CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS
What: 22nd NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
When: Friday, April 1-Sunday, April 3
Where: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
TV: FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET April 3
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals the first of two events this season at The Strip
DETROIT (March 31, 2022) – Brittany Force holds both ends of the Top Fuel track records – the latter a monster 338.17 mph run in 2019 that also stands as the national event record – and multiple No. 1 qualifier honors at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster will aim to add a victory this weekend in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals to her impressive list of accomplishments at the racetrack.
The four-wide race is the first of two NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series events this year at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Force was the No. 1 qualifier in the four-wide event in 2021 (3.732 seconds/320.66 mph) and advanced to the second round. In the penultimate race of the season, she again was the top qualifier (3.668 seconds/331.94 mph) and reached the semifinals. She did not compete in the lone 2020 race at the track, which was rescheduled to be the finale in the shortened season, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was runner-up in the 2019 four-wide event at The Strip and came back to win the fall race.
“It’s a place we have had some success at,” said Force, who sits fourth in the Top Fuel standings through three of the scheduled 22 rounds. “We’re looking for our first win of the season, and we would like to do it there.
“Little bit of a change of pace with four-wide racing but the entire Monster Energy team and I are excited to get right into the groove during Friday qualifying. Glad to be back to four qualifying runs at the four-wide. It gives us the best opportunity for race day.”
Listen: An informative and insightful interview with Top Fuel champion Brittany Force
Four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders also own the national elapsed time and speed records for the class. Most recently, the driver of the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS registered a 6.450-second pass at Gainesville Raceway on March 14 to reset the record.
Enders has posted a Vegas victory in each of the past three years, with the April 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, Gainesville winner Dallas Glenn and five-time world champion Greg Anderson, who is aiming for his 100th career win.
Glenn’s fourth career victory earlier this month at Gainesville was the 350th for Chevrolet since the introduction of the Pro Stock class in 1970.
Robert Hight, a three-time winner of the four-wide event, has won two of the three Funny Car races this season in the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS and holds the lead in the standings. Teammate and 16-time Funny Car champion John Force, driving the PEAK BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS, is fifth in points.
“I try to keep things simple, and it’s really just watching two other cars stage and hit the gas on time,” said Hight, who has recorded at least one victory and one No. 1 qualifier the past 17 seasons. “If you have a good-running car and you’re driving good, the first two rounds should be pretty easy. Then, the final, you just have to get there first. You win that race and you get four rounds of points, so this is a good one to win.”
The event weekend includes Sportsman competition, with drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro winning all three national event races in the Stock Eliminator class this season.
FS1 will telecast eliminations at 7 p.m. ET Sunday, April 3.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier and semifinalist at opener; holds both ends of the Top Fuel track records set in 2019): “We’re back on the West Coast and excited to head to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. David Grubnic and Mac Savage and this team have had success together at this track. We’ll be looking to build on that with a strong weekend for this team starting with qualifying Friday and going out on race day and winning this four-wide.”
AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (runner-up at opener): “We’re going to try some different things this weekend so It would be great to get a good result to prove this Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist team is heading in the right direction. The Strip has always been one of my favorite tracks so to win there would be unbelievable. It being four-wide would even make it more special.”
FUNNY CAR
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (six-time winner at the track): “It’s been a bit of a wild start to the season. But this BlueDEF team with Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi, they’ve got a handle on this Chevrolet. We’ll fix it. That’s what it’s all about. We’ve got to get these cars making some noise and winning some rounds, and we will. Couldn’t get a better place to go four-wide racing.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; five-time winner at the track; No. 1 qualifier at Gainesville; points leader): “It’s been a great start to the season. We’ve been really consistent. Gainesville was tough for everyone and having two weeks off is just brutal. This Auto Club team, we’re feeling good. We took things back to how we were running in 2019 and it’s paying off. Hopefully that continues and we get some win lights in Vegas.”
PRO STOCK
DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (winner at Gainesville): “Winning in Gainesville after such a weird weekend with only one qualifying run and straight into eliminations was a relief. But, in a way, it reminds me of my bracket racing I do on the off weekends; you have one run and you’ve gotta make it count. Vegas will always be a special race for me because I won my first national event here in Super Gas in 2011. Coming off our Gainesville win, I think that’s the perfect momentum to go ahead and win again this weekend.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner of event; seeking to become second pro driver with 100 wins): “It is without a doubt tougher on the driver; it’s difficult to go through the whole process at the starting line. So many things can happen up there and nobody’s prepared, so you could get caught with your pants down or be that guy that doesn’t get in on time and messes up everybody else. You have to guard against that. I look forward to the challenge. I feel good about the weekend. I’ve been working on my engine the last few weeks I’ve been home, and I think I’ve rectified a couple of things with it. I expect it to run better this week.”
KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix; runner-up at Gainesville): “Definitely have a fast car and definitely four-wide racing is challenging. I’ve done it twice and it takes a lot more from you to stay focused but we’re ready. I’m coming off a good outing at Gainesville, I’ve been practicing the Tree every day and I’m ready to go after the win.”
TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up at Phoenix): “This is one awesome machine. This is actually the first Pro Stock car I’ve driven that was built specifically for me so it’s just about as perfect as you can imagine. Everything feels so natural, and the fit is exact. We took the new car to Tulsa a few days ago to shake it down and make sure there would be no surprises this weekend. It’s definitely ready for battle. It appears we’ll be running even better than before so there is a lot of optimism on the team.”
CAMRIE CARUSO, CARUSO FAMILY RACING, PROCAR CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (earned first round win at Phoenix): “I can’t say enough about the team of guys I have behind me from Titan Racing Engines. I have a lot of confidence in this Chevrolet Camaro every time we pull it up to the starting line. As a young driver I am working on my performance every time we make a run. I want to get better as a driver because I know I have a race car that can win rounds if I do my job. That is a testament to Titan Racing Engines and my crew chief Jim Yates.”
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