The O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals presented by Q, Bristol Dragway's premier event, returns to Bristol for the ninth annual race when the stars of the NHRA roll into town May 15-17, 2009. 

NHRA released its 24-event, 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series schedule Wednesday.  In addition, NHRA announced an event purse increase in excess of $1.3 million.

Beginning in 2009, national event winners in both Top Fuel and Funny Car will each receive $50,000, an increase of 25 percent.  Pro Stock national event winners will receive $25,000, while Pro Stock Motorcycle winners will receive $10,000.

Increases at national events also were announced for runners-up, semi-finalists and second round finishers.  In all, the total increase in event purses in the four professional classes is $1,353,700.

The 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series returns to the same venues as 2008, with only slight changes to the dates due to the change of holiday weekends

ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will again provide exclusive television coverage, on a same-day basis, for all 24 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events.

Earlier this year, NHRA announced that Full Throttle, The Coca-Cola Company's energy drink, will replace POWERade as the series sponsor beginning in 2009.