Courtesy NHRA Communications
SEATTLE (Dec. 12, 2022) – Taking a new spot on the famed NHRA Western Swing, tickets are now on sale for the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series’ return to Seattle for the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals, which takes place July 21-23, 2023, at Pacific Raceways.
After returning to the scenic facility in the Pacific Northwest during the 2022 season for the first time since 2019, the popular event will take place as the middle race in the three-race Western Swing next year. The race has been the traditional conclusion of the trek that also includes stops in Denver and Sonoma for the past several years but will now move to the second race in the Western Swing, which begins in Denver.
Along with the incredible, heart-pounding action of 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph action in Top Fuel and Funny Car, the standouts in Pro Stock Motorcycle will also be making their first-ever appearance at Pacific Raceways, giving fans another marquee attraction to a race that has showcased NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series action for more than three decades.
“We’re already looking forward to next July when the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to Seattle for another outstanding weekend of racing action,” Pacific Raceways General Manager John Ramsey said. “We’re excited about the new date in the middle of the Western Swing, as well as having Pro Stock Motorcycle to the facility for the first time. I know our great fans in the Northwest will welcome them with open arms and they will add a lot of excitement to an already spectacular show that has entertained so many people for more than 30 years.”
The 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals will be the 11th of 21 races in 2023, officially kicking off the second half of the season. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) won last year’s event at Pacific Raceways, and this year’s race will again be broadcast on the FOX broadcast network.
Schumacher returned to full-time racing for the first time since 2018 last season, picking up his lone victory of the season in Seattle by defeating eventual world champion Brittany Force in the final round. It handed the eight-time Top Fuel world champ his fifth victory at Pacific Raceways, tying him with Joe Amato for the most in class history, while also giving Joe and Cathi Maynard their first victory as team owners.
In Funny Car, John Force’s nine Seattle victories reign supreme. Included in that mix is his 2019 victory that gave the 16-time world champ his 150th career win. Hight earned his second career victory at the track a year ago, one of a class-best eight wins he picked up in 2022. Next year will also give Seattle fans their first chance to see all the Pro Stock Motorcycle stars, including reigning and six-time world champ Matt Smith, Joey Gladstone, Eddie Krawiec, Jerry Savoie, Angie Smith and Steve Johnson.
The can’t-miss action at Pacific Raceways will include qualifying on both Friday and Saturday and eliminations on Sunday, as the stars of the sport will look for a coveted victory during the rigorous Western Swing. The race will also count toward the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Shootout that takes place at the U.S. Nationals in Indy.
To purchase tickets to the 34th annual Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. All children 12 and under will be admitted free in the general admission area with a paid adult. For more information about NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
