Hot Rod Drag Week Announces Registration Date, Updated Rules and Class Changes for 2025
The drag-and-drive that started it all, Hot Rod Drag Week, released their dates and tracks for the 2025 event about a month ago, December 17th, 2024.
Today, the details on registration, as well as the anticipated rule set, were released for the 21st running of the event, which will visit the Northeast region for two new race tracks, as well as two track Hot Rod Drag Week has visited before.
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Hot Rod Drag Week, which will be contested from September 14th through the 19th, will start and end at Maryland International Raceway, located in Budds Creek, Maryland. Following day one activities, the event will visit Numidia Dragway in Pennsylvania for day two and stay in Pennsylvania to race at Maple Grove Raceway on day three.
Day four will return to Maryland to battle on Cecil County Dragway’s surface, before arrival back at Maryland International Raceway for day five to wrap up the event and crown winners.
Registration for Hot Rod Drag Week usually sells out in a matter of minutes, and this year will open on Saturday, February 22nd at 9 am EST.
The other big news announced today by Hot Rod Drag Week is the newest rule set for overall participation, as well as classes. Traditionally locked in for a period of three years, the latest rule set has a few changes, including the removal of the Hot Rod class, and the official addition of a Stick category.
For the first twenty years of Hot Rod Drag Week, there was not an official class or category based around manual transmissions. But for several years, all stick shift rides that completed the week were allowed to enter a shootout-style class on the final day, heads-up style.
For 2025, the Hot Rod Drag Week Stick rules read as: ‘Stick-cars must enter whichever Drag Week category and class they are eligible for, and they may win or podium in those classes. On the last day of Drag Week, all the Stick cars, regardless of class, may participate in a heads-up race with random pairings. The winner of that heads-up race is the Stick winner.’
Unlike some other drag-and-drive events, Drag Week rules do not require a H-pattern manual transmission, and only prohibit Lenco-type planetary transmissions. Shifts must be made manually by the driver with a mechanical lever, with the clutch activated by a pedal by the driver must be used. No torque converters or air shifters are allowed.
For those that want to join the fun without making track passes, Hot Rod Drag Week will also offer the Drag Pack ticket program again for 2025. The ticket includes entry for one car, one driver, and one passenger for all HOT ROD Drag Week venues (Monday, September 16th through Friday, September 19th).
Drag Pack ticket holders will get to park in the pits or in premier areas, have suite access and lunch at one venue (to be determined) during the week, and receive one gift item per vehicle. Children ages 12 and under can enter with their family for free.
For more details on Hot Rod Drag Week, you can visit their website here.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com