4-Wide racing at zMax to continue
Four-wide racing – which drew wide criticism from competitors after they raced in that format for the first time in March’s Four-Wide Nationals at zMax – will again run in the nontraditional format of four cars racing simultaneously, rather than the conventional two-wide setup.
“As time passed by and everybody had a chance to reflect on it, (we) thought we needed to try it one more time to see if it will be a big success or not," said Graham Light, the NHRA’s senior vice president of racing operations.
Light and NHRA president Tom Compton met with drivers and owners Saturday morning at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this week’s stop on the Full Throttle circuit (and a facility also owned by zMax owner Bruton Smith).
The drivers talked about concerns they had from the four-wide race in March, which included safety, confusion at the starting line and sponsorship identification from having four cars racing instead of two.
A week after that race weekend, NHRA drivers and owners were polled by the Professional Racers Owners Organization with a single question: “Do you want to participate in a national four-wide event for points again?"
Sixty-one PRO members answered no and three said yes. Citing those results, the group sent Compton a letter, saying its members would no longer race that way when points were on the line. That precipitated Saturday’s meeting in Las Vegas.
“We probably overreacted," Pro-Stock driver Greg Anderson said of the survey.
“We sent that letter, but that’s not how most racers feel, especially about Bruton, who’s just trying to make things better. Even if it’s not a perfect idea, we’ve got to go with it."
"We talked about some of the kinks that we as racers would like to see worked out," said Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon. “They assured us 100 percent it would all be handled before we go back.
“So it’s full speed ahead." ThatsRacin