From his earliest memories as a young boy, Matt Hagan still vividly recalls the awe-inspiring experience of attending his very first drag race in Bristol, Tennessee. The sights, sounds, and smells of the sport left an undeniable impression on him.

In that moment, Hagan could scarcely have imagined that he would one day ascend to the pinnacle of NHRA competition, piloting an 11,000-horsepower, nitro-burning Funny Car, let alone etching his name into the history books as one of the sport’s true legends.

Sunday, at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals held at zMAX Dragway, Hagan cemented his status as a member of an exclusive club, capturing his 50th tour victory. In doing so, he joined the ranks of 16 other pro drivers in NHRA history to reach that level.    

Make it 105 for Greg Anderson. 

Anderson increased his NHRA Pro Stock record of national-event wins to that number by capturing the 4-Wide Nationals on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.

Anderson, who pilots the HendrickCars.com Chevy Camaro for KB Titan Racing, clocked a stout 6.502-second elapsed time at 210.77 mph to win the finals quad over Aaron Stanfield (6.551), Dallas Glenn (6.561) and Cristian Cuadra (6.549).

The unstoppable force that is Gaige Herrera in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class keeps mowing down the competition.

Herrera, since joining the powerhouse Vance & Hines team in 2023, has now won 13 national events in 17 starts.

Herrera’s latest victory came Sunday when he took home the title at the 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, N.C.

Herrera clocked a 6.684-second lap at 202.73 mph in the finals quad to defeat John Hall (6.758), Richard Gadson, his Vance & Hines teammate, (6.767) and LE Tonglet, who had a redlight start.

There was a time when Matt Hagan was a wet-behind-the-ears Funny Car driver, having just graduated from being the NHRA’s Pro Modified Rookie of the Year.

It’s taken Hagan a little under two decades, but he has developed into one of the most seasoned drivers in the Funny Car class, and on Sunday 
 at the 14th annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte he scored his milestone 50th win at zMaz Dragway.

Bob Tasca left no doubt about his intentions as he headed into the final round of the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. It wasn’t just about racing against his three fellow competitors; it was about something deeper.

Following a contentious disqualification Friday, attributed to an intake manifold deemed illegal by the NHRA Tech Department, Tasca found himself feeling personally slighted by the decision. In response, he vowed to overcome the controversial decision, not just for himself, but for his dedicated crew chiefs who work tirelessly behind the scenes.

The outcome? Another triumph in the four-wide format, coupled with the fastest run ever recorded at zMAX Dragway.

Point standings (top 10) for NHRA professional categories following the 14th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, the fifth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series

Final round-by-round results from the 14th annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMax Dragway, the fifth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

Dispose of the voodoo doll. Unleash the sage. Banish the demons. Greg Anderson is fervently wishing that his string of misfortunes has come to an end.

Following a tumultuous start to the weekend that ranks among the most chaotic for an individual competitor in recent memory, Anderson managed to clinch a surprising No. 1 qualifier spot Saturday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

“I cannot remember” a weekend like this, Anderson said. “It’s kind of funny, and all you can do is just shake your head and chuckle. There’s no sense in getting mad about it. Mistakes are made and there is nothing you can do about it. It’s drag racing. I guess if things were going bad and the car was running poorly, the driver was driving poorly, then maybe I’d get a little bit mad, but I don’t have room for that.

It's been 50 years since Rickie Smith went class racing. This weekend, the drag racing Hall of Famer has returned to his roots while racing Competition Eliminator. 

Smith is racing his nitrous-injected Mustang in A/Pro Modified class this weekend. He made two runs on Friday, a 5.786 elapsed time, -.884 under his index, and followed up with a 5.764, -0.906. 

John Force intends to retire one day, but if race fans believe he's stepping aside for Jordan Vandergriff, they are reading too much into the situation. 

"We are just talking, and I don't have a spot right now," Force said. "I like the kid. I like the Vandergriff name. I raced with his family for years. He's done those reality shows and now does some stuff with FOX. He came in and tested a Funny Car for us."