INDIANAPOLIS — The world’s biggest drag race includes a standout Funny Car showdown, as the field is now set for the eight-car Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout on Sunday, Sept. 1 as part of this year’s 70th annual Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals.
The Big Go takes place Aug. 28-Sept. 2 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and one of the major highlights of the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals is the Funny Car specialty race that offers up bragging rights and big money on drag racing’s grandest stage.
For the first time, Bob Tasca III earned the top seed in the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, with the rest of the eight-car field including, in order, 2022 Callout winner Ron Capps, defending world champion Matt Hagan, Chad Green, J.R. Todd, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria and Paul Lee. Both Green and Lee are making their first appearance in the specialty race, while Todd returns to the Callout this year after just missing out a season ago.
Lee was ninth in the Callout standings and moved into the final field with John Force unable to participate following his June crash in Richmond.
By earning the top seed – which is based on qualifying points for the last seven races of 2023 and the first 13 races of 2024 – Tasca will get the first chance to call out his first-round opponent. If Capps is not selected, the back-to-back Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals champion will get the next pick, going down the line until all first-round matchups are set. There is plenty on the line in the opening round as well, as the driver who makes the quickest winning run will get to select their semifinal opponent, adding more intrigue and excitement to the Callout.
The first round of the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout takes place at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 1, with the semifinals at 2:40 p.m. and the final round at 4:30 p.m. A special broadcast of the Callout takes place on FOX at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Now in its third year at The Big Go, the Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout offers the chance for one driver to pull off something spectacular and win more than once at the Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals. Capps swept the weekend in 2022, while Robert Hight won the Callout last season. Tasca is currently second in points and enjoying another strong season, while Hagan has advanced to the Callout final both years and is coming off a final-round appearance in Brainerd. Pedregon and DeJoria have both advanced to the Callout the last two seasons.