NHRA to Let Tesla’s Model S Plaid Race 9-Second 1/4 Mile Without Roll Cage

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has lifted a ban on drag racing for 9-second 1/4 mile factory vehicles without a roll cage, according to an announcement made on Monday expanding on a December press release (via The Drive).

The rules will now allow vehicles with 9-second quarter-mile times that don’t have a roll cage to compete, such as the Tesla Model S Plaid, the Dodge Demon, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the Bugatti Chiron, among others.

Drag Race: Tesla Model S Plaid vs Lucid Air vs Porsche Taycan Turbo S [VIDEO] https://t.co/RqB9dJLLbu

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In addition, the new ruleset will incentivize drivers who break barriers between 8 and 13 seconds in a quarter-mile, gaining access to special NHRA decals at associated venues.

Drivers still must retain an NHRA Level 6 license for times under 10 seconds, while those over 10 seconds will require only a Level 7 license.

Tesla’s Model S Plaid is considered the quickest 0-60mph production car, while drivers have also consistently hit quarter-mile speeds under 10 seconds.

Earlier this year, Tesla also began rolling out a Track Mode for the Model S Plaid, in order to optimize performance for quick laps.

We’ve seen many Tesla Model S Plaid owners forced to limit their 1/4 mile times to just over 9 seconds, or get kicked off drag strips, due to the previous rules.

We’ve previously seen a modified Model S Plaid run an 8.99 second 1/4 mile, but it was indeed prepped for the track to abide by NHRA safety rules.