FOUR DRAGSTERS RACE AT THE SAME TIME - AN NHRA FIRST!

[LARRY]

FOUR DRAGSTERS RACE AT THE SAME TIME - AN NHRA FIRST!

Usually, two dragsters or funny cars race side-by-side down a dragstrip.

Well, on Sunday, it became four at the same time.

Here's the video. Takes a moment to come up.

NHRA Video Archives

Massey, Neff shine in four-wide Charlotte exhibitions
Sunday, September 20, 2009
by Phil Burgess, National DRAGSTER Editor

Spencer Massey in Top Fuel and Mike Neff in Funny Car were the winners of a pair of special four-wide exhibition races Sunday afternoon during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway.

Although four-wide racing was a sometimes feature at match races in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it had never been run at an NHRA national event. The zMax facility was built with two side-by-side dragstrips – each pair of two lanes separated by a guardwall – making it practical for these exhibition races that unleashed nearly 30,000 horsepower at once.

Massey, driver of Don Prudhomme’s U.S. Smokeless Tobacco dragster, won the four-car affair on a double holeshot, edging Antron Brown and Brandon Bernstein, both of whom ran quicker, and Morgan Lucas.

Massey’s .028 reaction time and 3.889, 310.70 performance triggered the win light just ahead of the .090, 3.864, 315.71 of Brown’s Matco Tools dragster. Bernstein’s Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster was third across the finish line with a 3.883, 304.71. Lucas’ GEICO Powersports rail smoked the tires to a 5.12, 268.92.

All drivers participating had been eliminated in the first round of the NHRA Carolinas Nationals and invited to participate in the spectacle. Lane choice was awarded to the driver with the lowest e.t. from his first-round performance and went, in order, to Massey, Bernstein, and Brown. Drivers could use lane choice to pick lanes on either of zMax’s side-by-side courses. Because the leftmost pair had been used throughout the day for the Full Throttle competition, it was the choice for those who could pick their place. Massey chose the right lane of the left track and Bernstein the left lane. Brown did remarkably well on the lesser-used right track, on which he took the right lane.

Lane choice in Funny Car went, in order, to Neff, Force, and Wilkerson. Neff, like Massey, chose the right lane of the left track and Force the left lane. Wilkerson picked the left lane of the right track, leaving Worsham with the right.

Neff, driver of Force’s Ford Drive One Mustang, also won on a holeshot, his 4.136, 307.58 bolstered by a .074 light that helped him hold off his boss' quicker 4.118, 305.91; Force had a .104 reaction time in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang.

Worsham, driver of the Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi Racing Toyota Solara, finished third with a 4.205, 298.27, and Wilkerson finished fourth with the Levi, Ray & Shoup Ford Shelby Mustang at 4.509, 262.49.

Driver comments:

Mike Neff: “I needed that [holeshot win] first round today, but that was exciting. On the burnout, when you see cars on both sides of you, that’s not something you’re used to seeing, and it was actually pretty cool. I actually saw all of these guys because they all did real long burnouts. Backing up, it was exciting. The Tree and all that stuff worked just fine, and it was a really neat thing to be a part of.”

Tim Wilkerson: “I was way in the back, so they left me behind out there. It was exciting. You were just trying to concentrate on driving your own car more than anything and trying to make sure you’re not the problem on this neat thing we were trying to do. It was very exciting to be involved with Del and Mike and John. We were a good group to have this with, and we all got up there and got our car staged and did some nice, cool burnouts. It was really exciting, and I just hope we can do it again sometime, and maybe I’ll come out a little faster than I did this time. I hate getting my butt kicked; I don’t care if it’s four at a time or two at a time.

“We were happy to be involved in the whole deal. The sheikh was here, so I wanted to make sure Del looked really good, and I knew John and Neff would be OK anyway, so that was our goal in the whole thing [laughs].”

Del Worsham: “We had a very unique opportunity to go out and do some big burnouts, and we haven’t done that for years. I talked to John and ‘Zippy’ [Neff] and Tim, and we just let it hang out there, man. I did this big ol’ burnout, and I thought I was way out there, and I look up, and John’s like 10 cars ahead of me. It was a great time. Everybody did a great job staging. There were a lot of bulbs up there. We were just trying to make sure you paid attention to which ones were yours. I got down there, and on the radio, they said, ‘Good job.’ I’m proud of everybody I raced here, this entire thing, and I’m glad we all put on a great show.

“We were definitely going to do it. To be involved and get to be part of the special thing even if it was in those lanes [that hadn’t been used all weekend], we were definitely going to go down that track and put on a show. We’re honored to be part of it, and I’m glad to get a shot at it."

John Force: “First of all, I’ve been doing this a long time, and I saw it in the old days — I heard about it, and I read about it. Then, my adrenaline just went crazy. I have not had this much excitement since high school football when we charged the cheerleaders showers. I’m telling you, it’s a rush. You’re out there, and you’re like, ‘This is illegal. You can’t do this. This is not fair. This is not rational.’ This is how it is, and we ought to thank Bruton Smith for how bitchin’ this is. It was a rush, guys. It was unbelievable, and I was proud that Bruton Smith and NHRA let us be a part of it. It was pretty awesome.

“I’m still dizzy. I saw 32 bulbs light up — and when you’re as old as me, double vision. On the burnout, I was out there, and I see Worsham going by me, smoking the hot dogs, him and Wilkerson, and my hot rod is just nosed over. I’ve had enough of the burnout.

"Right in the lights, it exploded. It’s dead. It almost didn’t make it. It’s out of pop. Then, I ran back up and watched the dragsters. And I thought, ‘You’re all suicidal. Wings flying and [stuff].’

“It could be there is a special invitational like we had in Rockingham [N.C], a race within a race or something like that. I know it was exciting for the fans because I came back, and I watched the dragsters, and I know my adrenaline was pumping watching them stage because you don’t know what it will look like. You’re trying to watch all the Trees to see who stages first, and it was really a lot of confusion. It took a lot of concentration to make it happen."

Spencer Massey: "Of course, this is totally separate from the race. We come to the race here in Charlotte to go rounds, to win the race, and go for the Full Throttle championship, but this four-wide deal was something that was unbelievable. To have an opportunity to be a part of something like this and a part of history, it’s just unbelievable. It’s something that I’m proud to be a part of, and everybody sitting up on this stage should be very proud of going down the track with one another at the same time. It’s unbelievable.

“I was thinking about the staging procedure. It’s something that nobody’s had to deal with before with looking at the extra light above the pre-stage bulb that let us all know when to stage the car. To me, even though it had nothing to do with bracket racing or anything, it kind of reminded me of like a bracket race: You were having to calm yourself down and be patient and wait for the Tree to come down. Sitting there and having to wait a little longer with a couple of extra guys having to go in and stage the cars, it takes a lot of patience, and it just reminded me of old-school bracket racing.

“It was cool to see something you haven’t ever seen before in the past.”

Antron Brown: “[On running in lanes not previously used] It felt good. When you go down the track, you see this big ol’ black ice-skating rink. It was like free rein for me. I was skating all over the place. When we took off, I was like, ‘This thing is stuck down.’ I felt it go 1-to-1 and bow up, and I was like, ‘Oh, Nelly!’ We got to the end of the track, and they said it went 3.86 and had the mph, and I was like, ‘Gosh darn it, you saved that for that round and not first round,’ but it’s all right. My hat’s off to Bruton Smith here at zMax Dragway. Brian [Corradi] and Mark [Oswald] put that tune-up that we did in qualifying [session] one, and she went right down through there, and I was like, ‘Check this out.’ It don’t get no better than that. This is like the next generation out here, and it was just awesome to do this with these boys."

Brandon Bernstein: "[Having an all-star race using four-wide racing] is definitely something to look at. If we did an all-star race with four-wide it would be pretty cool, I think. The logistics of it would be kind of tough, but I think it can be done. We proved it here that it’s pretty bitchin', so to try and do it again, I think it would be a lot easier."

Morgan Lucas: "[On whether NHRA should consider using all four lanes for qualifying or racing] I think we have a hard enough time figuring out two lanes let alone four. I think anytime you have an opportunity to go up there and stage against three Top Fuel cars, it’s exciting. There’s nothing better. I had the best seat in the house. I smoked the tires, so I got to see all three of those wings go down there and drop the chutes. It’s a lot of fun, and I definitely hope we can do it more often."

Top Fuel, in order of finish
Driver RT ET, MPH
Massey .028 3.889, 310.70
Brown .090 3.864, 315.71
Bernstein .086 3.883, 304.74
Lucas .182 5.126, 268.92

Funny Car, in order of finish
Driver RT ET, MPH
Neff .074 4.136, 307.58
Force .104 4.118, 305.91
Worsham .094 4.205, 298.27
Wilkerson .167 4.509, 262.49

Photos below:

Spencer Massey, second from top, won the four-car Top Fuel exhibition race at zMax Dragway on a holeshot; Antron Brown, near lane, was second. Brandon Bernstein, far lane, finished third and Morgan Lucas fourth.

Mike Neff, second from top, won the four-car Funny Car shootout, edging his boss, John Force, far lane, on a holeshot. Del Worsham, near lane, finished third and Tim Wilkerson fourth.

[PhlypSide]

Wow, welcome to the year 2001, NHRA.

We thought you would've seen the original "The Fast and The Furious" by now!

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

[fpitas]

They didn't say, but I hope they were playing "Rock You Like a Hurricane".

[LARRY]

Coolest thing I've ever seen.

30,000 combined horsepower.

These guys and gals are insane.

[Spudboy]

that start must have sounded amazing.

[ACE51]

307 mph in 3.8 seconds. mind boggling.

[LARRY]

Originally Posted by Spudboy

that start must have sounded amazing.

Play this and turn it up...it takes a moment to load and play.

NHRA Video Archives

It goes from the Dragsters to the Funny Cars.