Courtesy NHRA Communications
LAS VEGAS (April 10, 2024) – Pro Stock veteran Greg Anderson is no stranger to the NHRA winner’s circle as proven by his 104 career wins. This weekend at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, he’ll look to add another to his impressive resume at a track that means a great deal to him.
Anderson, the winningest driver in the Pro Stock field, and the rest of the stars of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will again take to the track this weekend at the 24th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Anderson is coming into Las Vegas hot after his win in Phoenix, his first of the year in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
“I’m excited to get to Vegas because obviously I love the Black family,” said Anderson. “Ken and Judy Black have been my team owners for 20 plus years. We now have new ownership but they’re still the greatest supporters you could ever imagine. They text, they call at races. They certain are not out of the sport. They’re at home but they’re still watching. They’ll be in Vegas next weekend and I would love nothing better than to show off in front of them so I can’t wait to get there.”
The 2023 event saw Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) take home the coveted NHRA Wally trophies and this season’s race will again be broadcasted on FS1, including eliminations coverage at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 14, showcasing all the entertainment from Las Vegas.
This weekend’s NHRA 4-Wide Nationals also marks the first four-wide event for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. The bonus race debuted last year and takes place on Saturday, putting a bonus purse and championship points on the line. It happens in Vegas for the first time this year, as two quads will face off during the third round of qualifying on Saturday. The top four advance to the final quad to close out qualifying, with the winner getting a chance to double-up in Vegas.
Because of his win in Phoenix, Anderson will take part in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge. In his quad, he’ll meet up with competitors Jeg Coughlin Jr., a five-time Vegas winner, Jerry Tucker and Troy Coughlin Jr. The other quad will made up of reigning champion Erica Enders, Aaron Stanfield, Cristian Cuadra and reigning event winner Glenn.
It all adds up to an opportunity for a double-win weekend for Anderson, who loves the challenge of four-wide racing.
“As far as the four-wide goes, it’s a bigger challenge than most tracks. I love that,” Anderson said. “I absolutely love a bigger challenge. I’m going to accept the challenge and see if I can find a way to do it better than these young guys. It’s kind of strange because sometimes I feel like the four-wide is more difficult to me because I’ve got so many years of doing it the other way and maybe some of these new guys and new gals. They’re in their beginning and they’re not set in their ways. They don’t have bad habits like I have. They’re not used to always racing two wide. They race four-wide now so it’s probably easier for them to adapt than it is me. It’s a huge challenge to me but I look forward to it and love racing in Vegas. Big challenges coming up but bring it on.”
Last season in Top Fuel Brown earned his six Las Vegas title. At this weekend’s Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Four-Wide addition, Brown will be in a quad of Steve Torrence, Shawn Reed and Phoenix winner Shawn Langdon. The other quad will consist of Billy Torrence, reigning champ Doug Kalitta and Justin Ashley, who picked up the Winternationals win, and motorsports legend Tony Stewart in his Top Fuel rookie season.
In the Funny Car category, Hagan picked up his fifth Las Vegas win last year. He’s after his first victory in 2024 against the likes of first-year Funny Car driver Austin Prock, who won in Phoenix, Winternationals winner John Force, points leader J.R. Todd, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III, Alexis DeJoria and Daniel Wilkerson. In the Funny Car Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, one quad includes Prock, Wilkerson, Force and Todd, with the other featuring DeJoria, Cruz Pedregon, Paul Lee and Blake Alexander.
The NHRA 4-Wide Nationals also will feature thrilling competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, featuring some of the top racers in the country. Also on deck will be Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown and the 2024 debut of the new Holley EFI Factory X category, while a special jet car exhibition featuring the “Muy Caliente” and the “Iceman” jet dragsters will follow the conclusion of nitro qualifying each day as well.
Fans will also be invited all weekend long to the Nitro Alley Stage, which will help create a festive atmosphere leading into the nitro pits. The Nitro Alley Stage will be the main entertainment hub in the pits when the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, meet and greets, music and much more. Race fans in Vegas can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk.
As always, fans also get an exclusive pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet in Las Vegas. This opportunity gives fans a unique chance to see teams in action and service their hot rods between rounds, get autographs from their favorite NHRA drivers, and more. Fans can also visit NHRA’s popular Nitro Alley and Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and race vendors create an exciting atmosphere that includes interactive displays, simulated competitions, merchandise, food, and fun for the entire family.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. PT on Friday, April 12, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Eliminations will begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, April 14. Television coverage includes qualifying action at 11:00 p.m. ET on both Friday and Saturday on Fox Sports 1 (FS1), leading into eliminations coverage at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at FS1.
To purchase tickets to the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. For more information on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.
