The NHRA's premier series has operated under a succession of title sponsors since the 1970s. Coca-Cola, which had held the naming rights since 2002 under the Powerade, Full Throttle, and Mello Yello brands, announced in September 2020 that it was immediately withdrawing its sponsorship despite a contract running through 2023. The NHRA filed suit over the early exit. Within weeks, on October 4, 2020, the NHRA announced Camping World as its replacement title sponsor. In early 2023, Camping World confirmed it would not renew at the end of the 2024 season. Gruma S.A.B. de C.V., through its Mission Foods brand, was announced as the new title sponsor for the 2024 season on October 25, 2023, effectively bringing the Camping World naming era to a close while retaining Camping World as a "premier partner" through 2026.
The four professional classes span the full spectrum of NHRA drag racing. Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars burn a mixture of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol, regularly exceeding 300 mph (480 km/h) over the 1,000-foot (300 m) race distance that replaced the traditional quarter-mile in 2008 following the fatal accident of Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta. The shorter distance, though originally a temporary safety measure, became permanent at team request as a cost-control measure. Pro Stock cars run at around 214 mph (344 km/h) in elapsed times of 6.4–6.7 seconds, while Pro Stock Motorcycles compete above 190 mph (310 km/h) in the low-7 to high-6-second range.
Top Fuel competition dates to 1965, with Funny Cars added in 1966, Pro Stock in 1970, and Pro Stock Motorcycles in 1987.
The series determines its champions via a playoff format introduced in 2007 known as the Countdown to the Championship. After the regular season, the top ten drivers in each professional class advance to the playoff segment, at which point points are compressed to a narrow range to heighten competition for the title. Drivers outside the top ten are eliminated from championship contention but continue racing. The Countdown was suspended for the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned for 2021, the first season under the Camping World name.
During the Camping World era the series continued its broadcast partnership with Fox Sports, which had begun in 2016. Coverage airs primarily on FS1 and FS2, with four events per season on the Fox broadcast network. The flagship U.S. Nationals is among the events guaranteed a network broadcast. The Fox contract renewed in 2021 and expanded network television coverage, though scheduling constraints during the NFL season and the NASCAR Cup Series' Fox window result in some events airing on tape delay. The NHRA Rookie of the Year award — given annually since 1990 to a standout first-year professional competitor — continued to be presented throughout the Camping World era.
The Camping World Drag Racing Series bridged a period of commercial transition for the NHRA, stabilizing the series' title-sponsor identity after Coca-Cola's sudden departure and carrying it through to the Mission Foods era. Series icons including John Force, with sixteen Funny Car world championships, remained active presences throughout, and the series continued to develop new talent through its annual rookie recognition program.