If you ignore the circus classes of Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Mod, and look at Pro Stock, Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, and Stock Eliminator, an NHRA or IHRA race can be a real treat, if you like real hardcore racing. Especially if you pick a race where "class" is contested in Stock and/or Super Stock.
For example, if you want to see the REAL racing at Indy, class is contested in Stock on Thursday, and in Super Stock on Friday. Guys work all year, and drive a thousand miles or more to take the class trophy at Indy. A class win at Indy is the Holy Grail. So go on Thursday and Friday, if at all possible, as that's when you'll see as many as a dozen cars in a single class in Stock or Super Stock go at it heads up, no dial in, winner take all.
You can get on the NHRA website and look around to see if they have one of the events close to you, and see if Stock and/or Super Stock runs for class.
Don't get me wrong, I like John Force, and I have known some Top Fuel racers personally, but it's all just a mega dollar circus, at least these days, and the racing just isn't as good as it is down in the sportsman classes, even Pro Stock doesn't quite capture it, but it is a fun class to watch, at least for me.
The Milan IHRA races are pretty good, one of my friends doubled up there a couple of years ago, winning two classes at the same event.
