CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There is only one time per year when drivers on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit have to compete in an event as unique as the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
But the way reigning Funny Car world champion Matt Hagan sees it, if he is able to win one of the most thrilling and adrenaline-filled moments of the season, then he is capable of winning no matter what situation is presented to him throughout the course of the 2015 season.
“If you’re able to adapt to all the different aspects and variables of this race, it makes you a better driver and competitor,” Hagan said. “You definitely have to rise to the occasion with this event. Being able to win the Four-Wide Nationals is definitely a confidence booster. It takes you out of your element and puts you in a situation you’re not used to. It makes you grow as a competitor and a driver. As a driver, team and crew chief you have to adapt, but different things like that make you a better driver in the long run.”
With four 10,000-horsepower machines lined up in a row on the starting line all weekend, the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, which takes place March 27-29 at prestigious zMAX Dragway, presents one of the must-see events of the season, also serving as the fourth of 24 races in 2015.
Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Jimmy Alund (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (PSM) were last year’s winners of the event that will once again be televised on ESPN and ESPN2. ESPN will provide live eliminations coverage on Sunday starting at 2 p.m., and Mello Yello Series racing will begin at 1 p.m. (ET) at the track.
Hagan has one Four-Wide Nationals victory, that coming in 2013 against Blake Alexander, Chad Head and Tim Wilkerson. The sensory-filled event requires a little something extra for success, a characteristic that Hagan has developed over the years.
“It definitely changes everything around,” Hagan said. “You have to learn to adapt, but there’s so much more going on. When those four cars go down the track, it’s like a shockwave. It’s pretty incredible to watch and it definitely wakes all of your senses up. You have to change your routine up a little bit, but the big thing is you have to be right on top and aware of everything. You have to make sure you’re doing everything right.”
That wasn’t a problem for Hagan a year ago when he claimed his second Funny Car world championship, taking three of his four victories during the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, including a victory at the Countdown kick-off at the NHRA Carolina Nationals.
Those good vibes have continued in 2015 for Hagan and his 10,000-horsepower Mopar Express Lane/Rocky Boots Dodge Charger R/T. Hagan won the first two events this season in Pomona and Phoenix and currently sits in first place in the points standings. A Four-Wide Nationals victory would only further that momentum.
“I’ve won it once and we had a great race car that day,” Hagan said. “Having to beat three cars in the final, it definitely changes that aspect of the game.”
It’s especially true considering the talent-filled Funny Car class, which includes Hight, who has two Four-Wide victories and four overall wins at zMAX Dragway. Other stars include John Force, Courtney Force, three-time national event winner Alexis DeJoria, Del Worsham, Cruz Pedregon, Jack Beckman, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Ron Capps, who won the most recent event in Gainesville.
Hagan and his team, led by crew chief Dickie Venables, aren’t standing pat, either. Despite the car running well, they continue to test a six-disc clutch that showed massive potential during preseason testing. But Hagan knows there is no need to rush into big changes at the moment.
“I have to show up and do the best job I can,” Hagan said. “Dickie isn’t going to make changes to the car until he’s 100 percent confident in them. We have a real good hot rod with this five-disc combo right now, so we need to have a handle on the six-disc set-up before we make any changes.”
In Top Fuel, Brown won at the Four-Wide Nationals for the first time last season and claimed six victories in 2014. Spencer Massey won in 2012 and 2013, and also won last weekend in Gainesville, while reigning world champ Tony Schumacher, who won the most recent event in Phoenix, has two victories at zMAX Dragway, but is looking for his first in the unique four-lane format. Doug Kalitta, J.R. Todd, three-time world champ Larry Dixon, reigning rookie of the year Richie Crampton, Brittany Force, Steve Torrence and Leah Pritchett will all be major contenders as well.
Substituting for four-time world champ Greg Anderson, who had off-season heart surgery, Alund ran the first five races and struck gold at zMAX Dragway. Anderson, a two-time winner of the event, is looking to build momentum after his 75th career victory last weekend at Gainesville, while teammate Jason Line won the season-opening Winternationals in Southern California. Others to watch include reigning world champ Erica Enders-Stevens, 2012 world champ Allen Johnson, Phoenix winner and current points leader Rodger Brogdon, rookie sensation Drew Skillman, Shane Gray and Jonathan Gray.
Hines and his Screamin’ Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teammate Eddie Krawiec dominated the Pro Stock Motorcycle season, combining to win 11 of the 16 events in 2014. Hines claimed his first win of the year in Charlotte and claimed five more titles en route to his fourth career world championship. Krawiec, 2009 world champ Hector Arana Sr., 2013 event winner Hector Arana Jr.; two-time world champ Matt Smith, Angie Smith, Karen Stoffer, who won in Gainesville, and Steve Johnson will all be competitive in the two-wheeled category.
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 enjoy some cherished face time with 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 Series qualifying begins Friday, March 27, with sessions at 1:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. The final two qualifying sessions will take place Saturday, March 28, also at 1:15 and 4 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 29.
The 2015 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals will also feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
Be a part of the action all weekend with a Three-Day Pass to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals starting at $99. 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 FACT SHEET
WHAT: Sixth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the fourth 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 2015 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, March 27-29
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, March 27 – LUCAS OIL SERIES qualifying
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.
SATURDAY, March 28 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations
MELLO YELLO SERIES qualifying at 1:15 and 4:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, March 29 – Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.
MELLO YELLO SERIES eliminations begin at 1 p.m.
TELEVISION:
Saturday, March 28, ESPN2 will televise 90 minutes of qualifying coverage at 8 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 29, ESPN will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 2 p.m. (ET).
2014 EVENT WINNERS: Antron Brown, Top Fuel; Robert Hight, Funny Car; Jimmy Alund, Pro Stock; Andrew Hines, Pro Stock Motorcycle.
MOST VICTORIES: Spencer Massey, 2, TF; Robert Hight, 2, FC; Greg Anderson, 2, PS; Mike Edwards, 2, PS.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel – 3.749 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’12; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12.
Funny Car – 3.980 seconds by Cruz Pedregon, Sept. ’13; 322.27 mph by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11.
Pro Stock – 6.471 sec. by Mike Edwards, April ’13; 213.91 mph by Jason Line, April ’12.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.810 sec. by Eddie Krawiec, Sept. ’11; 198.3 mph by Matt Smith, April. ’14.
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel – 3.701 sec. by Antron Brown, Oct. ‘12, Reading, Pa.; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April ’12, Charlotte, N.C.
Funny Car – 3.965 sec. and 324.12 mph by John Force, Feb. ’14, Pomona, Calif.
Pro Stock – 6.464 sec. and 215.55 mph by Erica Enders-Stevens, May ‘14, Englishtown N.J.
PS Motorcycle – 6.728 sec. by Andrew Hines, Oct. ’12, Reading, Pa.; 199.26 mph by Eddie Krawiec, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.
TICKETS: Order tickets by phone at (800) 455-FANS. Tickets also are available online at www.zmaxdragway.com.
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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS STANDINGS
GLENDORA, Calif. — Point standings (top 10) following the third of 24 events in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series –
Top Fuel: 1. Shawn Langdon, 281; 2. Tony Schumacher, 268; 3. Spencer Massey, 250; 4. Antron Brown, 241; 5. Doug Kalitta, 184; 6. Richie Crampton, 159; 7. (tie) Larry Dixon, 140; Brittany Force, 140; 9. J.R. Todd, 139; 10. Steve Torrence, 121.
Funny Car: 1. Matt Hagan, 267; 2. Ron Capps, 241; 3. Del Worsham, 213; 4. Robert Hight, 177; 5. John Hale, 173; 6. Tommy Johnson Jr., 172; 7. Alexis DeJoria, 162; 8. (tie) Courtney Force, 157; Cruz Pedregon, 157; 10. Tim Wilkerson, 145.
Pro Stock: 1. Rodger Brogdon, 284; 2. Jason Line, 277; 3. Drew Skillman, 229; 4. Chris McGaha, 220; 5. Erica Enders-Stevens, 217; 6. Greg Anderson, 203; 7. Shane Gray, 166; 8. Allen Johnson, 142; 9. Larry Morgan, 121; 10. Vincent Nobile, 119.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Karen Stoffer, 115; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 98; 3. (tie) Shawn Gann, 72; LE Tonglet, 72; 5. Angelle Sampey, 66; 6. Andrew Hines, 59; 7. Hector Arana, 54; 8. Angie Smith, 51; 9. Matt Smith, 43; 10. (tie) Steve Johnson, 34. Jim Underdahl, 34.
