NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

With the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship reaching the halfway point, expect NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series competitors to leave it all on the line. It is the third of six races in the Countdown to the Championship, also marking the 21st of 24 races during a memorable 2019 NHRA season. As the top 10 competitors in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle make a push to a coveted championship, the thrilling action will return to the traditional two-lane format for the key fall race in Charlotte. 

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event.

Torrence has ruled zMAX Dragway of late, as the defending Top Fuel world champ won both races at the facility a year ago and grabbed a victory at the spring race this year. He’ll look for another Charlotte sweep again to boost his hopes of a repeat world title. He got close two weeks ago, runner-upping behind his father, Billy, who might have championship aspirations of his own. Doug Kalitta, who is leading the points race by just two markers ahead of Steve-o, is eying what would be hist first career championship after a number of second-place finishes. Kalitta is the last guy not named Steve Torrence to win at zMAX, winning this event two years ago over his current teammate, Reading winner Richie Crampton. Mike Salinas continues to ride under the radar, but he's an impressive third in points with the Scrappers dragster and within striking distance of the points lead.

Capps is after his first Funny Car win of the Countdown as he attempts to track down points leader Robert Hight.  Capps also has a history of success at zMAX Dragway, having won the Four-Wides in 2017 and this event back in 2012. The top four points runners -- Hight, John Force, Reading winner Jack Beckman, and Capps -- all hail from California, but they're battling this weekend about as far from home as possible. Shawn Langdon, who beat his teammate, reigning world champ J.R. Todd in the final in St. Louis two weeks ago, will be hoping to repeat his success earlier this year at zMAX, where he won the Four-Wide Nationals to record his first career Funny Car victory.

The fall race will mark Pro Stock’s first appearance at the facility in 2019, and defending event winner Line is the current points leader. But Erica Enders is closing fast after winning in St. Louis. The last time Pro Stock cars competed at zMax Dragway, Line earned a victory over future Mello Yello champ Tanner Gray at the 2018 Carolina Nationals. Line could use another win, or at least a competitive late-round finish, at this year’s event as he tries to protect his points lead which currently stands at just 11-points. Line didn’t win his first race of 2019 until Brainerd but he opened the Countdown with a second victory in Reading to take over the top spot. Line’s biggest obstacle to a fourth Pro Stock championship figures to come from Enders, who is riding high after a win two weeks ago in St. Louis. Enders, a two-time winner at zMax Dragway, was ranked No. 8 in the standings as recently as Seattle, has moved to the No. 2 spot following runner-up finishes in Brainerd and Indy, and her St. Louis win. The top six drivers in Pro Stock are separated by less than 100 points which means the championship is up for grabs with four races left.

Smith rode his fall Charlotte win to win another world title in Pro Stock Motorcycle, and he’ll try to repeat the feat this year. But he’ll have an uphill climb to catch points leader Andrew Hines, St. Louis winner Karen Stoffer, and Eddie Krawiec. With six wins since 2012, no one in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class has done more damage at zMax Dragway than Hines. The five-time champion comes into the NGK Carolina Nationals as the current leader, but his advantage over St. Louis winner Karen Stoffer is just 34-points. Hines lost the lead in Reading, but regained the top spot in the standings following his runner-up finish to Stoffer two weeks ago. The top six riders separated by just 97-points, this week’s event could be a make or break event for some teams.
 

You can catch the action all weekend on FOX Sports 1 and NHRA.tv.

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Live Timing | Standings | Tickets

TELEVISION SCHEDULE: 

Friday, Oct. 11, FS1 will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 7 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 13, FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage starting at 12:00 p.m. (ET).

TRACK RECORDS: 
Top Fuel - 3.687 seconds by Mike Salinas, April '19; 332.18 mph by Spencer Massey, April '12.
Funny Car - 3.851 seconds by Courtney Force, April '17; 333.91 mph by Robert Hight, April '17.
Pro Stock - 6.455 seconds by Jason Line, Mar. '15; 215.48 mph by Greg Anderson, Mar. '15.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.765 seconds by Jerry Savoie, April '18; 200.32 mph by Matt Smith, April '19.

NATIONAL RECORDS: 
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. '19, Reading, Pa.; 336.57 mph by Tony Schumacher, Feb. ‘18, Phoenix, Ariz. 
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 339.87 mph by Robert Hight, July ’17, Sonoma, Calif.
Pro Stock - 6.455 sec. by Jason Line, March ’15, Charlotte, N.C.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.720 sec. by Andrew Hines, March ‘19, Gainesville, Fla.; 201.76 mph by Matt Smith, March ‘19, Gainesville, Fla.