Dave Richards and the BlueBird Turf / Versatran Funny Car team enter this weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals hoping their familiarity with zMAX Dragway will play to their favor as they try to break into the top 10 in points in the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series.
During the season’s first visit to zMAX Dragway for the spring Four-Wide Nationals, Richards and the BlueBird Turf team qualified 14th before defeating Blake Alexander and current points leader Austin Prock for their first round-win of the 2024 season.
Between the two events that take place at zMAX Dragway, the spring Four-Wide Nationals and fall Carolina Nationals, Richards will be making his 15th appearance at zMAX Dragway. He’s qualified for race day 12 out of his previous 14 visits to the facility now with round wins at both the spring Four-Wide Nationals and fall Carolina Nationals.
“I love Charlotte and zMAX Dragway. It’s a great place to race and we’ve had some success there,” said Richards. “I’m excited to get there, I think the whole BlueBird Turf team is. We are looking to make some good runs in qualifying and get ready for race day. I’m feeling really confident we’ll be able to compete with the best of them. We’ve been putting in the work and I know it’s going to pay off.”
After the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, race one of the Countdown to the Championship, NHRA’s six race playoffs, Richards and the BlueBird / Versatran team are currently 13th in the Funny Car points standings, up one spot from where they started and only 55 points away from breaking into the top 10.
The NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, race two of the Countdown, will begin competition with four rounds of qualifying Friday at 5:00 and 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1:30 and 4:00 p.m. Eliminations will be Sunday at noon. Television coverage of the event will air on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with qualifying shows Friday at 7:00 p.m. ET and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
This story was originally published on September 19, 2024. 
