For the first time in NHRA history, modern Top Fuel dragsters and Funny
Cars will race four-lanes, four-wide, unleashing a powerful assault of
28,000 horsepower on spectacular zMAX Dragway, NHRA officials announced
today.
In what is sure to be a must-see demonstration of the ultimate in
high-horsepower performance, four NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and four NHRA
Funny Cars will race in a four-wide configuration during separate races
in a special exhibition event just prior to the final round of the NHRA
Carolinas Nationals, on Sunday, Sept. 20.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, four-lane drag racing was occasionally
conducted at non-NHRA dragstrips, primarily throughout the Midwest,
with a few exhibitions held at tracks in California and Maryland. The
fastest cars of that era were just breaking the 230 mph barrier.
Today’s modern Top Fuel dragsters cover the 1,000-foot race distance in
3.8 seconds at more than 315 mph. Funny Cars travel the same distance
in 4.0 seconds at 310 mph.