Central Arizona Raceway is expanding the Cactus Classic into a three-day Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing special running Thursday through Saturday, creating a doubleheader with the NHRA Arizona Nationals. The format pairs morning and afternoon drag racing at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler with evening sprint car programs in Casa Grande; the opening Cactus Classic will include crossover filming and appearances by visiting NHRA stars as organizers seek to emphasize fan engagement by stacking sprint car nights alongside the marquee NHRA weekend. Several NHRA names — including J.R. Todd, Ron Capps, Maddi Gordon and Matt Hagan — are slated to attend the opener.

On the NHRA side, the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge returns to the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Motorsports Park as part of the 41st annual FMP NHRA Arizona Nationals presented by NGK Spark Plugs. The Saturday qualifying bonus event is in its fourth year and is run at 13 regular-season races; Josh Hart, the Top Fuel points leader, is seeking his first Mission #2Fast2Tasty victory in a rematch with Antron Brown, while rookie Maddi Gordon will make her Mission bonus-race debut against reigning world champion Doug Kalitta, who won the overall Mission title and five bonus races last year. Funny Car rematches include Chad Green versus Jordan Vandergriff, and past Phoenix winners J.R. Todd (2024) and Alexis DeJoria (2023) are scheduled to race each other. The Pro Stock entry list features Dallas Glenn, Greg Anderson, area native Matt Hartford and six-time world champion Erica Enders, who is paired with Greg Anderson, and the event is promoted as the “Duel in the Desert.” NHRA officials also said Arizona Nationals start times will shift earlier because of expected heat as NHRA marks its 75th anniversary season.

The High Limit series arrives with recent Las Vegas winners Kyle Larson, Corey Day and Aaron Reutzel; Reutzel’s 10th-2nd-1st sequence has put him atop the early-season High Limit standings in the No. 87 Ridge & Sons Racing entry, with Tanner Thorson two points behind and Rico Abreu, Giovanni Scelzi and Tyler Courtney following. The High Limit series lists fifteen full-time teams; ten of those teams have High Roller Club membership while five teams are jockeying for “Joker Fund” access with Kerry Madsen leading that chase. Notable driver moves include six-time champion Brad Sweet returning from retirement for a roughly 30–40 race part-time program with Paul Silva and Kevin Kozlowski after a February NARC 410 feature win, and Logan Seavey running roughly 15–20 winged events in Chad Boat’s CB Industries No. 87 in partnership with Spire Motorsports.

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