Drivers in the Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts Series all will be aiming for the top with big purses and prizes on the line during three non-points races scheduled for Sept. 8, Sept. 15 and Oct. 5 at Bristol Dragway.

The always-popular Super Pro and Pro classes will return, as will Sportsman, Pro Bike and Junior Dragsters. These drivers will be running all out in hopes of earning the big prizes.

In addition, the highly-anticipated Charter Communications Bristol Bandits class will make its debut at Bristol Dragway during the Sept. 8 Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts Series event. The class also will compete at Ferguson Enterprises' Contractors Night on Sept. 15 and at the final event of the season at Sponsor's Night on Oct. 5.

The Charter Communications Bristol Bandits class consists of door cars that run the quarter-mile in the nine-second range. The drivers will compete in two qualifying rounds with the top 16 cars making the field. The first place driver in the Bandits class will receive $500 and different grand prizes each week, including a $7,500 Mac Tools toolbox and $250 of Sunoco gas cards.

The excitement of the Bristol Bandits even will include the crowd, as eight fans will be paired with drivers competing in the class. The fan paired with the winning driver will walk away with an identical grand prize.

Beginning at 7 p.m. on Sept. 8, the first 100 fans through the gate will receive a free Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts t-shirt while sizes and supplies last. Ferguson Enterprises' Contractors Night on Sept. 15 will feature wild entertainment such as a fan race, and a match race between a jet-powered barstool and a jet-powered outhouse. Bristol Dragway will honor both sponsors and fans at the Oct. 5 season finale and great promotions and prizes will make everyone that walks through the gate happy.

The schedule for each race day is the same. Spectator gates open at 8 a.m., time trials begin at 9:30 a.m with eliminations scheduled to start at the conclusion of qualifying. All day admission to the Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts is $10. Fans who cannot be at the track all day may take advantage of the new "Showtime" admission price. At 6 p.m., the admission price will be lowered to $7.

On the Friday afternoon before each race, a test and tune session will allow each driver an opportunity to test the track and his car before doing battle on Saturday. The test and tune is open to fans and takes place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information about the Sunoco Thunder Valley Shootouts events or the new Charter Communications Bristol Bandits class, please call 423.764.DRAG.