason McCulloch
Over the winter, Josh Hart and his crew leader and partner, Ron Douglas, revealed a significant addition to their tuning team—Jason McCulloch. Previously a part of the Capco squad, McCulloch brings profound racing expertise to the table.
Last season clearly showed the need for reinforcements since the R+L Carriers team finished a dismal 12th and managed only two races in the top 10. With just eight round wins all year and a startling inability to qualify in Norwalk—the first DNQ of Hart’s Top Fuel career—the team obviously lacked consistency.
Although the driver definitely did his part and left 23 of his 27 rivals behind (85.1%, the best in the class), the car battled to keep full power, completing just 53 of 99 runs (53.5%).
Life after Mark Oswald begins for AB Motorsports
The 2025 season will be the first time in 16 years Antron Brown and crew chief Brian Corradi will be without Mark Oswald on the squad. With his own cool attitude, Oswald was a major player in Brown’s 62 Top Fuel wins, 36 No. 1 qualifying slots, and four NHRA world titles, balancing Corradi’s high-octane approach.
In Brown’s words, Oswald was the “Robin to Corrardi’s Batman”. The veteran nitro racer has decided to retire after an illustrious career.
Brown has pushed automobile chief Brad Mason to serve as Corradi’s new right-hand man in order to cover for Oswald. Mason has long been active in the team’s operations, so it will be interesting to find just how clearly Oswald’s absence shows itself.
Another title charge for Doug Kalitta?
Following his much-awaited maiden Top Fuel championship in 2023, Doug Kalitta was back in the middle of the title hunt in 2024 ending as runner-up for the seventh time in his career. Right up to the last race’s semifinal, he stayed a strong candidate for the championship.
From the underwhelming 10th-place performances in 2021 and 2022, where he failed to win a single event and reached only two final rounds in 42 tournaments, it marks a dramatic turnaround. Thanks in great part to Alan Johnson, it is now abundantly evident that he will be a regular challenger in the tracks.
Shawn Langdon’s redemption?
The world seemed to be at Shawn Langdon’s feet when he exited the starting line in the penultimate race of the year in Las Vegas. Under contention for his second Top Fuel championship, he had passed teammate Doug Kalitta, who had a rear-end failure.
Langdon was hoping to keep his championship dreams alive by searching for a win that would have seen him pass Antron Brown for second place in the standings. Then the car started to swerve towards the centreline, clipped the timing lights, and blew a rear tyre, costing him the round and perhaps the title.
It’s difficult to overlook the feeling that Langdon will be highly motivated to make amends in 2025, especially after Ashley’s early exit at the season finale and Langdon’s own misfortune with the blower in a second-round pedalfest with Brown.
