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Doug Kalitta, Austin Prock, and Jerry Don Tucker will lead their respective pro classes into battle today at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This event is the first of back-to-back races that feature the unique four wide format which features side-by-side-by-side-by-side competition with both the winner and runner-up in each heat advancing to the next “quad”.  Success in four wide events tends to favor the sport’s best starting line drivers, and those who have the ability to maintain concentration during what can often be a confusing staging process.

For all of his success, including the 2023 Top Fuel championship, Kalitta has never won a four wide event although he has two wins in Las Vegas at the fall event in 2004 and 2015. With 15 cars in the field, Kalitta will not have a true quad, but will have to race against fellow world champs Shawn Langdon and Steve Torrence.

Tony Schumacher, another world champ who does not have a four wide victory, will start from the No. 2 spot in his Okuma dragster with a 3.768. Schumacher will compete against Terry Totten, Shawn Reed, and Justin Ashley.

Billy Torrence, Jasmine Salinas, Brittany Force, and Josh Hart will also make up a quad along with Clay Millican, Krista Baldwin, Antron Brown, and Tony Stewart.

Prock, the winner of the most recent NHRA event last week in Phoenix, held on to the top spot in Funny Car with a 3.904 in his Cornwell Tools Camaro. Prock will look to continue forward momentum by defeating Jeff Diehl, Blake Alexander, and Alexis DeJoria.

Prock’s teammate, John Force, is the No. 2 qualifier with a 3.908 and his path to the final includes a round one quad with Jason Rupert, Cruz Pedregon, and four-time world champ Matt Hagan. Force recently won his 156th NHRA event at the rain delayed Pomona final.

Bob Tasca III, Steve Densham, Paul Lee, and Chad Green will make up another quad and the final heat will include J.R. Todd, Dave Richards, Daniel Wilkerson, and Ron Capps.

As expected, the Pro Stock field is close with just seven-hundredths of a second separating the entire 16 car field. Tucker was the quickest with a 6.612 from his Outlaw Mile-Hi Light beer Camaro and the first-time low qualifier will face off against Chris McGaha, Dallas Glenn, and Troy Coughlin Jr.

The Cuadra brothers, Fernando  Jr. and Cristian, will appear in another quad along with Eric Latino and Brandon Foster. Jeg Coughlin Jr., the No. 2 qualifier and winner of Saturday’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, will square off against Kenny Delco, David Cuadra, and Deric Kramer.

The final quad is tough with Greg Anderson, Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, and rookie Sienna Wildgust.

The Las Vegas event will also mark the first-ever event for the Holley EFI Factory Stock Showdown. Eight drivers entered the inaugural event including Greg and Aaron Stanfield and Alex Laughlin, who previously raced in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock.

2023 EVENT WINNERS
Antron Brown, Top Fuel; Matt Hagan, Funny Car; Dallas Glenn, Pro Stock

TRACK RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.652 seconds by Brittany Force, Nov. '19; 338.17 mph by  Force, Nov., ‘19.
Funny Car - 3.816 seconds by Robert Hight, Nov. '23; 335.90 mph by Jack Beckman, Nov. '19.
Pro Stock - 6.552 seconds by Kyle Koretsky, Oct. '23; 210.28 mph by Erica Enders, Oct. '10.

NATIONAL RECORDS
Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 338.94 mph by B. Force, Nov. ‘22, Pomona.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 339.87 mph by Hight, July ’17, Sonoma, Calif.
Pro Stock - 6.450 sec. by Erica Enders, Mar. ’22, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Enders, May ’14, Englishtown N.J.

SCHEDULE

SUNDAY, April 14: Pre-race ceremony, 10 a.m.; eliminations begin at noon.

TELEVISION

SUNDAY, April 14: FS1 will televise one hours of qualifying highlights at 11:00 a.m. (ET)
SUNDAY, April 14:  FS1 will televise three hours of finals coverage at 7:00 p.m. (ET).