NHRA ready for breakout season with move to Fox

Armed with a new, expanded television deal, the National Hot Rod Association is scheduled to start what drivers and officials expect to be one of the drag racing organization’s best seasons this weekend in Pomona, Calif.

The 24-race Mello Yello Series is scheduled to open with the Circle K NHRA Winternationals Thursday through Sunday at Auto Club Raceway.

New to the sport this year is extensive live coverage by Fox, which will broadcast four Sunday finals on its lead network. A total of 17 Sunday finals will be carried on Fox networks. Fox Sports 1 will broadcast Sunday’s final from Pomona.

“It’s going to be great to have the live TV,” Del Worsham, last year’s Funny Car champion, told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s going to be excellent for drag racing overall. Everybody has access to all the information really quickly now on social media, but we’re going to beat them to the punch with live stuff right from the track.

“There probably will be some growing pains with it, but with 100 percent effort from everybody it’s going to be a great show.”

Del Worsham wins Funny Car title, makes NHRA history

The first live final on Fox’s main network will be July 24 at Denver.

Worsham won the Top Fuel championship in 2011 and returned to driving in Funny Car after detouring to the mechanical side of the sport. The NHRA is celebrating 50 years of Funny Car racing this season.

Joining Worsham, who will be driving again this year for Kalitta Motorsports, as champions last year were Antron Brown in Top Fuel, Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle. All return to pursue repeat titles.

Enders will be one of the NHRA's spotlighted drivers this year. She has won back-to-back Pro Stock championships, and she switches to Dodge this season as the sanctioning body ushers in a new era for Pro Stockers.

Antron Brown, Erica Enders clinch NHRA season titles at Las Vegas

In moves designed to make the Pro Stock entries more like their street versions, the cars will have fuel-injection systems, and the familiar hood scoops of past seasons will be removed.

Enders said the new models will drive differently.

“Downforce is definitely going to change significantly on the back of the car,” she said. “It’s creating a more loose feel, so I’m sure that everyone will compensate either with more wicker or running the cars completely differently.”

Enders said she expects horsepower and speed gains with the new cars.

PHOTOS: Behind the wheel with Erica Enders