Randy Meyer Racing faced their toughest weekend of the 2024 NHRA season at the Pep Boys Nationals in Reading, Pennsylvania, marking their biggest upset of the year. Despite entering the event with high hopes, the team struggled to find their groove on the Maple Grove Raceway track, a venue that continues to elude their victory list.
Driving for the team were Top Alcohol Dragster points leader Hunter Green and the returning Matt Sackman, an experienced driver who has been exploring other forms of drag racing. Both drivers encountered challenges early on, with their cars overpowering the track and smoking the tires in the first two qualifying sessions, leaving them at the bottom of the field.
In the third and final qualifying session, Sackman finally put together a solid pass, running a 5.272-second elapsed time at 271.35 mph to secure a spot into eliminations. Green launched hard on his final attempt and kept the car hooked up, but an unfortunate issue with the timing system meant his run did not get recorded, and he failed to qualify for the event. Despite this setback, Green remains the Top Alcohol Dragster points leader.
Sackman, eager to make the most of his return, faced Brandon Greco in the first round of eliminations. He delivered his quickest pass of the weekend with a 5.234 at 272.01 mph to Greco’s 5.268 at 272.45 mph, advancing to the second round. However, the team’s struggles continued Saturday night under the lights as Sackman left too early on the starting line in his second-round matchup against Jackie Fricke, going red and handing the win to Fricke.
Although it was a disappointing weekend for the team, Hunter Green’s strong performance throughout the season keeps him atop the points standings. Green earned 10 points for not qualifying, but due to NHRA rules, he will not count them toward his national championship total. The team has confirmed that Green will replace Gary Pritchett in the upcoming NHRA Carolina Nationals this weekend.
According to NHRA guidelines, each driver is eligible to earn points at their first five regional and first ten national events, with their best three regional and best seven national finishes contributing to their national championship points total. Randy Meyer Racing remains confident that Green will bounce back in Charlotte, a track they’ve had the most success at.
Joining the team for the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte is defending event winner and reigning national champion Julie Nataas. This will be her final race at zMAX Dragway with Randy Meyer Racing, adding an extra layer of excitement as the team aims for redemption and a return to the winner’s circle.
This story was originally published on September 18, 2024. 
