Class Ceiling

Recap of the four-lane NHRA race at Concord, North Carolina

Tery Red ( Crew Chief for Mr. Mad /RigTech Motorsports)
Recap of the four-lane NHRA race at Concord, North Carolina
It was an exciting weekend of racing in North Carolina. Fox photo

Welcome to Femmefanaticsports recap of the Four Wide Concord, N. Carolina.

First Lady of Drag Racing? Winningest Female in professional Motorsports  history?  First woman  to Win the highly coveted Wally? (Danica Patrick and Christmas Abbott are favorites too, but this article is speaking exclusively on Class Ceiling Contenders in the NHRA).

The answer to most of these questions is deeply embedded in the events that unfolded this past weekend at the Four Wide Nationals in North Carolina at the zMAX Dragway. 

It's the reason Audrey Worm made a successful debut at Reading and even though considered a part time rookie , is making waves with the goal of eight events this year. It's the reason Erica Enders is hard to beat on the tree. It's the reason Courtney, Brittany and Ashley Force are so stoked for each race. (Makes for a proud Pappa, John Force.) It's the reason Leah Pritchett is relentless and refuses to give up.

So Crew Chief for Cruz Pedregon Aaron Brooks agrees that running on the 1st Four Wide Novelty track is indeed a daunting task. (Way to go Cruz for ruling the roost!)

Steve Torrence, Terry MacMillen and Clay Millican can also attest to the fact that getting your team, your setup and your car on the same page to run on any official NHRA two-lane track is in itself a challenge.   (Matt Hagan knows this all too well as he set records but destroyed a Mopar body this weekend).

Now to bring home the point, the first woman to win a Wally (NHRA'S Most Prestigious Award) was Shirley "the Drag-On Lady" Shahan. She was also the first woman to win an NHRA Pro event.   A real class act.

Then there's  Shirley "ChaCha" Muldowney . She mastered the two-lane in her top Fuel Dragster  racing with the likes of Connie Kalitta, Don Prudhomme, and Jungle Jim Liberman, young people everywhere were mesmerized! Moms, grandmas, wives, aunts  and sisters all over were abuzz! She is the classy First Lady of Drag Racing as she paved the way for Angelle Savoie ( Most winningest female in motor sports, hands down).  Megan Meyer, (who is a tw0 time winner at this track, but not to be confused with Rocker Meg Myers-Sorry), Annie Whiteley (Come on, she drives a Top Alcohol Funny Car Chevy Camaro, Seriously) to name a few. The latter  were schooled in the Class of Four Wide  in Concord, North Carolina and came off victorious! 

We are just scratching the surface here, to be sure , but what I appreciate about this trip down  drag racing memory lane is how important coed is. Teamwork is crucial for growth and stability.  Role models are vital. To have stable, secure leadership where each  team member is acknowledged and appreciated for their input and hard work  is a must for successful families and communities.  This  makes for a happy, content, right wise society.

(NHRA Photo)


Check out the results of NHRA'S Mello Yello Drag Racing Series /@ the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway. Concord, North Carolina below:

CONCORD, N.C. -- Sunday's final results from the ninth annual NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway. The race is the sixth of 24 in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

Top Fuel -- Steve Torrence, 3.813 seconds, 326.56 mph def. Doug Kalitta, 4.010 seconds, 278.12 mph and Terry McMillen, 4.361 seconds, 235.72 mph and Clay Millican, 5.295 seconds, 129.97 mph;

Funny Car -- Cruz Pedregon, Toyota Camry, 4.059, 310.84 def. John Force, Chevy Camaro, 4.098, 307.93 and Tommy Johnson Jr., Dodge Charger, 4.143, 275.39 and Courtney Force, Camaro, 6.215, 114.46;

Pro Stock -- Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 6.535, 212.73 def. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.520, 212.69 and Chris McGaha, Camaro, 8.237, 118.82 and Drew Skillman, Camaro, 18.515, 43.69;

Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Jerry Savoie, Suzuki, 6.784, 195.73 def. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson, 6.873, 197.05 and Scotty Pollacheck, Suzuki, 6.865, 193.79 and Matt Smith, Victory, DQ;

Pro Modified -- Jose Gonzalez, Chevy Camaro, 5.743, 254.09 def. Steve Jackson, Camaro, 5.763, 243.68 and Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.775, 250.74 and Brandon Snider, Chevy Corvette, 6.393, 162.10;

Top Alcohol Dragster -- Megan Meyer, 5.192, 276.29 def. Dan Page, 5.250, 276.97.

Top Alcohol Funny Car -- Annie Whiteley, Chevy Camaro, 5.467, 267.59 def. DJ Cox Jr., Camaro, 6.296, 177.77.

Competition Eliminator -- Frank Aragona, Dragster, 7.378, 172.83 def. Al Ackerman, Dragster, 7.983, 151.39.

Super Stock -- Anthony Bertozzi, Pontiac Grand Am, 9.411, 110.71 def. Bryan Worner, Chevrolet, Foul - Red Light.

Stock Eliminator -- Thomas Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 10.228, 117.67 def. James Williamson, Camaro, 11.485, 113.49.

Super Comp -- Jonathan Anderson, Dragster, 8.891, 162.78 def. Sherman Adcock, Dragster, 8.880, 166.91.

Super Gas -- Ken Griffiths, Chevy Corvette, 9.884, 152.68 def. Steve Furr, Chevy Camaro, Foul - Red Light

Stay tuned !

Next weekend 

WHEN: MAY 4-6 ,2018.

WHAT: NHRA Southern Nationals Powered by Mello Yello

WHERE: Atlanta Dragway, 500 E RIDGEWAY RD COMMERCE, GA 30529 - 

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
Rockets fall to the Mavericks. Photo by Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images.

Luka Doncic had 41 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and the Dallas Mavericks prevented the Houston Rockets from advancing to the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament with a 121-115 victory on Tuesday night.

Kyrie Irving added 22 of his 27 points in the second half for the Mavericks, who had already been eliminated. Their victory allowed the New Orleans Pelicans to win Group B in the Western Conference with a 3-1 record.

Doncic fell just short of his 59th career triple-double. That would have tied him for ninth place all-time with Larry Bird. He shot 15 of 29, 3 of 10 on 3-pointers.

“Sometimes we take him for granted, and we shouldn’t,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s about winning, but it just so happens he’s a walking triple-double.

”The Mavericks, who trailed by nine points in the third quarter, grabbed the lead for good at 99-98 with 6:25 to play on a drive by Irving. Leading 103-100 with 5:25 left, they went on an 8-2 run that included three free throws by Derrick Jones Jr. when he was fouled by Dillon Brooks on a 25-footer with the shot clock about to expire.

Jabari Smith Jr.’s 3-pointer with 8 seconds left pulled the Rockets within 119-115 before Dallas closed it out.

Doncic played after sustaining a low-grade sprain of his left thumb on his non-shooting hand early in Saturday’s game. He wore a wrap on the thumb.

Doncic made a hook shot from the free throw line after recovering a loose ball near the baseline.

“I’m 2 for 2 in my career on the hooks,” Doncic said, saying the other came while playing for the Slovenian national team against Sweden.

Irving shot 2 for 11 in the first half, 1 for 5 on 3-pointers, with no free-throw attempts. He was 6 for 11 in the second half, hitting 1 of 2 behind the arc, and sank all nine free throws.

“I told the team, ‘Played well enough to win, not smart enough to win,’” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “We were extra-aggressive, especially at the end of the third quarter. Had multiple players make a few dumb fouls, put Kyrie at the line and got him going when he didn’t have a lot going. You can be aggressive, obviously, but slapping somebody on a 3-point shot on the arm is an unintelligent play. It has nothing to do with aggression.”

Alperen Sengun had a season-best 31 points for the Rockets, who had six scorers in double figures. Fred VanVleet had 10 points and 12 assists.

The Rockets have lost all six of their road games this season. They went into play leading the NBA by allowing an average of 104.4 points per game.

The Mavericks didn’t use the specially built court for either of their home tournament games, citing dissatisfaction with the quality.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Will finish a back-to-back at Denver on Wednesday.

Mavericks: Host Memphis on Friday.

houston rocketsrockets

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome