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.

Larry Carrier couldn’t wait to kick off the 1974 IHRA season in Charlotte, N.C.

Three days later, the IHRA founder and president couldn’t get out of town quick enough.

The only national event drag race staged on the hallowed grounds of what is now Lowe’s Motor Speedway featured plenty of entertaining and competitive drag races, but in the end a single-car crash accounting for three deaths cast a pall on the event. It was more than many could endure, especially Carrier.

So what inspired a race at what is now one of the most famous oval track racing facilities in the world?

Carrier’s networking prowess was the primary reason.

It was the last thing national event winning Top Sportsman driver Don Oneal wanted or needed at this time in his life.

Oneal, who won the 2018 Four-Wide Nationals Top Sportsman title, made the difficult decision yesterday to withdraw from this weekend's event, an event sponsored by his primary sponsor NGK NTK.

"We have stumbled on something and the car has developed and picked up a gremlin somewhere along the way during its repair process from the accident that we had in testing before the U.S. Nationals last year, and we just cannot find it," Oneal explained. "We have been throwing parts and pieces at it for the last, getting ready to be ten days, and just have not found it yet. And they're just not willing to go on a wing and a prayer with everything that's going on zMAX for the 4-Wides, for NGK and NTK, and quite frankly look bad. And it's a hard decision to make; tough decision to make."

A gas shortage is playing havoc in the southeastern part of the United States, especially in the areas surrounding zMax Dragway, the site of stop No. 4 on the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

According to NHRA VP of Communications Jeffrey Young, this weekend's NGK NTK Four-Wide Nationals will not be affected.

"The event will go on as planned," Young told CompetitionPlus.com.

Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Chip Ellis will be competing on an Erik Buell Racing motorcycle for Matt Smith Racing again.

Ellis will race at the NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., May 14-16. 

This will be Ellis’s second race of 2021. He drove for MSR at the Four-Wide race at The Strip at Las Motor Speedway April 16-18 and made it to the semifinals. Ellis be aboard that same motorcycle in Charlotte.

“After I raced in Vegas, I helped Angie (Smith, Matt’s wife) work on her bike in Atlanta (May 1-2), and then I will be racing in Charlotte,” Ellis said. “The Vegas deal was a surprise to me. He (Matt Smith) called me the Monday before Vegas and said ‘Do want to come out and run this weekend?’ I think the main reason is that they were short on bikes that weekend. He had an extra bike there in the trailer and we came out in Vegas and we did pretty good. 

The POWER HOUR is LIVE (8PM EST 5/4)! On the show, it's the living motorsports legend, Don "The Snake" Prudhomme as our guest. From drag racing in its earliest days to Baja just weeks ago he is one of the greats in the motorsports discussion. Slammin' Sam and the Monday Morning Racer will be talking drag racing before Mr.Prudhomme is on and Jeff Arend will give us insider information. Join us LIVE!