CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Winning two out of the first four races to open the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season is a good thing by any measure, and FRAM Top Fuel driver Spencer Massey agrees. The 2011 world championship runner-up has come out this season with a firm purpose and is ready to continue his early season success as the circuit heads to zMAX Dragway for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 13-15.
“We’re on a high note right now,” Massey said. “We just won the last event and even though we won, we stayed and tested for Charlotte and the coming hotter months. I’m feeling very excited after winning and testing and especially heading into four-wide because it’s double the amount of race cars, which means it’s double the fun.”
In the unique format of the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, drivers have to take a different strategic approach when they head to the starting line for each round of racing. There are four 7,000-horsepower nitro-burning engines staging at the same time, launching at the same time and running down the Bellagio of drag strips simultaneously, giving fans and competitors a little more to think about.
“I know I’ve got to be on my A-game even more with four-wide because there are three people who want to beat you, not just one,” Massey said. “There’s a different strategy in four-wide because the top two cars win, not just the first car across the finish line. I remember thinking I hope I’m second, I hope I’m second last year when I saw Del Worsham in front of me and I’ve never had that mindset before, but it’s the way this race works, until you get to the final that is. Then it’s winner take all and even more exhilarating.”
Coming off winning the last event in Las Vegas, Massey sits third in the Top Fuel points standings and is looking forward to heading to North Carolina to keep the momentum going and build on his final round appearance in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals last season.
“We were just in Vegas; now we’re going to the Vegas of drag strips,” Massey said. “zMAX is the best of the best. It’s an amazing track and an amazing venue. It’s a place where you’ll see great things happen. It could be some great history from winning four-wide to setting records; you just never know.”
Massey’s Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown leads the Top Fuel championship points while Morgan Lucas is just four points behind him followed by Massey. Tony Schumacher is fourth, followed by Shawn Langdon, Doug Kalitta, Steve Torrence, Clay Millican, Bob Vandergriff and Brandon Bernstein.
Hight leads the Funny Car points battle just ahead of his John Force Racing teammate Mike Neff. Don Schumacher Racing drivers Jack Beckman and Johnny Gray are behind Neff, followed by John Force, Bob Tasca, Courtney Force, Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon and Bob Bode in the top 10.
North Carolina residents Greg Anderson and Jason Line, who have each won one event this season, sit one and two in the Pro Stock points. Mike Edwards is third while Allen Johnson, winner of the most recent race in Las Vegas, is fourth. The top 10 is rounded out by Vincent Nobile, Greg Stanfield, Erica Enders, Rodger Brogdon, Ronnie Humphrey and Larry Morgan.
* SCHEDULE: Full Throttle Drag Racing Series qualifying sessions are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, and 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. Final eliminations begin at noon on Sunday, April 15.
* TICKETS: Tickets are available for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. For tickets, please call zMAX Dragway at (800) 455-FANS (3267) or visit www.zMAXDragway.com
* ON TV: ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 5 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, April 14. ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three-hours of eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. (ET), also on Sunday, April 15.
* LUCAS OIL SERIES: The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals also will feature competition in seven categories in the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, where the future stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series are born. Lucas Oil Series qualifying begins at 8:30 a.m. on April 13. Lucas Oil Series eliminations begin at 8:30 a.m. on April 14 and continue through April 15.
* PRO MOD SERIES presented by ProCare Rx: NHRA’s popular Pro Mod touring series will be featured at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. The series features some of the world’s fastest and most unique doorslammer cars, with an eclectic mix of vintage and late-model body styles, in quarter-mile competition. Two rounds of qualifying will be held on April 13, with one additional round of qualifying on April 14 followed by the first round of eliminations. Eliminations continue on Sunday, April 15.
* ON THE WEB: Get live timing, scoring, multimedia and the latest news updates from every NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event on the Internet at www.nhra.com. Visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
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NHRA FOUR-WIDE NATIONALS FACT SHEET
WHAT: Third annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the fifth of 23 events in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Drivers in three categories - Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock - earn points leading to 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series world championships.
WHERE: zMAX Dragway- Track is located on Hwy 29 off I-85 at exit 49 (Speedway Blvd.) in the Concord, N.C. area.
WHEN: Friday through Sunday, April 13-15
FORMAT: Qualifying sessions and elimination rounds will be conducted using four lanes in the three Full Throttle Series classes; Lanes will be identified from left to right facing down track as 1-4; The standard Friday qualifying procedure of a top 12 format will not be in use; Two Christmas trees will be in use, one between each pair of lanes; The Compulink Autostart system will continue to be utilized and it will not activate until all four vehicles are pre-staged and one vehicle has staged; The ladder structure will feature Race A: qualifiers 1, 8, 9, 16, Race B: qualifiers 3, 6, 11, 14, Race C: qualifiers 2, 7, 10, 15, and Race D: qualifiers 4, 5, 12, 13; Race A and Race B will be on one side of the ladder, while Race C and Race D will be on the other; Lane choice for eliminations goes to the driver with the quickest E.T., then the second-quickest, and so on; The first two drivers in each elimination round to cross the finish line advance to the second round and final; In the final round, teams will finish in the order they cross the finish line (barring any red-light starts), with winner, runner-up and two semifinalists in that order.
SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, April 15 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begins at 8:30 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
SATURDAY, April 16 – LUCAS OIL SERIES eliminations begin at 8 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES qualifying at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, April 17 - Pre-race ceremonies, 11 a.m.
FULL THROTTLE SERIES eliminations begin at noon
TELEVISION:
Saturday, April 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours and thirty minutes of qualifying highlights at 5 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage starting at 7 p.m. (ET).
SATELLITE (Digital HD feed):
Friday, April 13, 8 – 8:30 p.m. (ET), SES 2 / Transponder 18C
Saturday, April 14, 6 – 6:30 p.m. (ET), SES 2 / Transponder 18C
Sunday, April 15, 7 – 7:30 p.m. (ET), SES 2 / Transponder 18C
(4060 MHz, vertical; Data Rate: 40.461470554 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 29.27 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 36 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners’ interviews on Sunday.
2011 WINNERS: Del Worsham, Top Fuel; Jack Beckman, Funny Car; Greg Anderson, Pro Stock.
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.771 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Sept. ’11; 327.9 mph by Schumacher, Sept. ’11
Funny Car - 3.995 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11; 318.99 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. ’11
Pro Stock - 6.510 sec. by Jason Line, Sept. ’11; 212.69 mph by Anderson, Sept. ’11
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.735 sec. by Del Worsham, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 328.62 mph by Spencer Massey, Feb. ’12, Pomona, Calif.
Funny Car - 3.995 sec. by Matt Hagan, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.; 318.99 mph by Jack Beckman, Sept. ’11, Charlotte, N.C.
Pro Stock - 6.477 sec. by Jason Line, Oct. ’11, Reading, Pa.; 213.57 mph by Erica Enders, March ’11, Gainesville, Fla.
TICKETS: For tickets call (800) 455-FANS (3267). Tickets also are available at www.zmaxdragway.com.
GENERAL ADMISSION (includes pit pass) - Thursday: Adult, $10; Junior (12 & under), free. Friday: Adult, $20; Junior (12 & under), $5. Saturday: Adult, $40; Junior (12 & under), $10. Sunday: Adult, $40; Junior (12 & under), $10.
RESERVED SEATS (includes pit pass) - Friday: Adult, $25-35; Junior (12 & under), $5-10. Saturday: Adult, $45-55; Junior (12 & under), $10-15. Sunday: Adult, $45-55; Junior (12 & under), $10-15.
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NHRA FULL THROTTLE DRAG RACING SERIES POINTS STANDINGS
GLENDORA, Calif. -- Point standings (top 10) for NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series categories following the fourth of 23 events:
Top Fuel: 1. Antron Brown, 357; 2. Morgan Lucas, 353; 3. Spencer Massey, 349; 4. Tony Schumacher, 344; 5. Shawn Langdon, 259; 6. Doug Kalitta, 209; 7. Steve Torrence, 199; 8. Clay Millican, 195; 9. Bob Vandergriff, 175; 10. Brandon Bernstein, 153.
Funny Car: 1. Robert Hight, 399; 2. Mike Neff, 316; 3. Jack Beckman, 276; 4. Johnny Gray, 246; 5. John Force, 217; 6. Bob Tasca III, 208; 7. Courtney Force, 191; 8. Ron Capps, 190; 9. Cruz Pedregon, 182; 10. Bob Bode, 165.
Pro Stock: 1. Greg Anderson, 362; 2. Jason Line, 324; 3. Mike Edwards, 307; 4. Allen Johnson, 258; 5. Vincent Nobile, 238; 6. Greg Stanfield, 206; 7. Erica Enders, 193; 8. Rodger Brogdon, 191; 9. Ronnie Humphrey, 188; 10. Larry Morgan, 186.
Pro Stock Motorcycle: 1. Eddie Krawiec, 150; 2. Andrew Hines, 101; 3. Hector Arana Jr, 80; 4. Matt Smith, 74; 5. (tie) Hector Arana, 56; LE Tonglet, 56; 7. Karen Stoffer, 53; 8. Scotty Pollacheck, 52; 9. Steve Johnson, 34; 10. (tie) Shawn Gann, 32; Joey Gladstone, 32: Jerry Savoie, 32; John Hall, 32.
