What originally started in the 1950s as a way to get racing off city streets has accelerated into a popular motorsport giving out more than $50 million in prize money.

The National Hot Rod Association now holds more than 5,000 member-track events a year. ESPN broadcasts the national races and fans increasingly crowd to the quarter-mile tracks to witness speeds upwards of 300 mph.

Two rising stars in this sport have racing in their blood. Morgan Lucas is the driver of the Lucas Oil Top Alcohol Dragster and earned five No. 1 qualifier awards in his rookie season. HeÕs the youngest son of Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, owners and founders of Lucas Oil Products, which is sponsoring the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series for the second year in a row.

"I consider the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series to be the grass roots of drag racing," Lucas said. "It's a great place to learn everything possible about the car and how to be the best driver I can before moving into the Top Fuel class."

Rookie Brandon Bernstein is a role model for Lucas, having started in the same car and now racing in the Top Fuel class. He's already won three events and earned two No. 1 qualifier awards this year. He drives the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Dragster in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, and is the son of six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein.

Drag racing has evolved tremendously since the first official race of the NHRA in 1953. Today's top cars are computer-designed with wind-tunnel-tested rear airfoils that exert 5,000 pounds of downforce on the rear tires with minimal aerodynamic drag.

CATCH These Hot Rods

July 4-6	Sonoma, Calif.	Div 7
July 11-13	Woodburn, Ore.	Div 6
July 25-27	Seattle, Wash.	National
Aug. 1-3	Sonoma, Calif.	National
Aug. 14-17	Brainerd, Minn.	National
Aug. 27-Sep 1	Indianapolis, Ind.	National
Sep. 11-14	Reading, Pa.	National
Sep. 19-20	White City, Ore.	Div 6
Sep. 25-28	Chicago, Ill.	National
Oct. 9-12	Dallas, Texas	National
Oct. 30-Nov 2	Las Vegas, Nev.	Div 7