The NHRA and Mission Foods, the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps, have announced that Mission Foods has been named the title sponsor of the NHRA’s premier professional series, which will be known as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series beginning with the 2024 season.
The multiyear title series partnership will be in full swing starting next year as the NHRA celebrates its 73rd year in 2024 and comes after a successful first-year partnership between the two companies this season. Mission Foods and NHRA partnered together this year for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, introducing competitive racing – as well as a bonus purse and bonus playoff points – to Saturday qualifying. The overwhelming success of the current program helped lead to the expansion of the series title partnership for Mission Foods, which will include significant activation at the track and nearby store locations for all 21 national events.
The popular Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge will return in 2024 as part of the growing partnership, increasing to 14 regular-season events, including the two four-wide races, and offering an increased purse. The series title partnership and the challenge continue Mission Foods’ overall motorsports initiative to help racers and race teams.
“This is a huge opportunity for us to keep connecting with fans while supporting motorsports in a major way,” said Juan Gonzalez, Mission Foods Chief Executive Officer. “There’s nothing better than race weekend, and we are proud that Mission Foods will become the official title sponsor of the NHRA Drag Racing Series.”
Mission Foods has been the industry leader for tortillas and wraps since 1977 and is the No. 1 tortilla company in the United States, also manufacturing a variety of authentic Mexican products.
As part of the title series partnership, Mission Foods will also be fully integrated at all NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series events and will have a strong presence on the midway, on social media and digitally, and as part of every NHRA on FOX broadcast. The partnership will also include strong NHRA activation at retailers annually and in-market prior to each national event. Fans received a first glimpse of that in 2023, with star NHRA drivers like Antron Brown, Justin Ashley, Erica Enders, Alexis DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon, J.R. Todd, Camrie Caruso, Angelle Sampey, Eddie Krawiec, and Gaige Herrera being featured as life-size cutouts with Mission Foods displays across the country. Those activations will continue on a greater level beginning next season as part of the exciting new multiyear partnership.
“Mission Foods has already shown such great passion for NHRA Drag Racing and giving back to racers, and to now have them become our new entitlement sponsor is an incredibly exciting moment for the NHRA and our race teams,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “They were a tremendous partner last year, introducing the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge that changed the landscape of our race weekends, and we’re thrilled to see that relationship continue to grow on an even bigger level.”
The Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge will start at the second race in 2024 — the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals on March 21-24 at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip — and take place at 14 regular-season events, including four-wide races in Las Vegas and Charlotte. The new race program was met with rave reviews from drivers, race teams, and fans in 2023 and promises even more excitement next year.
Along with the bonus purse and the chance to celebrate a victory on Saturday during a race weekend, competitors in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge will also race for bonus points that will be awarded at the start of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs, adding a huge incentive for race teams to chase a Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge victory.
“We have heard from drivers and fans how much they appreciate Mission being involved with NHRA,” said Sathish Mohanraju, Mission Foods Vice President of Marketing & Trade Marketing. “A lot of drivers have thanked us for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, which has changed the face of weekend racing. NHRA racing fans are extremely brand loyal, and we’ve long felt that our sponsorships are positively driving sales and brand awareness.”
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