| CHEVROLET AT CHARLOTTE What: NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide NationalsWhen: Friday, May 15-Sunday, May 17Where: zMAX Dragway in Concord, North CarolinaTV: FS1 will telecast eliminations at 6 p.m. ET May 17 Chevrolet aims to keep momentum in four-wide formatJohn Force Racing trio has found success at zMAX Dragway DETROIT (May 12, 2021) – John Force Racing’s trio of drivers carry momentum and past success in the four-wide format at zMAX Dragway in Concord, North Carolina, into this weekend’s National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) event. The 11th NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is the fourth event of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season and second using the four-wide format. The race at zMAX Dragway was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chevrolet swept the top qualifiers in Top Fuel (Brittany Force), Funny Car (Robert Hight) and Pro Stock (Greg Anderson) in the four-wide event in Las Vegas last month. Hight, Brittany Force and team owner John Force all have won the spring four-wide meeting at the racetrack. “I won the inaugural four-wide (2010) in Charlotte, against my daughter Ashley. All of John Force Racing has done pretty well in North Carolina,” said John Force, who has raced for the Wally in the final quad five times. “This PEAK team with Chevrolet and Cornwell Tools and all my sponsors, we’re going to go out there and keep that up, qualify and win some rounds, hopefully take home the Wally. That’s the goal, the whole point, win some races for the sponsors that have stuck by me.” Force, with 151 NHRA Funny Car national event wins, heads into three rounds of qualifying off a runner-up finish at Atlanta Dragway in the PEAK/BlueDEF Platinum Chevrolet Camaro SS. Teammate Hight, who outdistanced Force to win the 2014 four-wide at zMAX Dragway, has won more races at the track than any other pro driver (2012 and 2014 in the four-wide format and 2009, 2013, 2017, 2019 in the fall). “We’re going to Charlotte with the mindset that we are the team to beat. I’ve had a lot of success at this track and I’m hoping that continues,” said Hight, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Camaro SS who has been the top Funny Car qualifier in 2010, 2012 and 2019 in the four-wide format at the track. “This Auto Club team, Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham, we’re proven we are going to be dangerous this year. I think the performance we have shown this season, in just three races, is a pretty good indication of what’s to come.” Brittany Force was the first woman in either of the nitro categories to win a four-wide race when she prevailed in 2016. “I’m anxious to get to Charlotte Four-Wide. We’ve had success there back in 2016,” said Force, who drives the Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster. “Four-wide is tricky, but we’ve gotten the job done before and we can do it again this weekend. We’re looking to go rounds, win and move up in points to get closer to that championship.” Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Plugs Camaro SS for KB Racing, has earned the No. 1 qualifier honor for all three Pro Stock races. Anderson has won twice, including two weeks ago at Atlanta Dragway for his 96th career class victory. Reigning Pro Stock champion Erica Enders (Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS) won the Las Vegas four-wide event from the 13th qualifier position. FS1 will telecast eliminations at 6 p.m. ET May 17. CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT TOP FUEL: BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide; semifinalist in last event): “We’re coming off three races and I feel like this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is off to a good start. But we need to step up our game,” Force said. “We’re looking for more if we want to win a championship. At the final race in Atlanta, we were No. 5, went to the semis and made a big jump from 10th to fifth in points, which was good, but, again, we want more.” FUNNY CAR: JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in last race; No. 2 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide; won 2010 four-wide a track and has been runner-up twice): “I’m proud of this team, of Daniel Hood and Tim Fabrisi. They’ve really got this PEAK / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevy figured out. Because they have it figured out, now I have to do my job. I’ve got to keep working to stay in this game, keep improving. We all keep doing our jobs right we’re going to be looking pretty good the rest of the season, starting in Charlotte and zMAX Dragway, another beautiful Bruton Smith facility.” ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide; runner-up in season opener; six-time winner at track): “It just wasn’t our weekend in Atlanta (first-round exit). It definitely didn’t reflect the work this Auto Club team has put in early this season. Quickest every round, like we were in Vegas, that’s where we want to be and that’s where we’re going to get used to being. This Auto Club team is ready for Charlotte, ready to go some rounds, get another win and set our pace for the rest of the season.” PRO STOCK: GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner in two of the three races; No. 1 qualifier in all three events; three-time winner at track): “I’m so proud of the guys and the work they’ve done, not only with my car, but with all five of our team cars (Kyle Koretsky, Deric Kramer, Matt Hartford and Dallas Glenn). “My car has been the standout-superior so far, but any race we go to, any one of these five KB Racing cars could win the event. That’s a great feeling, and there is no question that they’re going to win races, too. It’s going to be a great season for this team, and I’m looking forward to it.” KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (competing in 12th Pro Stock race and second four-wide event): “TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in season opener): “Drag racing four-wide is something different but I really enjoy the format. It adds a lot to the competition. You have to really concentrate on what you’re doing during the staging process in relation to the other three cars. In the end you’re still trying to get all you can out of your own car, so you can’t get too distracted by what the other drivers are doing either. Charlotte is a fun town with a lot of really great motorsports fans.” |
