As the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals roared to a thundering conclusion at the Bellagio of drag strips Sunday afternoon, four drivers – Justin Ashley (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) reigned triumphant and lifted the coveted Wally trophy, capping a dramatic weekend of white-knuckled racing.

Hagan Earns 50th Carrer Win at Home Track

Four-time Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan ended a 10-year zMAX Dragway drought with his first win of the 2024 season and 50th of his career. His blistering 332.34 mph in 3.926 run topped first-time 4-Wide finalist Daniel Wilkerson and propelled him to victory.

Some of Hagan’s biggest milestones have come in Charlotte, including the first-ever sub-four second Funny Car run in 2011. 

“zMAX has always been special to me,” said Hagan of reaching the 50-win milestone at his home track. “It’s pretty cool when you’re here and you see so many Matt Hagan t-shirts. Great people make the difference between winning and losing, and just being out here winning championships – we might not be the fastest out there, but we just gotta keep doing what we’re doing.”

Ashley Captures First Four-Wide Win

Top Fuel points leader and Mission #2Fast2Tasty winner Justin Ashley blitzed the pavement with a 3.710-second, 328.06 mph run — enough to edge runner-up Clay Millican by 0.012 seconds and claim his first four-wide win. Despite struggles with the unique format in the past, Ashley and his team are confident in their ability to keep their momentum going.

“We’ve had a lot of success, but we struggle a bit when we go four-wide racing,” Ashley said. “When you come out here and you race four-wide, the quads are so good. It really doesn’t matter who you’re racing, especially with the depth of the Top Fuel field this year. Our team is working so hard – we’ve seen the results really start to come together over the last few races.”

Anderson Goes Back to Back

Following his 2023 win at zMAX Dragway’s Carolina Nationals, five-time NHRA World Champion Greg Anderson and his KB Titan Racing team picked up where they left off last year with a scorching 6.502 at 210.77 mph run to take back-to-back wins in Charlotte.

Anderson spoke highly of his competitors after a victory in his own backyard.

“To win one of these races anymore is so tough – it’s so hard. There’s so much talent in this class right now,” said Anderson. “Anybody can win on any given Sunday. We went out and took it, went out and won it, and it feels good tonight to be out here at zMAX, at my home track.”

Herrera Keeps Undefeated Streak Alive

The chapter changed but the story remained the same as reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion Gaige Herrera held off John Hall with a 6.684 at 202.73 mph run to hoist the Wally trophy and secure his 13th national event win, remaining undefeated in Charlotte. 

The win marked Herrera’s third straight victory at zMAX Dragway, and seventh consecutive in the category. He’s now one win away from tying six-time World Champion Dave Schultz’s all-time record. 

“My dad grew up watching Dave Schultz and John Myers, all those guys,” Herrera said of what breaking the record would mean to him. “For me to even have my name in the same zip code – it’s an amazing feeling to even get close to him.”

Highlights from the three-day nitro-fueled weekend include:

  • The Funny Car final saw three drivers with 21 combined world championships (John Force with 16, Matt Hagan with four and JR Todd with one) race against Daniel Wilkerson, who is in his first full season in the category. Despite running the lowest ET of the round, Wilkerson came up on the losing end of a Hagan holeshot.
  • The house that speed built saw a trio of track records fall over the course of the three-day weekend. Sixteen-time Funny Car champion John Force started things off Friday with a record ET run of 3.820 seconds, while Bob Tasca III made the fastest Funny Car pass ever at zMAX Dragway at 338.34 mph on Saturday. Gaige Herrera reset his own ET record,  posting a 6.671-second run on Saturday.
  • For the first time in zMAX Dragway history, all four lanes were occupied by one family as David, Cristian, Fernando Cuadra Jr., and Fernando Cuadra Sr. took to the starting line in the second round of qualifying on Friday.

TICKETS:

When the temperatures cool down, the excitement heats up at the Bellagio of drag strips! Fans can purchase tickets to the September 20-22 NHRA Carolina Nationals online at charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Every ticket is a pit pass, giving fans unmatched access to the drivers and crews who power the NHRA's thunderous, 11,000-horsepower machines to their limits! 

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