CONCORD, NC – The Pro Stock Motorcycle class is back this weekend at the 15th annual American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway and former champion Matt Smith is looking to nab his fourth career win at his home track in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Smith, a six-time world champion, hails from nearby King, N.C. and rides the DENSO Spark Plugs Buell to lead a strong team effort at Matt Smith Racing. Nearly two months after starting the season in Gainesville, Charlotte marks the second event for the two-wheeled category in 2025. After finishing runner-up at the season opener in Gainesville in March, Smith and his team are ready to get back to racing and show the improvements the team has made since the Gatornationals.

“Since Gainesville, the Matt Smith Racing team has been really hard at work on our engines,” Smith said. “We had a few engines we had to fix up after Gainesville, so it was nice to have a little bit of a break to take those slow and make sure we weren’t making any mistakes.” Continue reading →

CONCORD, NC – Racing less than three hours from his home in Christiansburg, Va., four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan heads to zMAX Dragway with hopes of earning another win at the Bellagio of Dragstrips during this weekend’s American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.

Hagan will be flying the colors of American Rebel Beer this weekend in his 12,000-horsepower Dodge//SRT Hellcat Funny Car, adding even bigger stakes to the event for the popular veteran.

With four wins from Charlotte to his credit, including last year’s American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals when he picked up his milestone 50th career victory, Hagan is looking for his first win of the year as the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season continues at the wildest spectacle in motorsports.

“It will be a huge week for American Rebel,” said Hagan, who has 52 career Funny Car wins. “There will be a lot going on and I’m really excited about it. We’ll make it a good one knowing they’ll be out there with us. I’m ready to get going.” Continue reading →

Coming off first NHRA Top Fuel win, legendary Stewart can win at zMAX Dragway in 1,000th Top Fuel race in NHRA history

CONCORD, NC – Tony Stewart, the 112th and latest winner in the NHRA’s Top Fuel ranks, now has a chance to make more history with a victory at the 1,000th Top Fuel race in NHRA history at this weekend’s American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at state-of-the-art zMAX Dragway.

Tony Stewart added to his Hall of Fame resumé with his first career Top Fuel victory at the most recent NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series event in Las Vegas. It was a noteworthy moment for the legendary racer who has won in nearly every form of racing and now Stewart will have a chance for another milestone moment in Charlotte.

The 1,000th Top Fuel race takes place in the unique four-wide style, some 62 years after the first Top Fuel race took place at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals. The legendary Don Garlits won that event and now another legend in Stewart will have the opportunity to pick up a significant and noteworthy victory in Top Fuel – all at the Bellagio of Dragstrips in Charlotte in his 12,000-horsepower Dodge//SRT Direct Connection dragster.

“To go be able to go back to Charlotte, where I’ve got a deep-rooted racing history, and as the previous race winner (in Las Vegas) is going to be a great feeling,” Stewart said. “It’s going to make going to Charlotte that much better, especially being the 1,000th Top Fuel race. Me being a part of the sport, going into their 1,000th race and knowing that NHRA’s 75th anniversary is next year and being a part of that in some capacity is really cool to be a part of and it’s awesome. I got to be a part of NASCAR’s 50th (anniversary), and I just know how important historic moments like these are.” Continue reading →

Weekend-long celebration will feature autograph session with milestone winners, Garlits cackle car, special trophy and much more

CONCORD, NC – As the originator of four-wide drag racing, zMAX Dragway has been synonymous with historical moments in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, dating back to the first race at the Bellagio of Dragstrips in 2008.

Four-wide racing became reality in 2010 and 15 years later, zMAX Dragway will play host to another significant moment when the 1,000th Top Fuel race in NHRA history takes place at the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals on April 25-27.

Top Fuel first appeared at the 1963 NHRA Winternationals, with the legendary Don Garlits winning the first race. Six-plus decades and hundreds of races later, a magical moment will take place at zMAX Dragway during one of motorsports’ most unique spectacles.

Here’s a look at some memorable Top Fuel moments over the years at zMAX: Continue reading →