The 17^th running of the COMP Cams Street Car Super Nationals presented by FuelTech kicks off Thursday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and grassroots racers and racing fans are ready.

While thankfully, the legendary marathon of drag racing was able to be run last year, it was under restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer fans and a lack of the usual international driver flavor due to border limitations made for a smaller, but still competitive event. This year, the limits are gone and SCSN Promoter Mel Roth couldn’t be happier.

If he isn’t on the phone, Roth is parking motorhomes and race trailers. He’s not going to get a ton of sleep this week, but it’s fine. It’s the biggest week of his season and while it can be a draining experience, the California native looks forward to it every year.

“Oh, man,” he said, “it seems like we just left here. Sometimes it feels like the rest of the year is a little bit of down time between Street Car Super National events!”

Every class is packed to the rim, said Roth. Racers from all over the country and internationally are readying themselves for this weekend, hoping to park it in one of the most rewarding Winners Circle in drag racing. The reason for those record-shattering speeds and ETS and for the trophies adorning a spot of honor in the winners’ homes is thanks to the track prep done by the facility’s incredible track crew, led by Jeff Foster.

"What Jeff Foster and his folks do is beyond unbelievable," said Roth. "Every year, every single year, we come here and get some of the best track prep on the planet. The guys driving Open Comp get the same level of courtesy and track prep that our Pro Mod guys do. We couldn't do what we do without the team from The Strip."

SCSN came from humble beginnings. As a worker for the World Street Nationals at Orlando Speedworld, racers came to Roth asking for a West Coast version of the event. A partnership with Chris Blair, then the operations manager at The Strip and now the executive vice president and general manager at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis, blossomed into one of the biggest small-tire races in the country.

The race continues to grow, creating new events that are now traditional, such as Friday night’s 4-Wide grudge race with the Radials vs. Non-Radials. The race-within-a-race is all the more intense considering the four racers each pony up $10,000 to earn a shot at the $40,000 purse. In 2021, two new grudge races have been announced with a girls’ grudge race and nitrous grudge race.

Qualifying for all classes kicks off Thursday at 11 a.m. Bracket qualifying continues Friday at 8 a.m. with heads-up classes making their second qualifying pass at 10 a.m. The full SCSN 17 schedule can be found HERE.

For the fans unable to make the trip to Sin City, FloRacing is there live all weekend for the grandaddy of grassroots racing. Drag racing aficionados all over the world will tune in to see some of the best passes run all year at any track. 

“We’re huge fans of FloRacing, obviously,” Roth said. “They’re not just professional, but they love the sport of drag racing. This can be a long race and sometimes, it can be a cold race, but the FloRacing team love being here and love seeing the action on the track.”

Live streaming of the COMP Cams Street Car Super Nationals 17 presented by FuelTech begins Thursday at 11 a.m. PST.