For the first time in NHRA history, the Countdown to the Championship will feature a four-wide event, as zMAX Dragway hosts the NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals on September 19-21.
The fall race in Charlotte is the second of six playoff stops and the 16th of 20 events in the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Traditionally a two-wide race, it now takes on a new dimension with the four-wide format that has been a spring tradition at zMAX since 2010.
When the change was announced last December, zMAX Dragway president and general manager Greg Walter said it marked the next step for the state-of-the-art facility.
“Creating remarkable events is at the core of what we strive to do every day, and a four-wide Countdown race is the next in a long line of firsts we’re proud to be part of in motorsports,” Walter said. “We’ve seen the popularity of four-wide racing with fans for years at our spring event, but with championship implications on the line, next year’s showcase of speed promises to be our best yet.”
Drivers largely welcomed the move. Doug Kalitta, the reigning Top Fuel world champion, called it a positive twist.
“You have to go as many rounds as you can in those six Countdown races no matter what, and I think it’ll be good,” Kalitta said. “If it helps the attendance, that’ll be a double bonus. People can be pretty opinionated about the four-wide races, but Bruton Smith stepped up like he did his whole life building these beautiful facilities trying to grow the sport. I’m for doing whatever it takes to promote our sport and get the most fans at the events.”
Funny Car veteran Bob Tasca III pointed to the fan appeal.
“We race for the fans, and the engagement for the four-wide races is off the charts,” Tasca said. “Four-wide racing pushes some drivers out of their comfort zone, but I’ve had great success in this format. It’s an intense, electrifying experience that the fans absolutely love, so I say give the fans what they want and make it part of the Countdown.”
NHRA President Glen Cromwell said the move came from collaboration with the Smith family and zMAX team.
“We’re excited to team up with the incredible team at zMAX Dragway and have our first-ever four-wide drag racing in the Countdown to the Championship,” Cromwell said. “The Smith family and everyone at zMAX Dragway have always been eager to bring new and innovative ideas to the table. We wanted to try something different for our fall race in Charlotte, and this marks a thrilling new challenge full of playoff intensity.”
Four-wide racing has already produced a long list of highlights in Charlotte. John Force won the first event in 2010 and added another victory in 2024. Ron Capps, Jack Beckman, and Steve Torrence have also doubled up, with Torrence boasting six overall Charlotte wins, four of them in four-wide competition. Antron Brown has two four-wide wins among his six total zMAX triumphs. In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson has three four-wide victories, including last season, while back-to-back Pro Stock Motorcycle champ Gaige Herrera has claimed the spring race each of the past two years.
The fall race has been just as pivotal. In 2024, Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) took home Carolina Nationals wins. Brown and Prock went on to clinch world championships, while Glenn and Smith finished runner-up in their classes.
That sets the stage for 2025, when zMAX will host a four-wide doubleheader: the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in April and the first-ever four-wide Countdown race in September. Together, they promise packed grandstands, high drama, and playoff implications unlike anything else in drag racing.
This story was originally published on September 5, 2025. 
