Championship Hopes March on in Charlotte at Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

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CONCORD, NC – September 13, 2023 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – As the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to zMAX Dragway for the Countdown to the Championship playoffs for the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals on Sept. 22-24, drivers remain focused on dreams of an NHRA world championship.

The event marks the second race of the six-race playoffs and with four NHRA professional categories on track, the event promises to deliver all the thrilling racing action fans expect at zMAX Dragway, the Bellagio of dragstrips.

The playoff event will open with one round of qualifying on Friday with a pair of qualifying sessions on Saturday before the contenders in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle gear up for race day on Sunday.

Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Aaron Stanfield (Pro Stock) claimed victories in 2022. This year’s race will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), including eliminations coverage at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 24, as drivers look to impress the Carolina fans.

Brown put together a winning appearance last season in Charlotte in Top Fuel, after his 2022 NHRA U.S. Nationals win. With the 2023 Indianapolis win under his belt this year, he hopes to repeat his success at zMAX. To do so, he’ll need to get around points leader Justin Ashley, Steve Torrence, Leah Pruett and reigning champ Brittany Force.

Reigning champion and current points leader Capps powered to his 2022 NHRA Carolina Nationals win in Funny Car by defeating Alexis DeJoria in the final round. His playoff showing helped secure his second consecutive world title and he’d love nothing more than to continue the trend in 2023. In his way will be Matt Hagan, Robert Hight who has six wins in Charlotte, Bob Tasca III and Sonoma winner J.R. Todd.

Stanfield claimed his 2022 NHRA Carolina Nationals win when he took down Matt Hartford in the final round. Stanfield is on the hunt for his first win of 2023 but to do so in Charlotte he’ll need to get around points leader Dallas Glenn, U.S. Nationals winner Hartford, reigning world champion Erica Enders, Troy Coughlin Jr. and Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals winner Deric Kramer.

Also on track will be the Pro Stock Motorcycle division which will include the likes of points leader Gaige Herrera. Not only did Herrera win the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals this spring, he has a total of six wins on the 2023 season. Hot on his heels is the reigning world champion Matt Smith, after his big win in Indianapolis. Also in the hunt is Norwalk winner Hector Arana Jr., Eddie Krawiec and Angie Smith.

The Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which includes some of the sport’s top drivers, as well as the new NHRA Factory X presented by Holley class, the ever-exciting Mountain Motor Pro Stock category and a Top Fuel Motorcycle exhibition. Fans can also look forward to special freestyle motocross exhibitions all weekend. The star riders will perform three times a day in the midway, adding another entertaining aspect to the weekend.

On Saturday, fans can brush up on their NHRA knowledge and attend Nitro School to learn more about how the cars operate and reach their thrilling speeds. That takes place at the Nitro Alley Stage all weekend, which is the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Camping World Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets and much more.

Race fans at zMAX Dragway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals event winners.

As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Charlotte. This unique opportunity gives fans a chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 22, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 24. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, and then eliminations on FS1 at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.

To purchase tickets to the Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway, please visit www.zmaxdragway.com or call 800-455-FANS (3267). For more information about NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.

About Camping World Holdings, Inc.

Camping World Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Lincolnshire, IL, (together with its subsidiaries) is the World’s largest retailer of RVs and related products and services. Our vision is to build a long-term legacy business that makes RVing fun and easy. Our Camping World and Good Sam brands have been serving RV consumers since 1966. We strive to build long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders by combining a unique and comprehensive assortment of RV products and services with a national network of RV dealerships, service centers and customer support centers along with the industry’s most extensive online presence and a highly trained and knowledgeable team of employees serving our customers, the RV lifestyle, and the communities in which we operate. We also believe that our Good Sam organization and family of programs and services uniquely enable us to connect with our customers as stewards of the RV enthusiast community and the RV lifestyle. With RV sales and service locations in 43 states, Camping World has grown to become the prime destination for everything RV. For more information, visit www.CampingWorld.com.

About NHRA

Headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 21 national events featuring the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by Type A Motorsports, Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown™ and Top Fuel Harley Series. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 120 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series

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