HOT ROD Drag Week 2025 returns September 14-19

Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive

Search for "Fastest Street Car in America" 

ONE MONTH AWAY!

The 2025 competition is coming to four prestigious Mid-Atlantic racetracks:
Budds Creek, MD – Numidia, PA - Reading, PA – Rising Sun, MD

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- It's almost time for the race to determine the title of "Fastest Street Car in America," as HOT ROD Drag Week 2025, Presented by Gear Vendors Overdrive races through four cities. HOT ROD Drag Week will be hosted at the Maryland International Raceway and also hit Numidia Dragway in Numidia, PA, Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA, and Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD from Sunday, Sept. 14 through Friday, Sept. 19.

The world's toughest competition to find the ultimate street-legal drag car, HOT ROD Drag Week puts competitors through a grueling test over five days of action-packed drag racing, requiring racers to drive their vehicles on a specified route from city to city, approximately 1,000 miles, while securing the quickest possible elapsed time across the five days. During the competition, drivers provide photographic evidence to prove they have followed the required route. Some of the nation's top racers participate in Drag Week each year, and it's not uncommon for competitors to band together to help each other get through the week.

HOT ROD DRAG WEEK 2025 SCHEDULE
(Daily end times as stated or until complete)

• Tech Inspection, Registration, Test 'N' Tune – Sunday, Sept. 14 
  Maryland International Raceway (Budds Creek, Maryland)
  8 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time for registration, tech inspection, and test 'n' tune (tech open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., test 'n' tune begins at 12 p.m.)
• Day 1 Racing – Monday, Sept. 15 
  Maryland International Raceway (Budds Creek, Maryland)
  Race hours  8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time
• Day 2 Racing – Tuesday, Sept. 16 
  Numidia Dragway (Numidia, Pennsylvania)
  Race hours  8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time
• Day 3 Racing – Wednesday, Sept. 17 
  Maple Grove Raceway (Reading, Pennsylvania)
  Race hours 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time
• Day 4 Racing – Thursday, Sept. 18 
  Cecil County Dragway (Rising Sun, Maryland)
  Race hours 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time
• Day 5 Racing (Finals) – Friday, Sept. 19 
  Maryland International Raceway (Budds Creek, Maryland)
  Race hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time

SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Spectator tickets will be available at each track ($20). Children 12 and under are free with a paid adult. 

CONNECT
Follow HOT ROD Drag Week 2025 on X, Facebook, and Instagram using #hotroddragweek. For those who can't make it in person, the 5-day event will be livestreamed on MotorTrend's YouTube Channel and at motortrend.com/events/hot-rod-drag-week. 

Learn more about Drag Week™ at motortrend.com/events/hot-rod-drag-week. 

About HOT ROD
HOT ROD has been the most recognized brand in the world of high-performance cars since the iconic American magazine was founded in 1948. Today, the authoritative HOT ROD media footprint includes the HOT ROD Network, consisting of digital, print, and social media. It also offers live events with market-leading HOT ROD Power Tour, HOT ROD Power Tour West, and HOT ROD Drag Week experiences. The world leader, HOT ROD brings readers content that simply cannot be seen anywhere else–the most amazing cars, the first scoop relating to happenings and product offerings in the world of performance.

About Motortrend Group
MotorTrend Group, which was recently acquired by Hearst Magazines, is dedicated to introducing, inspiring and intensifying people's passions for the motoring world. Comprised of iconic brands including MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, and more, MotorTrend Group entertains and informs both auto enthusiasts and car shoppers, with a monthly audience over 30 million including two million premium members in addition to over 70 million social followers. Featuring world-class automotive entertainment across iconic events, the largest automotive social network, over seven decades of print and digital editorial content and cutting-edge resources for new car shoppers, MotorTrend embodies every corner of car culture. From electric vehicles to timeless classic customs, MotorTrend Group brings the latest motoring trends to fans of all generations.

About Hearst Magazines
Hearst Magazines, the world's largest lifestyle publisher, has a portfolio of more than 30 powerful brands in the U.S. that inspire and entertain audiences across all media platforms. Hearst Magazines' print and digital assets reach 141 million readers and site visitors each month — 55% of all adults in the U.S., 53% of all Millennials and 50% of all Gen Z adults over the age of 18 (Source: 2024 Comscore Multi-Platform© MRI-Simmons - 09/24/S24). The company publishes more than 200 magazine editions and 175 websites around the world.

SOURCE MotorTrend Group