NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

In addition to the Camping World Drag Racing Series action taking place at zMAX Dragway, nine champions were also crowned in Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series competition at the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals.

Earl Nichols Jr., a former Super Gas racer, has less than 20 runs under his safety belts in Top Alcohol Dragster but already is a national event winner. A week after reaching the semifinals of the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals, Earl Nichols won wire-to-wire in Charlotte for his first national event win, racing from the No. 1 qualifying spot to the winner's circle after a 5.28 to 5.29 final-round defeat of Jasmine Salinas. [video]

Reigning Top Alcohol Funny Car world champ Sean Bellemeur continued his zMAX Dragway dominance, winning for the fourth straight time at the facility – sweeping both the spring and fall events in 2021 and ’22 -- when he defeated fellow world champ and current points leader Shane Westerfield, who red-lighted in the final round.  [video]

Two-time national event Comp runner-up Joe Carnasciale finally broke through for his first career victory, wheeling his Rhode Island-based I/SM '06 Cavalier to a sizzling (-.57) 8.94 in the final round to defeat recent JEGS Allstars champ David Eaton, who slowed to a (-.37) 6.74 in his No. 1-qualified A/AP Bantam entry. [video]

On the way to his first NHRA national event victory in Super Stock, Troy Huntzberry flirted with perfection as he combined a .001 reaction time with a 10.040 on his 10.04 dial to knock out recent U.S. Nationals winner Pete D’Agnolo. Despite the loss, D’Agnolo remains one of the leading contenders for the national championship. [video]

With his 106th career national event victory, Dan Fletcher is now in sole possession of second place among NHRA’s all-time win leaders behind only John Force (155). Fletcher won the Stock title in Charlotte after Mitch Kight fouled in the final. [video]

Robert Houston, who was the Top Dragster runner-up earlier this year at the Virginia NHRA Nationals, went one round further this time in Super Comp, collecting his first career national event victory after Dan Foley’s fouled by a thousandth of a second in the final round. [video]

Billy Upton, who won Super Comp at last year’s Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway, collected career win No. 5 and his fourth in Super Gas when he drove his '63 Corvette to a double-breakout final-round victory over Ernie Knight, 9.899 to 9.895. It was Upton first national-event outing of the season and just his second of the year. [video]

Jeremy Hancock claimed his first national event victory in Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers when he stopped Clint Riley in the final round. Hancock, previously a runner-up in Super Street at the 2017 Atlanta race, won the final after Riley fouled. [video]

Jerry Albert is a tough out in final rounds and he proved it again in Charlotte by winning his sixth national event title in seven tries in Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers . Albert, who already has two Charlotte wins, added a third with a 6.61 on his 6.60 dial to stop Larry Willard and his ’57 Chevy. [video]