LAS VEGAS — Drag racing’s ultimate thrill ride returns to the entertainment capital of the world as the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals takes place April 1-3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals features the thrill of four 11,000-horsepower nitro-burning machines racing down the dragstrip simultaneously and is unlike any other spectacle in motorsports. Four-wide racing only takes place twice a year – the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series spring races at Las Vegas and zMax Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.
The April Las Vegas stop is one of two annual stops at the track, and is also the fourth of 22 races this season.
Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence has been dominant in the four-wide competition at Las Vegas, winning two of the last three races in the four-wide format. The four-time defending champ will look to add to his total this year, and pick up his first victory of the 2022 campaign. The stacked Top Fuel class has featured strong parity thus far this year, with Mike Salinas, who posted his first career Top Fuel win in 2019 at the four-wide race, currently serving as the points leader. Other big names to watch in Las Vegas includes Pomona winner Justin Ashley, Leah Pruett, Tony Schumacher with a class-best eight wins at the track, Doug Kalitta, five-time race winner Antron Brown, Josh Hart, Brittany Force, Austin Prock, Clay Millican and Shawn Langdon.
In Funny Car, Bob Tasca earned his first victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at last year’s event, spurring the best season in the veteran’s career. He finished with three wins and was third in points, but Tasca is looking for his first victory this season. It’s been mostly dominated by three-time world champ Robert Hight, who has two wins this year and boasts an impressive track record in Vegas with five wins. Only his teammate, John Force, has more with six, but it’s a star-studded class that also includes Matt Hagan, who won the first race for Tony Stewart Racing in Gainesville, Fla., five-time race winner and defending world champ Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, and J.R. Todd.
Erica Enders has been impressive in Pro Stock at Las Vegas over the years, with her eight wins tying reigning world champion Greg Anderson for the most in class history. Enders, a four-time world champ, has posted a Vegas victory in each of the last three years with the 2021 victory her first four-wide win at the track. She already has one win in 2022 and will look to keep rolling against a loaded field that includes teammate and points leader Aaron Stanfield, Kyle Koretsky, Dallas Glenn who won in Gainesville, five-time world champ Anderson, who is after his 100th career win, Troy Coughlin Jr., rookie Camrie Caruso, Bo Butner, and Mason McGaha.
The event also will feature competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the sport’s top drivers. After nitro qualifying on both days, fans take watch a thrilling jet car display featuring the “Muy Caliente” jets, as well as the “Volcano” jet dragster.