NHRA Standouts Set Sights on Championships at NHRA Carolina Nationals
As the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads into its Countdown to the Championship playoffs, drivers and teams will be laser-focused on an NHRA world championship when it comes to the 16th annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, which takes place on Sept. 20-22 at the Bellagio of dragstrips, zMAX Dragway.
The NHRA Carolina Nationals marks the second event of the six-race NHRA playoffs and the race will see competitors in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series taking to the track with championship dreams on their minds.
The intense, action-packed weekend will be filled with 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph excitement. The event features two qualifying runs on Friday, including a can’t-miss night session, two qualifying runs on Saturday and championship Sunday, where all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will leave it all on the line for a playoff victory.
Last season, Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all picked up wins at the fall race in Charlotte and this year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1.
The 2023 Countdown to the Championship was the turning point for Kalitta’s season. He kicked off the playoffs with a win in Reading before winning the NHRA Carolina Nationals. He then went onto win the NHRA Finals, in a winner-take-all final round against Leah Pruett, getting that elusive world championship for the first time. Kalitta currently leads the Top Fuel points, while the rest of the Top Fuel field will be ready for competition, including three-time 2023 winner Justin Ashley and former champs Shawn Langdon, Steve Torrence, Brittany Force and Antron Brown, as well as U.S. Nationals winner Clay Millican and Top Fuel rookie Tony Stewart.
Funny Car’s Tasca is hungry for his first NHRA championship and enters the playoffs in the best position of his career. He has three wins on the 2024 season and currently sits in second behind Funny Car newcomer Austin Prock. Prock took over driving duties for Robert Hight at the start of the season and has impressed fans throughout the year, winning a stellar five races, including Indy. Tasca and Prock will need to stay atop their performance game with reigning champion Matt Hagan in third and former champs J.R. Todd and Ron Capps rounding out the top five. Jack Beckman is also back in the seat racing for John Force and opens the Countdown to the Championship in sixth.
Anderson has five wins at zMAX Dragway, including most recently at this year’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in April. Last season, he defeated Dallas Glenn to claim the NHRA Carolina Nationals title and has enjoyed another banner year. This season, Glenn has led the points for the majority of the season, with Toyota NHRA U.S. Nationals winner Aaron Stanfield in second, Anderson in third and reigning champion Erica Enders in fourth, setting up a number of must-see matchups in Charlotte.
The performance from Pro Stock Motorcycle rider Herrera has been nothing short of amazing in his last two years with powerhouse Vance & Hines team. Last season, he won 11 races, and he has shown no sign of letting up this year, collecting seven of the nine Pro Stock Motorcycle race titles this season, including the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. North Carolina native and six-time champ Matt Smith wants nothing more than to dethrone Herrera and claim a seventh championship, while other contenders include Chase Van Sant, Jianna Evaristo, John Hall and Angie Smith.
The NHRA Carolina Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as the fan-favorite Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ and Pingel NHRA Top Fuel Motorcycle Series.
Fans will be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans at zMAX Dragway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the NHRA Carolina Nationals event winners.
As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Charlotte. This unique opportunity gives fans a chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 4:00 and 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 20, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 22. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday, 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FS1 at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
To purchase tickets to the NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, please visit www.zmaxdragway.com or call 800-455-FANS (3267). For more information about NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.
This story was originally published on September 6, 2024.
The post NHRA Standouts Set Sights on Championships at NHRA Carolina Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
