Alexis De Joria’s opening Funny Car pass at the NHRA’s NGK NTK Four-Wide Nationals wasn’t especially pretty.

But for the ROKiT Bandero Premium Tequila Toyota Camry driver, it was enough to put her atop the qualifying order Friday evening at zMAX Dragway. And it was way more than enough to erase the memories of glitches that beset her at the previous race.

A pair of women ruled qualifying on Friday at zMAX Dragway, as Brittany Force and Alexis DeJoria powered to the provisional No. 1 spot in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, during the opening round of qualifying at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte.  

Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Joey Gladstone (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the fourth race of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Qualifying continues on Saturday and zMAX Dragway will be able to operate at full capacity. After an executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday, grandstand limitations were lifted, allowing fans to return to zMAX Dragway without limitation.

There’s been one Pro Stock Motorcycle racer noticeably absent at the past two NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events in Las Vegas and Atlanta – veteran Pro Stock Motorcycle pilot Hector Arana Jr.

Arana Jr. is back competing at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., this weekend.

“Lucas Oil is no longer our primary sponsor,” Arana Jr. said in an interview with CompetitionPlus.com. “They are still helping, and we are grateful for their support.”

​Justin Ashley Racing today announced Smart Sanitizer, LLC as primary sponsor of the Davis Motorsports owned Top Fuel dragster for the remainder of the 2021 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The Smart Sanitizer Top Fuel dragster powered by Strutmasters.com will be wrapped in Smart Sanitizer branding, including their colors and prominently feature the company’s logo beginning with the NHRA Carolina Four-Wide Nationals today. 

“Adding Smart Sanitizer as primary sponsor is another huge step for our Top Fuel team,” said Justin Ashley, 2020 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “Our goal with our race team is to win races and also provide businesses and brands with exceptional marketing opportunities through our NHRA racing program. I am excited to represent their products and help introduce them to tens of thousands NHRA fans at every race starting in Charlotte this weekend.”

The addition of Smart Sanitizer as primary sponsor further strengthens the marketing program at Justin Ashley Racing as he pursues his first NHRA Camping World Top Fuel world championship. The 26-year-old driver has quickly established himself as a rising star and tough competitor on the NHRA series. Ashley opened the season with a semifinal finish at the prestigious NHRA Gatornationals and he continues to lead the Top Fuel class with best average reaction time for the second season in a row.   

 
NHRA and Auto Club Raceway at Pomona have teamed up to announce July 30 – Aug. 1 as the rescheduled date of the 61st annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com.
 
The Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals, which traditionally kicks off the NHRA season, was postponed due to state health guidelines in California. NHRA and the track have worked very closely with state and local officials to find a new date for the event and are confident that the new date will allow more fans to attend the famed race. 

In accordance with NC Gov. Roy Cooper’s latest executive order, grandstand seating limitations have been lifted, opening the door for thousands more race fans to enjoy this weekend’s NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.

“We are thrilled with today’s news that will allow fans to return to America’s Home for Racing without limitation,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “From the outset of the pandemic, whether operating a drive-through testing clinic or hosting the state’s first mass vaccination event, this has been the ultimate goal – to get back to filling the grandstands for the biggest, most entertaining events in motorsports.”

The only Top Fuel team based in North Carolina will unveil a new look at zMAX Dragway this weekend and owner-driver Doug Foley hopes carrying the colors of WhyNotDragRacing.com will help grow his team and others in the sport.

“My goal is to get this team to compete at the highest level with a full schedule,” said Foley, whose team is headquartered in Mooresville, roughly 20 miles from this weekend’s stop for NHRA major league drag racing.  “I believe this new, innovative platform to bring awareness to our sport is going to benefit us and eventually many others.”

Having some rust would have been expected for Vincent Nobile.

The New York native had not driven a Pro Stock car since the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif., Nov. 18, 2018.

Despite the layoff, Nobile was in top form at the Lucas Oil Southern Nationals May 2 at Atlanta Dragway.

Don Schumacher Racing’s Leah Pruett has been selected by the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) to serve as the Honorary Chairperson for the Hall’s upcoming ‘Class of 2021’ induction ceremony.
 
As the Honorary Chairperson, Pruett will help to welcome ‘Class of 2021’ inductees Davey Allison, John Cobb, Larry Dixon, Jr., Janet Guthrie, Nicky Hayden, Robin Miller, Fran Muncey, Ray Nichels, and Judy Stropus to the MSHFA’s prestigious ranks on Wednesday, September 29, at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Mich.

Growing up in a family of bracket racers with a father, Rich Rogge who still races today, it may have seemed odd that at seven years old, Jackie Fricke drew a picture of an alcohol dragster, stating, “I’m going to drive one of those someday.”

But that day is here and now and has been for a number of years.

Wheeling an A/Fuel Dragster owned by John Finke, Fricke has been in the final round of every national and regional event so far this year. With a team that begins with Finke, John Ausherman, Al Blake, sister Amy Iacono, and nieces Taylor and Tori; the entire group is very much family oriented. “We all get along so well,” said Fricke, “and that has been a big reason as to why we have run so good. Every one on our team is just as much into racing as I am.