Shawn Langdon’s first race of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season will come in Houston, but his second will take place at zMAX Dragway for the eighth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 28-30, leaving the 2013 Top Fuel world champion very little time to get prepared for one of the most unique races on the NHRA circuit.
Langdon, who recently joined the Kalitta Motorsports team as the driver of the 10,000-horsepower Global Electronic Technology dragster, is just fine with the challenges the race presents, embracing the one-of-a-kind experience it offers to both drivers and fans.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Langdon, who has 14 career wins. “It’s a great facility and I just love racing there. There’s so many cool things that go on with the race that I really enjoy. It will be my second race back and that track has a great surface, especially when it’s cool. I’m excited. There’s a little different staging process with the four-wide set-up, but to me it’s not much of a task. I’ve raced it enough times, I’m very familiar with it and I don’t think it’s much of a difference.”
Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the race that will be televised on FOX Sports 1, including a broadcast of the finals on Sunday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. (ET). It is the sixth of 24 events during the 2017 NHRA season, meaning Langdon is four races behind his Top Fuel counterparts.
Again, though, Langdon welcomes the challenge. He will have to play catch up in a loaded class with the hopes of cracking the top 10 and earning a ninth straight berth in the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, but that quest is what will make the next several months exciting.
“For me, I thrive off the pressure,” Langdon said. “That’s what I love, moments like that. It’s what you live for as a driver. It’s been a pretty good thrash trying to get everything ready to go and we’ve got some ground to make up, but I’m ready to get back in the mix of things. We’re (148 points out of 10th) but I’m not nervous about it. I know we have points to make up, but we’re going to prepare ourselves the best way possible. It wouldn’t surprise me to go right out and be successful.”
To do so at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, one of the most thrilling experiences in all of motorsports, would provide an impressive early-season boost. With four 10,000-horsepower dragsters rocketing down the dragstrip simultaneously, Langdon will be challenged by the likes of points leader Tony Schumacher, back-to-back world champ Antron Brown, two-time 2017 winner Leah Pritchett and defending race winner Force.
Joining a Kalitta Motorsports team that already includes standout Doug Kalitta and rookie Troy Coughlin Jr. will be beneficial in a number of ways for Langdon, a three-time winner in 2016.
“The good thing about working with guys like Jim (Oberhofer), Rob Flynn, James (Riola) and Connie (Kalitta) is they’re very talented and have been doing this for years,” said Langdon, who won the fall race at zMAX Dragway in 2012. “It’s just a matter of making laps in the car. I’m very excited to work with everyone. It’s just a really tight-knit, close group.”
Funny Car veteran Wilkerson won for the first time at zMAX Dragway last year, and will face off against the likes of defending world champ Ron Capps and points leader Matt Hagan.
In Pro Stock, Line’s first Four-Wide Nationals victory came in 2016 and he also won at the fall race at zMAX. To continue his win streak in Charlotte he’ll have to fend off drivers like teammate Greg Anderson, veteran Shane Gray and rookie Tanner Gray, all of which, like Line, have wins in 2017.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Hines will try to make it two straight Four-Wide wins over the likes of Gainesville winner Eddie Krawiec and defending world champ Jerry Savoie.
The NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series makes the third of 12 stops at zMAX Dragway. The event also features thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, showcasing the future stars of the sport. After Nitro qualifying on Friday, fans can watch the spectacular Muy Caliente Racing jet dragsters sponsored by Lucas Oil alongside Hanna Motorsports jet funny cars, and Douthit Motorsports Black Pearl Nostalgia Jet Funny Car as well. Jet cars are thrust driven vehicles propelled by jet engines with exciting pre-run flame shows.
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. This unique opportunity in motorsports gives fans direct access to the teams, allowing them to see firsthand the highly-skilled mechanics service their hot rods between rounds, and get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers. Fans also will want to visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create a carnival atmosphere, with interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food and fun for the entire family.
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 4:15 and 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 28 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 29, at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday, April 30.
Be a part of the action all weekend with a Three-Day Pass to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals starting at $107. 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.
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NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS PRESENTED BY LOWES FOODS
WHAT: Eighth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals presented by Lowes Foods, the sixth of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. Drivers in four categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle – earn points leading to 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championships.
WHERE: zMAX Dragway- Track is located on Hwy 29 off I-85 at exit 49 (Speedway Blvd.) in the Concord, N.C. area.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, April 28-30
FORMAT: Qualifying sessions and elimination rounds will be conducted using four lanes in all Mello Yello Series classes; Lanes will be identified from left to right facing downtrack as 1-4; The standard Friday qualifying procedure of a top 12 format will not be in use; Two Christmas trees will be in use, one between each two lanes; The Compulink Autostart system will continue to be utilized and it will not activate until all four vehicles are pre-staged and one vehicle has staged; The ladder structure will feature Race A: qualifiers 1, 8, 9, 16, Race B: qualifiers 4, 5, 12, 13, Race C: qualifiers 2, 7, 10, 15, and Race D: qualifiers 3, 6, 11, 14; Race A and Race B will be on one side of the ladder, while Race C and Race D will be on the other; Lane choice for eliminations goes to the driver with the quickest E.T., then the second-quickest, and so on; The first two drivers in each elimination round to cross the finish line advance to the second round and final; In the final round, teams will finish in the order they cross the finish line (barring any red-light starts), with winner, runner-up and two semifinalists in that order.
SCHEDULE: FRIDAY, April 28 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 29 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 2 and 4 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 30 – Pre-race ceremonies, 10:30 a.m.
MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at noon
TELEVISION: Friday, April 28, FS1 will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 7 p.m. (ET).
Saturday, April 29, FS1 will televise three hours of qualifying highlights at 12 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 30, FS1 will televise three hours of elimination highlights at 5:30 p.m. (ET).
2016 EVENT WINNERS: Brittany Force, Top Fuel; Tim Wilkerson, Funny Car; Jason Line, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
MOST VICTORIES: Antron Brown, 2, TF; Spencer Massey, 2, TF; Jack Beckman, 2, FC; Robert Hight, 2, FC; Greg Anderson, 2, PS; Mike Edwards, 2, PS; Andrew Hines, 3, PSM.
TRACK RECORDS: Top Fuel – 3.713 sec. by J.R. Todd, March ’15; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12.
Funny Car – 3.876 sec. by Tommy Johnson Jr., Sept. ’16; 331.04 mph by John Force, Sept. ’16.
Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15; 215.48 mph by Greg Anderson, March ’15.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.794 sec. and 199.88 mph by Hector Arana Jr., March ’15.
NATIONAL RECORDS: Top Fuel – 3.658 sec. by Leah Pritchett, Feb. ‘17, Phoenix; 332.75 mph by Spencer Massey, Aug. ’15, Brainerd, Minn.
Funny Car – 3.822 by Matt Hagan, Aug. ’16, Brainerd, Minn.; 335.57 mph by Hagan, May ’16, Topeka, Kan.
Pro Stock – 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J.
TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 455-FANS. Tickets also are available online at www.zmaxdragway.com.