In a change from previous seasons, zMAX Dragway in Charlotte, NC will be the only 4-wide format for 2026. Historically, teams have had the opportunity to be a 4-wide champion at least twice a year. The 2025 season had two within a months time with Las Vegas Motor Speedway and ZMAX Dragway. The question is, does this change anything for the teams or drivers? Does this create more motivation to come out as the event winner or maybe less? Do drivers feel the need to change their mentality when it comes to the staging sequence or since they only have to do it once now, are they more relaxed on the mental shift needed?
Tony Stewart Racing Nitro Funny Car driver Matt Hagan has admittedly struggled with the staging sequence with the 4-wide format. Coming into the weekend as the Winternationals winner, claiming the 1,000th Funny Car win milestone, and also capturing a Mission Foods 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge win, Hagan shared in an episode of ATYL Media’s “Nitro Nation” podcast that adding these given trophies amongst everything else he has accomplished in his career is “unreal” and “unbelievable”. Hagan will have another chance at not only going back-to-back for wins on the season, but also will have another chance at claiming the 2 Fast 2 Tasty Challenge as well.
Tony Stewart Racing Nitro Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett has her eye’s on the 4-wide prize. Pruett recently spoke about how she has been preparing for the 4-wide format since being out on maternity leave. Pruett stated that her confidence level heading into the weekend is “pretty good”. She stated that she has been able to watch all of the 4-wide format races from her time out of the drivers seat. She divulged that she has been using glasses with a camera in them to be able to record the runs while simultaneously watching them in real time. She has been able to study and review the footage from those races to help her mentally and physically prepare for the event. Pruett also shared that in an attempt to hyperfocus at the last event, she self-isolated herself for the first time in a long while, noting that she stayed away from family, friends and even pets to mentally focus on getting back to top form. She stated that Charlotte will be quite the opposite from Pomona as TSR Nitro will have plenty of company joining them this weekend.
A driver that has been an early stand-out to the 2026 season that will stage a dragster for the first time in a 4-wide format is Ron Capps Motorsports Top Fuel driver Maddi Gordon. Gordon is no stranger to racing at a high level, but she is a stranger to racing against three competitors on one run. Also making their 4-wide debut in Funny Car competition is John Force Racing driver Jordan Vandergriff. Vandergriff has had a solid start to his 2026 campaign and looks to capitalize this weekend. Ida Zetterstrom will be back behind the wheel for Shawn Reed Racing’s Top Fuel entry, after being out of the seat since 2025. Jeff Arend will be driving for Jim Dunn Racing after being out of the driver seat since April 2024. Lots of 4-wide inexperience should make for an interesting qualifying round under the lights Friday night.
