25 Reasons to Be Excited About Drag Racing: No. 4 – No Prep Kings Evolves
The seventh season of No Prep Kings has been a time of transition, moving away from Discovery Channel to their own live streaming service. While some may focus on the lower car count than in previous seasons, we believe there’s still a lot to be excited about.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #190, the State of Drag Issue, in September/ October of 2024.]
Perhaps the biggest takeaway this season is the incredible level of competition. Gone are the days where it seemingly took an act of God to prevent Ryan Martin from winning an event. Six different drivers have already found the winner’s circle in the first nine races this year.
“It used to be there were probably five cars that you could tell were a lot faster than the rest of the field,” says NPK Race Master Chris “BoostedGT” Hamilton. “Now, that number is much bigger. There’s no ducks. Everyone is within a tenth of each other; everybody has stepped up their game.”
Although Martin does have two event wins this year, he currently sits fourth in points. Kye Kelley, last year’s Individual points champion, is in seventh. Meanwhile, drivers like Giuseppe Gentile and Robin Roberts have positioned themselves to win their first championship.
Perhaps no one has upped their game more than longtime fan-favorite Shawn Ellington – better known as Murder Nova. Heading into this season, Ellington had never won an NPK Invitational. He already has two so far in 2024. It’s safe to say the parity in the Invitational class has never been higher.
“It really comes down to who leaves the line first,” Hamilton says. “They’re so close. If you’re getting beat by half a car, that’s considered a lot now. You can’t ask for much more.”
Another great aspect to this season is the more efficient format. With the first round taking place on Friday nights now – setting up a winner’s and loser’s bracket – the stakes are high both days. It also allows NPK to conclude by around 8 p.m. on Saturdays, as opposed to running late into the night like in previous seasons – enabling families to stay for the entire event, creating a better overall atmosphere.
“In some of the formats we did in previous years – say Team Attack – fans would come on Friday, and their favorite driver may not represent their team that week,” admits Hamilton. “Now they get to see everybody race. It’s very streamlined. You’re essentially taking away a round of racing [on Saturday] because you’ve split the field into two different classes. I think it’s a great format change.”
While we may not know exactly what the future holds for NPK, we’re enjoying the current elite level of competition, and are excited to see how the series continues to evolve.
This story was originally published on October 29, 2024.
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