NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals is an event unlike any other on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. Envisioned by Bruton and Marcus Smith when they constructed four lanes on zMAX Dragway’s all-concrete surface, watching four 10,000-horsepower nitro cars compete at once is a spectacle to behold.

Terms like “sensory overload” have been used to describe what it is like to witness four Top Fuel dragsters or Funny Cars in full song on the same run. For those who appreciate the “wow” factor, this event has it in spades. For the sport’s purists, running quadrants of competitors in the Professional categories is an acquired taste that has become increasingly palatable with every rendition of the event.

Successful drivers seem to have a mental checklist of things they want to accomplish in their careers. There are, of course, big-ticket items such as winning a championship and winning the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. Winning at historic tracks such as Pomona, Gainesville, and Englishtown in addition to Indianapolis is usually on the list along with winning in a driver’s hometown. Due to the unique challenge of the four-wide format, winning the event has become another dragon to slay.

Some had speculated that the format might lend itself more to newer drivers and be difficult for the more seasoned wheelman to adapt to, but that hasn’t been the case. At the inaugural event in 2010, John Force looked lost during the opening qualifying session but went on to win the race and join an experienced winner’s circle that also included Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Force's team has gone on to win the event in every even year with Robert Hight (pictured) scoring in 2012 and 2014.

Four-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson isn’t known for being a vocal proponent of change when it comes to rules packages or new formats, though he seems to adapt better than most when it comes time to buy in to a new direction. That holds true with both the electronic-fuel-injection era of Pro Stock racing that KB Racing has dominated thus far this season and four-wide racing, in which he is the only driver to win the event who is still active at this coming weekend’s installment. Anderson won in 2011 and 2012, and Swedish driver Jimmy Alund won while substituting for him in 2014.

After the inaugural event, the Pro Stock Motorcycle class was not featured at the event for the next two seasons until the riders made it known that they wanted to be included in the festivities as part of their 16-race schedule. Hector Arana Jr. won the race in 2013, and it has been all Andrew Hines since then.

Not only has the Harley rider won in four-wide competition the past two years, but he has also been dominant at zMAX Dragway by sweeping the spring and fall events in 2015 and winning four of the last five events held in Charlotte.

We have seen some incredible finishes involving multiple drivers at the event. One that springs to the memories of most who have attended the four-wide event is the 2014 Top Fuel final when Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon, and J.R. Todd each ran within the 3.799-3.800 range, and Brown took the victory on a pair of holeshots.

One thing we have yet to see at the event — which is anticipated to happen at some point — is a monumental final-round upset. With four teams having an equal chance of winning in the final round, it is a matter of time before a driver who might not have been on everybody’s radar puts together the right run at the right time to upset three adversaries. Though it hasn’t come to fruition yet, the possibility leading into several of the final-round quadrants has added intrigue to the race.

If you can’t make it out to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals this season to see it for yourself, be sure to stay tuned to NHRA.com, FOX Sports 1, and NHRA All Access this weekend to see what happens this year.