The first four-wide playoff race in NHRA history ended with four drivers strengthening their championship bids Sunday at zMAX Dragway. Austin Prock, Justin Ashley, Dallas Glenn, and Richard Gadson collected victories at the 4-Wide Carolina Nationals, solidifying their positions in the Countdown to the Championship.
Prock’s Funny Car triumph led the way, as the reigning NHRA champion powered his Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet SS to a 3.912, 332.43 in the final. The win marked his eighth of the year, 16th since moving to Funny Car last season, and 20th of his career. It also completed a season sweep of all three four-wide races, a first for the category.
The victory followed a stumble in Reading, where Prock lost in the second round after crossing the centerline. At Charlotte, he rebounded with wins in the first two quads before reeling in Dan Wilkerson in the final and edging Matt Hagan at the finish line.
“That was a big win, especially after everything that went on in the semifinals when a few of the frontrunners went out and we capitalized on it,” Prock said. “We extended our lead a little bit going into St. Louis next weekend, and there’s only four left. It was good to keep up our performance this weekend and extend our points lead.”
Prock credited his team’s overall package, even if his reaction times were not where he wanted them. “The ‘Prock Rocket’ was on point all weekend,” he said. “I wasn’t my typical self on the starting line. I was good – but not where I wanted to be – but the car ran good enough and our total package was good enough to win.”
Hagan, who qualified No. 1, finished as the runner-up, marking his third final-round appearance this year.
In Top Fuel, Ashley continued to display his skill on the tree, earning his fourth victory of the season with a 3.784, 329.83 pass. He outran Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta and Clay Millican in the final, using a .043-second reaction time to defeat Kalitta despite identical elapsed times. Earlier, Ashley posted the first triple-holeshot win in Top Fuel history, advancing past Langdon, Brittany Force, and Tony Stewart in the semifinals with a .036 light.
Ashley’s win was his 19th overall and second in the last three races, moving him to second in the standings, just 38 points behind Kalitta. “Winning any four-wide race, or any race for that matter, is great, but to win it here for the first fall four-wide race in the Countdown, this was a critical day for us,” Ashley said. “The margin for error now is so small. These races are hard to win, so I’m a firm believer in enjoying them when they come before shifting your focus to the next one.”
Dallas Glenn extended his dominance in Pro Stock with a 6.554 at 209.95 in his RAD Torque Systems Camaro, defeating Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, and Aaron Stanfield in the final. The victory was Glenn’s second straight in the Countdown, his sixth of the season, and 19th of his career. He also continued his mastery of zMAX Dragway, winning his third straight race at the facility.
Glenn said his goal was to recover from a mistake earlier this month at Indianapolis. “I knew I had a fantastic car coming in, so I really just wanted to try to keep the momentum,” he said. “I really felt like I let everybody down in Indy when I let my foot up a little against Erica [Enders]. I made that mistake. So, I just wanted to come into this race, and step it up just a little bit more, and be a little more aggressive.”
He added that the points lead requires constant pressure. “I think I have 79 points right now, so I still count that as basically three rounds, because that’s what it’s going to be in Pomona,” Glenn said. “I want to keep my foot on their throats and keep pressure on until they hand me a trophy.”
Anderson finished runner-up with a 6.562, his eighth final of the year, while Stanfield moved to third in the standings but a whopping 172 points behind Glenn.
Gadson delivered the weekend’s final milestone with his first Countdown win in Pro Stock Motorcycle, clocking a 6.803 at 199.55 on his RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Suzuki. He outran a trio of Matt Smith Racing entries — Matt Smith, Angie Smith, and Jianna Evaristo — with a .015 reaction time to secure his third win of the season.
The result gave Gadson the points lead for the first time in his career, just months after he earned his first NHRA victory. “When you say points leader, I just can’t believe you’re talking about me,” Gadson said. “Sometimes, when I’m at home and I look at the points and even see my name in second place, I have to read it twice because I just can’t believe it’s really me in this position.”
Facing three rival bikes in the final, Gadson said the moment carried extra weight. “You just want to avenge your team,” he said. “You’re racing against three bikes from a rival team, and you don’t want to go up there and do anything stupid. If they’re going to outrun you, then that’s going to be what it is. You just don’t want to beat yourself, and when you’re the Lone Ranger up there racing for your team, you carry it with a little bit more pride.”
Matt Smith finished second with a 6.821 at 199.37, his fourth final of the season. Teammate Gaige Herrera’s early exit left Gadson in position to seize the lead, which he did and will now take an eight-point lead over Smith into next weekend’s race near St. Louis.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series continues Sept. 26-28 with the NAPA Auto Parts Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois.
