(Credit: HHP)
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series returns to one of the premier drag strips in the country, zMAX Dragway, which will host the Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals fueled by Full Throttle, April 19-21. This is the only event during the season where fans have the opportunity to see the fastest- accelerating machines in the world race side by side in an electrifying four-wide configuration. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle competitors will thrill fans, who can witness the exciting racing and take advantage of a special ticket offer that admits children 13 and younger free into general-admission areas with a paid adult.
When the bulbs on the Christmas Trees flash green, four powerful vehicles will blast down the track to provide a sensory experience second to none. In 2012, Funny Car driver Robert Hight recorded his fourth consecutive national event win of the season when he crossed the finish line first in his Auto Club Ford Mustang. In Top Fuel, Spencer Massey rocketed to his third victory in the early portion of the season, and his 332.18 mph pass set the national speed record. Greg Anderson, who calls the Charlotte area home, raced to the popular Pro Stock win when he narrowly defeated Erica Enders-Stevens, Jason Line and Vincent Nobile in the four-wide affair.
All the four-wide racing action will be featured on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD with hours of coverage that gives fans an up-close and behind-the-scenes look into the sport of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing.
The 2013 season already has been filled with incredible racing and spectacular finishes in all categories. In Top Fuel, seven-time Mello Yello world champion Tony Schumacher is showing the success that has made him a multi-time champion. Dating back to the last two races of 2012, he has powered to one win in four final-round appearances to put his U.S. Army dragster team near the top of the standings. Reigning Mello Yello world champ Antron Brown recently pulled ahead of Schumacher by winning the tradition-rich Gatornationals in Florida. Season-opening Winternationals winner Shawn Langdon, Massey and Morgan Lucas will be among those battling at zMAX Dragway to hoist the famed NHRA Wally at the end of the event.
In Funny Car, 2012 top rookie Courtney Force is showing that she has one of the most consistent cars in the category with her season-opening victory in Pomona at the controls of her Traxxas Ford Mustang, and NHRA Arizona Nationals winner Ron Capps is leading the standings in his quest for his first Funny Car world championship after coming up two points short last year to Jack Beckman. A host of hungry competitors also will try to earn the Wally at the Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, including Beckman, who won this event in 2011, 15-time world champ John Force, Hight, Cruz Pedregon, and Del Worsham, who has returned to the Funny Car driver’s seat this season.
The Pro Stock category will also line up four-wide and show that wins in the factory hot rod category are often decided by less than a thousandth of a second. Defending event champ Anderson will be looking to repeat against defending Mello Yello world champion Allen Johnson, Jeg Coughlin, season-opening event winner Vincent Nobile and Summit Racing teammate Jason Line, who will be among the top contenders in the Queen City.
New for 2013 is a return of the Pro Stock Motorcycle category at the Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Defending Mello Yello world champion Eddie Krawiec and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson team will be battling for their fourth world championship title, and success at the event will be paramount to winning the crown. Among those who will be riding to thwart Krawiec’s attempt are teammate Andrew Hines, Hector Arana Sr., Gatornationals winner Hector Arana Jr., and Matt Smith, a resident of nearby King, N.C. who won the only four-wide race in PSM history.
As always, fans will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite drivers as they’re granted an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet.
The fan-favorite Track Walk will return four-wide style at zMAX Dragway Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. to kick off pre-race ceremonies. All Sunday ticket holders are welcome to walk alongside their favorite drivers during the Track Walk. During pre-race ceremonies, fans are invited to join the fun and cheer all of the qualified drivers in front of the main stage as they are introduced.
Pro qualifying begins on Friday, April 19, with sessions at 2:30 p.m. and at 4:45 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, April 20, at 12:15 and 2:30 p.m. Final eliminations begin at noon on Sunday, April 21.
Be a part of the action all weekend with a 3-Day Pass to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals starting at $99. Tickets for children 13 and under are free with any paid adult ticket; to purchase general admission or reserved seats please visit www.zMAXDragway.com or call the box office at (800) 455-FANS (3267). For more information about NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.