NHRA announced Wednesday that it has postponed the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec due to the projected path of Hurricane Rita as issued by the National Weather Service. The race has been rescheduled for Oct. 6-9, the weekend following the NHRA POWERade Series visit to Chicago for the Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

“On the heels of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation caused by that system, NHRA feels it necessary to be extra cautious given the forecasted path for Hurricane Rita,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA. “We feel it is best to reschedule the event for our fans, the racing community and our sponsors. At this time, it is important we stay out of harm’s way and allow those that might be affected by Hurricane Rita to take care of more important issues at hand.”

Although the path of a hurricane is unpredictable, NHRA and Texas Motorplex officials have been in contact with local emergency representatives regarding the likelihood of Hurricane Rita’s path moving through the Ennis, Texas, area and the possible components associated with a system of this magnitude, including heavy rain and high wind.

With this weekend’s postponement, the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series and the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series will take place, in its entirety, the weekend of Oct. 6-9, and the schedule of events will remain the same.

All tickets purchased for this weekend will be honored for the rescheduled event Oct. 6-9.