NHRA has announced that effective Oct. 1, Jeff Conley will become NHRA director of technical services, moving on from his current position as NHRA’s North Central (Division 3) director. At that time, Atlanta Dragway general manager William Tharpe will take over the role of Division 3 Director.

Jeff ConleyConley joined NHRA in 2007 as a member of the certification team. In 2013 he became operations and track manager at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Before joining NHRA, Conley held a number of positions in racing including event coordinator and national tech director for NMCA and NMRA.

“Pursuing and maintaining high technical standards is crucial to the continued success of NHRA Championship Drag Racing,” said Conley. “It’s a big responsibility and I’m eager to step into this new role.”

“Jeff Conley’s experience in technical operations and competition has made him a respected leader in Division 3,” said Ned Walliser, NHRA vice president of competition. “We look forward to utilizing his knowledge in a broader capacity.”

Experienced track manager Tharpe will move to Indianapolis to become director of Division 3, serving NHRA tracks in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. Most recently, he’s managed NHRA-owned Atlanta Dragway. Prior to that, he served as general manager for Kil-Kare Raceway, a Division 3 track in Xenia, OH for almost 20 years. Tharpe’s father ignited his passion for the sport of drag racing at a young age and inspired him to pursue a career with NHRA.

“As a young kid I had a dream to one day work with NHRA at this level. It’s incredible to have achieved that goal and now I’m setting my sights even higher,” said Tharpe. “I am more than ready for the challenge of being a division director.”

“William Tharpe has proven to be a valuable asset to our track in Atlanta and we feel he will be a great fit to lead Division 3,” said Josh Peterson, NHRA vice president of racing administration.