NHRA
NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS WEATHER UPDATE
CONCORD, NC – With continuing precipitation in the forecast, Sunday’s activities at the 12th annual NTK NHRA 
Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway have been postponed until Monday.
Gates will open at 9:00 a.m. ET with competition beginning at 10:00 a.m. with Top Fuel eliminations.
Today’s tickets will be honored on Monday. Walk up adult tickets will be $20 Monday and kids 13 and under will get in free.
For Sunday ticket holders who cannot attend tomorrow, the NHRA credit policy will be in effect.
TORRENCE, BECKMAN, ENDERS AND JOHNSON LAND TOP SPOTS IN QUALIFYING AT THE NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, NC – Current Top Fuel world champion and defending event winner Steve Torrence will start raceday 
from the top position for the fourth time this year after an impressive show in qualifying during the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the third of six races in the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Torrence powered his way to the top spot with an impressive pass of 3.711-seconds at 325.53 mph in his Capco Contractors dragster to earn the 23rd No. 1 qualifier of his career. Leah Pritchett raced into second place after her run of 3.714 at 331.20. She is followed by Brittany Force who ran 3.730 at 321.04 to secure the third spot.
BECKMAN, TORRENCE, ENDERS AND SAVOIE RISE TO PROVISIONAL TOP SPOTS FRIDAY AT NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, NC – Jack Beckman wowed the crowd during NHRA Prime Time qualifying on Friday, powering his way 
to the provisional No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car during the 12th annual NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the third of six races in the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.
Beckman went 3.873-seconds at 334.07 mph in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. If his pass holds, he’ll snag his second No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and 26th of his career. In the provisional second qualifying spot is Robert Hight with a run of 3.878 at 334.07. Beckman’s teammate Ron Capps is in the No. 3 spot after running 3.882 at 330.55.
“I was a little surprised at the E.T.,” said Beckman. “We did a lot of things at the last minute there. (John) Medlen (Crew Chief) will get on the radio and say, ‘Here’s the deal. There’s a couple bald spots; we are going to put you over on the right side of the lane.’ He says, ‘You can’t let the car get to the right anymore. You’ve got to drive it back over toward the middle.’ The point is, I just didn’t get to enjoy any part of that run. It just didn’t feel that fast to me because I was thinking so much about the things that I needed to do right. And when the 87 came up there it was awesome. We were in and we were in solid. There’s no way I thought that was going to hold simply because you had six more pairs of cars behind us that just saw what the race track was capable of.”
Race Week Festivities Highlight AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals
DALLAS, TX – Since its very first race in 1986, Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas, has been bringing high speed and 
exciting motorsports action to North Texas. As the longest running major motorsports venue in the Metroplex Texas Motorplex continues to raise the bar on fan-friendly events as well as record setting performances. Racing action will begin on Friday October 17 and run through Sunday October 20 but prior to and during the event fans will be treated to additional festivities both on and off the track.
“We look at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals as one of the premiere motorsports events in the state. We have the quickest and fastest race cars and no one can compete with our fan access,” said Andy Carter, Texas Motorplex general manager. “Also with the Thursday night free FanFest in downtown Ennis featuring over 20 drivers and riders, including 16-time Funny Car champion John Force, two-time champion Robert Hight and reigning Funny Car champion J.R. Todd as well as our pit access you will not get a better fan experience.”
Featured Race Week Events Include:
Pre-Stage FanFest, October 17 – The City of Ennis and Texas Motorplex are partnering for the sixth annual Pre-Stage FanFest between 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. in Downtown Ennis. Main Street and Knox Street (200 NW Main Street) will be blocked off for fans to wander between NHRA pro and sportsman cars, food trucks, music and more. Professional racers will be available for autographs during the event from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
STEVIE “FAST” JACKSON CLOSES IN ON FIRST WORLD TITLE AS E3 SPARK PLUGS NHRA PRO MOD ACTION HEADS TO CHARLOTTE
CONCORD, NC – If he wanted, Stevie “Fast” Jackson could take a minute and figure out the points scenarios 
necessary to win his first world title in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service as part of this weekend’s NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway. Instead, Jackson would rather just win and clinch it that way.
A Charlotte victory would assuredly give Jackson the championship in his blown Bahrain1 Racing Camaro and also removes any guesswork out of the equation. He’s already had an incredible season in the loaded class, winning twice and advancing to six final rounds as he leads Todd Tutterow and defending world champ Mike Janis by 156 and 167 points, respectively, but Jackson knows the job isn’t done yet, which has him motivated to take care of business in Charlotte.
“My goal is to just crush everybody and the championship will take care of itself,” said Jackson, who has seven wins and 13 final rounds in just 35 NHRA Pro Mod races. “There’s about 40 different scenarios, but I feel more pressure just wanting to win this race. We’ve struggled at this race, so it’s one I really want to win. Every race is nerve-wracking because I want to win. There’s no more or less pressure because of the championship.”
IT’S WIN OR BUST AT NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS FOR DEFENDING PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE WORLD CHAMP MATT SMITH
CONCORD, NC – With four races remaining in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, Matt Smith 
is 61 points out of first in Pro Stock Motorcycle, leaving him right in the mix of the title hunt. But the defending world champion will be racing with an extreme sense of urgency at this weekend’s NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway.
It’s a win-or-bust approach for Smith, the defending winner of the event on his Denso/Stockseth/Matt Smith Racing EBR. It puts extra pressure on the three-time world NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series champ heading into the race at his home track, but after falling just short in St. Louis, Smith wants to race with a sense of urgency in Charlotte.
“I looked at everything and I told our team that we have to win this race, and if we win this race we can win the championship,” Smith said. “If we don’t win this race, we’re going to battling for second and third. But I really think we can go win this race. We won it last year, we had a fast bike in St. Louis and we’re going to do better job in (Charlotte).”
NHRA ANNOUNCES 2020 MOUNTAIN MOTOR PRO STOCK SCHEDULE
GLENDORA, CA – NHRA officials released the 2020 schedule for the Mountain Motor Pro Stock category, which 
will compete at six of the 24 events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
This exciting category participated in four national events during the 2019 season and delighted fans with their dynamic paint schemes, throwback hood scoops, and impressive wheel stands that go on for the first 100 feet of a launch. Adding two more events for the 2020 season means even more fans will get the opportunity to check out what makes Mountain Motor Pro Stock so special.
NHRA’s two nitro categories – Funny Car and Top Fuel – will participate at all 24 national events in the 2020 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
STREET OUTLAWS’ FARMTRUCK TO FACE OFF AGAINST MOTOR TREND’S FINNEGAN AT DODGE NHRA NATIONALS IN LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS – Prior to hitting the showrooms of SEMA, Motor Trend’s Mike Finnegan will face the Street Outlaws 
duo of Farmtruck and AZN on the track at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a one-of-a-kind grudge match during the Dodge NHRA Nationals Presented By Pennzoil, Oct. 31-Nov. 3.
For the first time ever, The Farmtruck, a 1970 C-10 Chevy Pickup Truck will take to the track at an NHRA National event with its driver by the same name behind the wheel. Beloved by fans of the popular show “Street Outlaws,” the Farmtruck is the definition of a sleeper, complete with rusty paint, a camper shell and dents to camouflage the power under the hood. Farmtruck and AZN enjoy fooling unsuspecting bystanders and racers alike. But we can be certain that Mike Finnegan knows the score and will be ready for them.
Finnegan is no stranger to NHRA national events, having competed previously at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. when he raced his Blasphemi gasser against Hoonigan’s Jon Chase. He won that race and is looking for a repeat when he faces Farmtruck at the starting line with his Hemi-powered 1955 Chevy gasser.
GAINESVILLE RACEWAY TO HOST NHRA SOUTHEAST DIVISION SUMMIT RACING SERIES FINALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – The top racers in NHRA’s Southeast division will be on hand at Gainesville Raceway, October 
11-13 for the 2019 NHRA Summit Racing Series Southeast Division Finals. Racers in five categories from across the region will compete for individual and team honors and a share of the cash and contingency purse. Racing classes include Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Super Pro Motorcycle and High School.
Individual champions from the Summit Racing Series will advance to the Summit National Championship at the Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif., in November. They will compete against the winners from NHRA’s other six divisions for national championships and a winner-take-all $5,000 payday. All racers who run in Pomona will receive an additional $3,000.
In addition to the Summit Division Finals, the event will also host the Summit Race of Champions for all classes as well as the NHRA Summit Jr. Drag Racing League Southeast Division Finals.
PRO STOCK VETERAN GREG ANDERSON KNOWS BACK UP AGAINST THE WALL APPROACHING NTK NHRA CAROLINA NATIONALS
CONCORD, NC – Greg Anderson is no stranger to performing well in pressure situations. But the four-time Pro 
Stock world champion knows he needs something great at this weekend’s NTK NHRA Carolina Nationals at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway to stay in contention for another NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world title.
Anderson will be the first to admit the start to his Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship has not gone as planned in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro, as the veteran has just one round win through the first two playoff races. It’s dropped him to seventh in points, 107 behind teammate and points leader Jason Line, but good news for Anderson is he usually rises up when the pressure is on, and he’s always felt good racing in Charlotte, the home track for KB Racing.
“This race is probably the cutoff point for me and we’ve got to make it happen this weekend,” Anderson said. “We definitely got off to a bad start to open the Countdown and we got ourselves in a hole. We’ve got to make some hay and there’s a lot of pressure this weekend, but it seems like we sometimes need that extra drive or motivation to push us. Hopefully that wakes me up this weekend because we certainly can’t wait any longer.”
