Hood scoops to return to NHRA Pro Stock bodies in 2027

INDIANAPOLIS — NHRA officials announced April 8 that hood scoops will return to Pro Stock bodies beginning in the 2027 season. The governing body of drag racing also announced the removal of single forward-facing throttle body and replacing it with two top-mounted 4-barrel style throttled bodies. This comes from the NHRA technical department's continued effort to add more parity, continue to increase participation and reduce overall long-term costs for teams. The announcement comes a decade after the Pro Stock category transitioned from two carburetors and hood scoops to electronic fuel injection (EFI) and flat hoods in 2016. EFI will remain for 2027, but hood scoops will return to the popular category, which has seen strong participation in recent seasons. After extensive discussion with teams, racers, engine builders and crew chiefs, the strong majority were in favor of adding a hood scoop air entry back to Pro Stock cars, starting next season. By adding the hood scoop back, along with the new dual throttle body EFI setup, the consensus is it will provide a more beneficial and efficient way to tune the cars, with less variation from car to car. "The general feeling among competitors and stakeholders is the current low/front air-entry setup makes the engines more difficult to tune and creates more variation from car to car than it should," NHRA Director of Engineering Clinton Snead said. "By adding the hood scoop and top-mounted/dual throttle bodies, it should eliminate those issues, which should help all teams, but especially the smaller and lower-budget teams. Snead said there was "considerable momentum" from teams, racers and engine builders to make the move. "We're excited about the return of hood scoops and the addition of dual throttle bodies in Pro Stock," Snead said. "We believe this should draw added interest from fans as well, returning to more of the classic look fans have associated with the category." Along with the strong visual element of hood scoops, the addition was made with an eye on increased E.T. performance. Hood scoops will only be required to meet a limited number of measurement rules, similar to previous guidelines. The 2027 rules package for Pro Stock will also include loosened rules on throttle bodies, manifolds and air inlets. The new top-mounted dual throttle body rules will be based on dimensional requirements, allowing teams to build their own units or work with outside companies. The manifold rules will also be opened up to allow for increased innovation and performance. In its 75th anniversary season currently, the NHRA will also have a milestone in Norwalk this summer. The 20th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals will return to Summit Motorsports Park from June 25-28. For more information on NHRA, including the 2026 schedule, visit NHRA.com.