Charlotte has long been the heart and soul of NASCAR country, but there’s another high-octane motorsport thriving right in its backyard – the 335 mph thrill show that is NHRA drag racing. Fans can experience a three-day showcase of thundering, 44,000-horsepower exhilaration – and root on several home-town teams – as the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals comes to life at zMAX Dragway next weekend.
Leading up to the nitro-fueled madness, here’s a look at a few competitors with Charlotte-area ties who have high hopes for a successful weekend at their home track:
DALLAS GLENN
Mooresville,NC
Third-generation racer Dallas Glenn’s dream came to life when he made his NHRA debut at the 2021 Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. Later that season, he earned his first win in the category at zMAX Dragway.
He led the Pro Stock points through the majority of the 2023 regular season, and his success has continued into 2024. Heading into the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Concord, the Mooresville, North Carolina resident is feeling especially confident thanks to one key factor – zMAX Dragway is his home track.
“I like having all my friends and family in town,” he said. “It brings me a lot of confidence. It seems like every time I go there, I drive good and end up in the final round.”
ANGIE AND MATT SMITH
King,NC
Husband-and-wife Pro Stock Motorcycle duo Angie and Matt Smith are no strangers to competing against one another. The North Carolina rivals-turned-couple will continue to go toe-to-toe at the upcoming NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
The “Unsinkable Angie Smith” earned her nickname in September of 2023 after suffering a crash that left her with eight broken toes and required a skin graft. She returned to racing about a month later. Her comeback continued this season with a career-best run of 6.69 seconds in Gainesville, Fla. Smith is hoping the momentum will carry over into her home race.
“There’s nothing like pulling up to the starting line at zMAX,” she said, motivated by the fact that her friends and family – including her husband, six-time Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Matt Smith – will be in attendance.
Matt shares his wife’s sentiment as the pair prepares to take on zMAX.
“It’s the biggest and the best race track out there,” he said of the dragway.
Both are optimistic about where the Matt Smith Racing team is headed as the 2024 season races on at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals.
GREG ANDERSON
Mooresville,NC
Greg Anderson and KB Titan Racing announced a multiyear extension with HendrickCars.com and Hendrick Automotive Group just last month, and it’s already proven to be a winning combination.
Anderson, NHRA’s winningest Pro Stock driver who sets up shop in Mooresville, North Carolina, collected his first victory of the 2024 season and 104th of his career when he took top honors at the Arizona Nationals earlier this month.
After collecting his fourth win at the track last fall, Anderson will look to keep the confidence rolling into zMAX Dragway at the upcoming NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in what he called “the most exciting sport on the planet, bar none.”
CLAY MILLICAN
Mooresville,NC
Nearly 26 years after taking his first laps in a Top Fuel dragster, six-time World Champion Clay Millican and Parts Plus will hit the ground running with Mooresville, North Carolina’s Rick Ware Racing team. RWR is coming off their first full NHRA season in 2023, which featured three Top Fuel event wins and doubled Millican’s career total in the series dating back to 1998.
While Millican is still chasing his first Wally at zMAX Dragway, his excitement to return is clear.
“It’s the Bellagio of drag racing,” he said. “It’s the cleanest, nicest, most amazing facility you will ever watch a drag race in.”
TICKETS:
Fans can purchase tickets to the April 26-28 NHRA 4-Wide Nationals online at charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Every ticket is a pit pass, so come early to see your favorite drivers and their cars up-close before a festival of 40,000 horsepower ignites the excitement!
KEEP TRACK:
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