This weekend will see Charlotte's zMax Dragway host the DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals - the second event of the NHRA's Camping World Drag Racing Series’ Countdown to the Championship.

NHRA Funny Car pilot, J.R. Todd continues to put together consistent performances this season, advancing to the semifinals of the opening playoff race at Maple Grove Raceway last weekend.

In the hotly-contested class, though, wins will be necessary against a loaded field. Todd, a former world champ, is just 39 points behind leader John Force, with Matt Hagan and Ron Capps also within five and 15 points, respectively, of the 16-time world champ.

That means Funny Car is as tight as ever, but the competitive racing seems to bring out the best in Todd. He loves this time of year and the frequent racing that comes along with it, and the 19-time winner, who was the runner-up to Force at the spring race in Charlotte, is eager to get to work this weekend in his 11,000-horsepower DHL Toyota Camry.

“You want to go to the later rounds no matter what and not put yourself in a hole. We will go to Charlotte and fight it out,” Todd said. “I think it is going to be a battle all the way down to the end between a pack of cars. I just want to be in that pack when it comes down to Pomona. I like racing as much as possible which is why I like this time of year. It is all about getting momentum, getting on a roll and staying hot. I am glad we get to go back at it in a couple days.”

Brittany Force and her Top Fuel Monster Energy team are heading into zMAX just 12 points out of the championship points lead with the momentum and performance to overtake the top spot.

Brittany Force and the Monster Energy team are going for her eighth straight No. 1 start, one shy of Gary Beck’s Top Fuel record of nine straight starts over the 1982 and 1983 seasons. If she tallies that eighth consecutive, she also will break a tie with her dad for the John Force Racing team lead. John qualified No. 1 at seven straight events – the last six races of 1994 and the first race in 1995.

The Monster Energy team has a total of nine No. 1 qualifying positions along with one win. After qualifying No. 1 at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan., Brittany Force went onto share a historic winners circle with legendary father John Force.

It was the first time in NHRA history that a parent-child duo had won together in the pro categories.

“This Monster Energy team is heading to race two of the Countdown and we plan to capitalize on our hard work from last weekend,” Force said. “We are in the hunt for this championship and are currently sitting 2 in points. We plan to keep chipping away, gaining bonus points where we can and winning at zMAX to take over the lead.”

Force is one of only two women (with Erica Enders) to have won a pro race at zMAX and is trying to become the first woman to win both events. In 2016, Force won the 4Wide and was runner-up to Steve Torrence at the Carolina Nationals in 2018.

The Bellagio of Drag Racing, as zMAX is fondly known, is one of four tracks at which she has qualified No. 1 three times (with Las Vegas, Topeka and Reading). She has qualified No. 1, posted quick time and top speed of the event at the last five races and has had the fastest speed in 10 of the season’s 14 events.

Greg Anderson built on his Pro Stock points lead with a his historic 97th career win in Reading, tying Warren Johnson for the most in class history. He’ll try to break the record in Charlotte, but will face stout competition from talents like defending world champ Erica Enders, rookie Dallas Glenn, whose first career win came at the track earlier this year, and Aaron Stanfield.

Steve Johnson won in Charlotte earlier this year at the spring race, and he’s in the points lead in Pro Stock Motorcycle thanks to his victory last weekend. He’ll look to stay there racing against the likes of defending world champ Matt Smith, Reading runner-up Eddie Krawiec and Angelle Sampey.

The DeWalt NHRA Carolina Nationals will also feature thrilling competition in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service, which will have its eighth of 11 races in 2021. Jose Gonzalez is the current points leader as he seeks his first world title. The event also includes the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, where the future stars of the sport earn their racing stripes.

After nitro qualifying on Friday, stick around to a thrilling jet car exhibition. “The Diamond Jim Racing” jet Funny Car and “Mustang Sally” Jet Funny Car will both make runs on Friday. The Southeast Nostalgia Pro Stock Association will also make exhibition runs during the weekend.

NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature one round at 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 17 and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 1:30 and 5:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 19.

NHRA Communications