The Most Spectacular 5 Seconds in Auto Racing

This will be a sight to see when the NHRA will implement 4 wide racing in both qualifying and in eliminations at the NHRA event in Charlotte, March 25-28. 

The ground will shake, and the noise will be deafening when four funny cars, top fuelers, pro stockers and bikes will all race 4 wide. 

Here's how it will work:

* Qualifying will be conducted using four lanes

* Each category winner will be determined in three rounds of eliminations

* The two drivers to cross the finish line first in each of the four first rounds of eliminations will advance to the second round

* The two drivers to cross the finish line first in each of the two second rounds of eliminations will advance to the final round

* Each final round will feature four drivers in each category, and the single driver to cross the finish line first in the final will be declared the winner of the race, the second runner-up and so on.

The NHRA Carolinas Nationals, Sept. 16-19, the second of six races in NHRA’s Countdown to 1 playoffs, will continue to be conducted using only two lanes at zMax Dragway.

“Watching these nitro cars thunder four-wide down the world’s only four-lane concrete strip is exactly what we had in mind when we built zMax Dragway,” said Bruton Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports.  That andthe fact that whatever Bruton does, he does first-class.