CONCORD, NC – Funny Car legend John Force set a new zMAX Dragway track record on Friday, powering to the provisional No. 1 spot at the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the fifth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

In the final Funny Car quad of the night, Force went an impressive 3.820-seconds at 330.96 mph in his 11,000-horsepower PEAK Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS, setting a track record previously set by teammate Robert Hight last September. If that holds, Force, who won the Winternationals earlier this year in Phoenix, would pick up his 167th career No. 1 qualifier and first in 2024. It’s been a strong season thus far for Force, who looks to pick up his fifth career victory at zMAX Dragway this weekend after making the 10th-quickest run in Funny Car history on Friday. Continue reading →

CONCORD, NC – After a six-week hiatus from the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule, the competitive Pro Stock Motorcycle class returns to action at this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Atop the list of riders ready to hit the track is six-time champion Matt Smith.

Smith, a North Carolina native, is two-time zMAX Dragway winner and wants nothing more than to return to the winner’s circle on his Denso Spark Plugs Buell. With a runner-up finish in Gainesville under his belt, he’ll be ready to return to competition on this weekend in Charlotte.

“We won the first ever four-wide race in Charlotte,” Smith said. “Our goal is to try to win the four-wide this weekend. We need to get back to winning races and need give Gaige (Herrera) a run for his money. Hopefully one of our Denso bikes or Scrappers Racing bike can win this weekend.” Continue reading →

CONCORD, NC – Bob Tasca III knows all about how difficult it is to win a four-wide drag race, doing so two weeks ago in Las Vegas under the rarest of circumstances in NHRA Funny Car history.

The talented veteran pulled off the first triple holeshot in Funny Car to defeat Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and Austin Prock at the four-wide event in Vegas, winning one of the most thrilling final rounds in four-wide history. Next up is a chance to sweep the four-wide events at this weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte.

Tasca feels right at home at the “Bellagio of Dragstrips,” winning the fall race at the state-of-the-art facility and bringing plenty of momentum into this weekend following his historic win. But Tasca, who is seeking his first Charlotte 4-Wide Nationals victory in his 11,000-horsepower Ford Performance Mustang, knows just how difficult it is to win one of the biggest spectacles in motorsports. Continue reading →

CHICAGO – After the successful return to Route 66 Raceway last season, NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series teams and officials are excited to return to Chicago for the upcoming Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance on May 17-19.

The 2023 event saw a huge number of fans return to Route 66 Raceway to take in a memorable weekend of 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph excitement. This season’s race at Route 66 Raceway promises to deliver the same thrills on a race weekend loaded with four rounds of qualifying, a host of special events on Saturday and Sunday eliminations.

Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home race wins last year in their respective categories while Justin Ashley, Ron Capps and Gaige Herrera secured Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge titles. An additional highlight of the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance is the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout. A year ago, Pro Stock newcomer Camrie Caruso won the specialty event, with the best in Pro Stock set to duel again this year. All the action will also be featured on FS1, including eliminations action and a special Callout broadcast that airs at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18 on FS1. Continue reading →

LAS VEGAS – Bob Tasca III recorded just the third triple holeshot win in NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series history on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, picking up his second career four-wide victory at the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) also won at the fourth of 20 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

Funny Car’s Tasca went 3.915-seconds at 329.75 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Ford Mustang in a final quad that featured Austin Prock, reigning world champ Matt Hagan and Ron Capps. Tasca’s time was the slowest of the foursome, but his .034 reaction time made the difference, as he slipped past all three by a razon-thin margin to claim his first win of 2024 and the 16th in his career.

It was the first triple holeshot win in Funny Car history and Tasca needed every bit of his starting-line advantage to pick up a memorable victory in an incredible final round that is certainly one of the most thrilling in four-wide history. Continue reading →