NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For the first time ever, four-wide racing is a part of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs at this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway. Here's a look at what to expect with our Sunday preview.

Today will be a historic day at zMax Dragway as four wide racing will be part of the Countdown to the Championship for the first time. There will be three important rounds of competition today that may well go a long way towards deciding the Mission Foods NHRA pro champions as the Countdown completes the second of six events.

In Top Fuel, incoming leader Doug Kalitta has qualified No. 2 in the field and he’ll race against Antron Brown and Josh Hart in the opening round.

Tony Sewart was ninth quickest in qualifying and he’ll be part of a race against low qualifier Brittany Force and Reading winner Shawn Reed.

Shawn Langdon is also in contention for the championship and he’s racing in a very tough quad that features Justin Ashley, Tony Schumacher, and Doug Foley.

Austin Prock, who came to Charlotte with a 25  point lead over teammate Jack Beckman, qualified No. 3 in Funny Car and is matched against Bob Tasca III, Hunter Green and Alex Laughlin, who is making another start in the Dunn entry.

Beckman starts from the No. 9 sopt and has a tough race against low qualifier Matt Hagan, J.R. Todd, and John Smith.

Less than seven hundredths of a second separates the entire Pro Stock field from low qualifier and championship leader Dallas Glenn to Troy Coughlin Jr. Those two races will be part of a quad that includes the father son duo of Greg and Aaron Stanfield.

The so-called “quad of doom” has a stacked line-up featuring six-time world champions Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. along with David Cuadra.

In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Matt Smith, John Hall, Gaige Herrea, and  Richard Gadson, entered this weekend separated by less than one round. Herrera is the qualifying leader and Gadson is second.

Herrera’s quad includes Marc Ingwersen, Chase Van Sant and Marcus Hylton while Gadson races against Hall, Chris Bostick, and Ryan Oehler. Matt Smith opens against Brayden Davis, Kelly Clontz, and Brandon Litten.

2024 EVENT WINNERS: Antron Brown, Top Fuel; Austin Prock, Funny Car; Dallas Glenn, Pro Stock; Matt Smith, Pro Stock Motorcycle.  

MOST VICTORIES: Antron Brown, 7, TF; Robert Hight, 7, FC; Greg Anderson, 5, PS; Andrew Hines, 8, PSM.

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.647 sec. by Mike Salinas, Sept. ’23; 338.00 mph by Salinas, Sept. ‘23.
Funny Car – 3.824 sec. by John Force, April ’24; 338.34 mph by Bob Tasca III, April ‘24.
Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line March ’15; 215.78 mph by Greg Anderson, March ’15.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.671 sec. by Gaige Herrera, April ’24; 203.49 mph by Eddie Krawiec, May  ‘21.

SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, July 28
Pre-race ceremony: Seal Master track walk 10 a.m.
NHRA MISSION FOODS SERIES eliminations begin at 11:30 a.m.

TELEVISION
Sunday, Sept. 21, FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 21, FS1 will televise three and a half hours of finals coverage at noon (ET).