ADEL, Ga. (WCTV) -More than 15,000 fans are set to see more than 13,000 horsepower this Friday through Sunday in Adel as the NHRA’s newest event comes on the calendar.

“Some people saw South Georgia on the schedule and said ‘really, we’re having a race there? I didn’t know that track was so big,’” said Top Fuel racer Ida Zetterström who had previously has raced bikes at the facility. “Now we get to show how big the community is here, the fans are going to show up and just how good this track actually is.”

Funny Cars, Top Fuel and a whole lot more are set to hit the strip of South Georgia Motorsports Park this weekend for the first ever running of the Southern Nationals It’s a new event and a new venue that could potentially provide a level playing field (er... track) for both newcomer and seasoned veterans alike.

“It’s exciting. For as long as I’ve done this since 2019 I don’t think I’ve ever gone to a racetrack I haven’t attended at some point in my life so it’s exciting to be here,” remarked two-time Funny Car champ Austin Prock. “At first glance of this place it looks like a really smooth race track so hopefully they can get it prepped well and we can put on a good show for the fans.”

The event is set to bring motorsports fans from all over the region to right off I-75, but fresh faces are also set to attend. For those new to the sport, racers say they’re set for an experience that’s anything but a drag.

“We’re probably gonna see some race fans we’ve never seen before,” said Prock. “If you’ve never been to an NHRA race, maybe you’ve been to a drag race but you come out to an NHRA event and see the nitro cars, it’ll blow you away.”

“It is a feeling, it’s not just what you’re watching,” said Zetterström. “It’s like an earthquake every time the cars go down the track, the sound, the smell, everything you take in is like nothing else. ”

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