Every drag racer and team mark their “bucket list” for victories in their career. And at the top of that list is the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals, scheduled to take place on Aug. 30 – Sept. 4 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.

The U.S. Nationals, known for decades as the “Big Go,” is the “Granddaddy” of the straight-line sport as the biggest, longest running, richest and most prestigious event. Dating back to 1955, the greatest names in drag racing have converged on the U.S. Nationals with legends like “Big Daddy” Don Garlits taking “Wally” trophies in the classic event.

“You look at the NHRA national event schedule before each season and mark the most important races to win,” said Matt Hagan, three-time NHRA Camping World Funny Car champion. “And you always list Indy as No. 1. Of course, racing for Dodge, Direct Connection and Tony Stewart Racing, the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals should be at the top of our list. Winning Indy is our ultimate NHRA victory.”

Hagan, the 40-year-old driver from Christiansburg, Va., comes to the U.S. Nationals as one of the favorites after scoring four NHRA national event wins already this year in his TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT^® Hellcat and hopes to add to his total when nitro qualifying begins on Friday, Sept. 1. Hagan earlier this year captured the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals win in Denver and will attempt to score a sweep of the Dodge-sponsored NHRA events in 2023.

The personable racer has won three times at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and qualified No. 1 on four occasions, and this year’s ‘Big Go” is important as it concludes the early portion of the 21-race campaign before the final six races determine the Countdown to the Championship.

“We have led the Funny Car points for most of the season,” Hagan said. “But now we are 21 points from first and we definitely want to have the top spot after Indy. The points are readjusted for the final six races, and I’d like to be back in the lead entering the Countdown. I think Dickie (Venables, crew chief) and our guys are ready for the challenge at Indy with the five qualifying runs, the All-Star Callout race and Monday’s finals. We slipped a bit at Brainerd, but we are prepared to win the Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals.”

Hagan, the U.S. Nationals record holder at 3.799 seconds and 338.77 mph, will first take to the strip when action gets underway on Friday, Sept. 1. The Pep Boys All-Star Funny Car Callout is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 3.

Hagan’s TSR teammate Leah Pruett, who currently ranks fifth in the NHRA Camping World Top Fuel points standings, seeks her first U.S. Nationals Top Fuel title in the TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection dragster and enters this weekend’s event after a strong runner-up performance last week at Brainerd, Minn.

Pruett, who captured this year’s Summit Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio, took out some of the sport’s biggest names – former NHRA World Champions Tony Schumacher, Brittany Force and current Top Fuel points leader Justin Ashley – in the Menards NHRA Nationals before just missing victory lane against three-time World Champion Antron Brown in a close final round contest.

The 11-time NHRA Top Fuel national event winner believes her TSR crew, led by Neal Strausbaugh, is prepared for a strong U.S. Nationals showing this weekend after producing an impressive Brainerd performance with consistent times of 3.73, 3.75 (three times), 3.77 and 3.82 in making her third final round of the NHRA 2023 season.

“I feel very confident coming into the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals with our TSR Dodge//SRT Direct Connection team,” said Pruett. “We showed that the Direct Connection dragster can run with the best after our winning hits (runs) at Brainerd. We had a tough road to get to the final round against three former World Champions and the current points leader. We knew our work was cut out for us.

“Our focus is on propelling this momentum built from being extremely thorough and diligent, from the parts to the tune-up, and digging even deeper into where we can improve. Indy is the biggest race of the year for a driver and team. And you need everything working well to get that Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals Wally. I know that is our goal.”

The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park will feature five nitro qualifying sessions on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. CDT followed by two qualifying rounds on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. CDT and Sunday, Sept. 3 at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. CDT. The final eliminations will begin Monday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. CDT.

The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals will be televised on Fox Sports 1 with qualifying round 1 on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 11:30 a.m. EDT and qualifying round 2 on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 5:30 p.m. EDT. The Funny Car All-Star Callout will be shown on FOX Network on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. EDT.