This week, the National Muscle Car Association (NMCA), the #1 muscle car motorsports show in the U.S., and the NMRA, the nation’s leading all-Ford motorsports show, released their event schedules for the 2012 season, featuring many of the stops that racers and fans of both series have become accustomed to competing and watching some of the most exciting street legal drag racing the sports has to offer.

The NMRA will kick off the season with the traditional 18th annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout in Bradenton, Fla. on March 1-4 before moving on to the Atlanta Dragway for the first of three combined events with the NMCA. The series will pay a visit to the Maryland International Raceway on May 4-6, and the series’ premiere event, the 7th annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing will once again take place at the Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., July 12-15. The points-paying portion of the season will conclude, as always, at the Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, KY., October 4-7.

Like the NMRA, the NMCA tour will kick off in Bradenton, Fla. on March 15-18 with the 10th annual Ross Racing Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Nationals, and will return again to the Maryland International Raceway on June 8-10, which will again feature the ShopHEMI.com Late Model HEMI Shootout. Along with stops in Bowling Green, KY August 3-5 and Milan, Mich. August 24-26, the season will close out with the 11th annual FueLab NMCA World Street Finals at the Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis for the second year.

In addition to the point-paying portions of the NMRA and NMCA schedule and the late season event at the Royal Purple Raceway in Houston, November 9-11 , Promedia Events has announced the formation of an NMCA West series, which will feature four West Coast events with points and classes separate from the mothership. Other exciting announcements, including the forthcoming schedule for the LSX Shootout, are expected as early as next week.

2012 NMRA Schedule

March 1-4, 2012

18th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA Spring Break Shootout Presented by Steeda
Bradenton Motorsports Park – Bradenton, Florida

April 12-15, 2012

4th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
Atlanta Dragway – Commerce, Georgia

May 4-6, 2012

11th Annual NMRA Ford Nationals
Maryland Int’l Raceway – Mechanicsville, Maryland

June 15-16, 2012

9th Annual NMRA Ford Nationals
Milan Dragway – Milan, Michigan

July 12-15, 2012

7th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing Presented by Miller Welders
Route 66 Raceway – Joliet, Illinois

Aug. 31 – Sept 2, 2012

34th Annual NMRA Ford Expo
National Trail Raceway – Columbus, Ohio

Oct. 4-7, 2012

14th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA All-Ford World Finals
Featuring 5.0 Mustang’s King of the Street Beech
Bend Raceway – Bowling Green, Kentucky

November 9-11, 2012

3rd Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Lone Star Shootout
Royal Purple Raceway – Houston, Texas

2012 NMCA Schedule

March 15-18, 2012

10th Annual Ross Racing Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Nationals
Featuring the GM Performance Parts LSX Challenge
Bradenton Motorsports Park – Bradenton, Florida

April 12-15, 2012

4th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals
Atlanta Dragway – Commerce, Georgia

June 8-10, 2012

10th Annual NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Featuring the 4th Annual shopHEMI.com Late-Model HEMI Shootout
Maryland International Raceway – Mechanicsville, MD

July 12-15, 2012

7th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing Presented by Miller Welders
Route 66 Raceway – Joliet, Illinois

August 3-5, 2012

11th Annual Quick Fuel Technology NMCA Muscle Car Nationals
Featuring the Dave Duell Nostalgia Super Stock Classic
Beech Bend Raceway – Bowling Green, Kentucky

August 24-26, 2012

6th Annual JE Pistons NMCA Muscle Car Nationals Featuring the Ford Racing Cobra Jet Showdown
Milan Dragway – Milan, Michigan

October 11-14, 2012

11th Annual FueLab NMCA World Street Finals Featuring the 6th Annual GM Performance Parts LSX Shootout
Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianopolis – Indianapolis, Indiana

November 9-11, 2012

4th Annual Nitto Tire NMRA/NMCA Lone Star Shootout (non points, limited classes)
Royal Purple Raceway – Houston, Texas