Originally sanctioned by the New Zealand Hot Rod Association (NZHRA), the Nationals were first run in the 1966/67 season. They were conducted on a clay surface at an open cast coal mine at Kopuku, south of Auckland. 1969/70 saw the Nationals conducted over a 3/16 mile course at Matahina after the Kopuku site was eaten up by the expanding coal mine. The following seasons meeting was on a sealed road in a new industrial subdivision at Wiri, also south of Auckland. The following two seasons did not have any Nationals.

In 2004, an errant street bike got out of control and collected the christmas tree at Champion Dragway. The tree was badly bent and the electrical carnage extended to the timing computer in the control tower. With the added problem of rain showers the meeting was abandoned. With the start of winter imminent the decision was made to abandon the 2004 Nationals and not rerun the meeting. The 2006 Nationals were also abandoned, after two attempts at running the meeting, due to rain.

In April 1994 the drag racers split from the NZHRA and formed the New Zealand Drag Racing Association (NZDRA), which now sanctions drag racing in New Zealand.