When the 2027 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season begins, there will be a special theme: 50 Years of Force.
For 50 years, John Force dominated the NHRA Series. The 77-year old is a 156 time winner, 16 time Funny Car World Champion, along with countless other milestones that have shaped NHRA Drag Racing and cemented himself as an American motorsports icon.
Force started his drag racing career in 1978 and raced all the way to 2024. On June 23, 2024, Force was injured in a fiery crash at Virginia Motorsports Park and ultimately never stepped foot in a funny car again. He announced his retirement on November 13, 2025.
Despite this, Force remains an active owner. His team, John Force Racing, are the reigning Funny Car champions; their 22nd title came with former team driver Austin Prock in 2025.
“John Force’s impact on NHRA extends far beyond his championships and race wins,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “For 50 years, he has been one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors, helping introduce generations of fans to NHRA Drag Racing. It will be a huge thrill to start the season at his home track to kick off 2027 in a big way.”
In addition to this announcement, NHRA unveiled the first four stops on their 2027 schedule.
The season will open with the 67th Annual NHRA Winternationals. From February 18th to February 21st, the racers will run the In-N-Out Burger Ponoma Dragstrip in Force’s home state of California. This event will be followed by race in Phoenix, Gainesville, and Charlotte.
“There is something special about beginning an NHRA season in Pomona,” Cromwell said. “It’s one of the most iconic venues in our sport and a place where so much history has been made. Returning to this traditional schedule allows us to honor our roots as we begin to celebrate one of the most remarkable figures in motorsports at John’s home track in Pomona. We’re very excited about these first four races of 2027, which will be another special year in NHRA history.”
The schedule will then take the series to Firebird Motorsports Park on Feb. 26-28 for the Arizona Nationals. Following that on March 11-14 are the Gatornationals at Gainesville and then the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway on April 2-4.
NHRA has announced the opening four races of its 2027 schedule, which will launch the year-long "50 Years of Force" celebration commemorating 16-time Funny Car World Champion John Force's 50-year legacy in @NHRA competition.
✴️Feb. 18-21: Winternationals at Pomona (John Force's…
— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) July 8, 2026
The full schedule for the 2027 season, as well as further details for the “50 Years of Force” celebrations, will be released in the coming weeks.
