3rd annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
April 13-15
zMAX Dragway
6570 Bruton Smith Blvd.
Concord, NC 28027
Elevation: 630 feet
Radio Frequency: 91.1 FM
The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series makes its first of two stops at fabulous zMAX Dragway — the self-proclaimed “Bellagio of dragstrips” — with the spectacle of four-wide racing in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock. The site, which also has hosted an NHRA national event in mid-September since 2008, is famous for its fan amenities and side-by-side dragstrips.
2011 recap: The format may be unique but the end result was quite familiar in Top Fuel, where Del Worsham nosed out Al-Anabi teammate Larry Dixon by four-thousandths to score his second win of the season. In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson landed in the winner’s circle and the points lead by a scant three markers over teammate Jason Line. In Funny Car, Jack Beckman ended the stranglehold that John Force Racing had on the class by becoming the first non-JFR driver to hoist a Wally in 2011.
How to Get There: From Charlotte (south) or Greensboro, N.C. (north), take I-85 to Exit 49 (Bruton Smith Boulevard/Concord Mills), then head east; parking is available on both sides of Bruton Smith Boulevard. From Charlotte, take I-85 north to Exit 46A (Mallard Creek Church Road); turn right off exit, then left onto Highway 29 North/North Tryon; parking is available on the left past Bruton Smith Boulevard. From South Carolina, take I-77 North to Exit 1 (I-485 East), then follow I-485 to Exit 32 (Highway 29/North Tryon). Take Highway 29 North to the speedway; parking is available on the left past Bruton Smith Boulevard. From Statesville, N.C., take I-77 South to Exit 25. Turn left on Highway 73 (Sam Furr Road), then right on Poplar Tent to Pitts School Road. Turn right onto Highway 29 South; parking available on the right.