HOT ROD RACERS READY TO GO ON NATIONAL SERVICE

Graham Brown picks out the men who will write the headlines this weekend

For many years now it’s been accepted that the National Championships follow the World Final almost exactly a month later, beginning of July then beginning of August.

Teams and fans don’t really need a fixture list or a calendar, everyone just knows. OK, so this year the Commonwealth Games have forced the Nationals to move back a fortnight and the last two seasons have been disrupted by the pandemic, but that will not have altered the fact that whoever wins the World is often expected to win the National too.

It doesn’t always happen though. It’s said a week in politics is a long time and a month in NHR racing can be forever. Plus, in any case, the racing is rarely that predictable.

For a start, the Nationals is a very different event to the World, with everything condensed into three days, two if you skip Friday practice. It is in fact so competitive that you’d need way more space than we’ve got here to cover all the potential winners. So while the drivers we’ve selected could all win, just think of our preview as more of a guide to five drivers whose fortunes you might find it interesting to follow!