Jim Demmitt Jr
06-27-2008, 11:50 PM
Construction crews poured concrete long into the night Wednesday, and the four-lane, quarter-mile dragstrip at zMax Dragway @ Concord is rapidly taking shape. When the concrete trucks went home Thursday morning, 700 feet of both right lanes, including the burnout boxes, was complete.
NHRA Top Fuel racer and North Carolina resident Doug Herbert visited Wednesday evening to check on the progress as crews worked to complete zMax Dragway for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sept. 11-14. Like the drag racers before him who have toured the site, Herbert was impressed with the "Bellagio of dragstrips."
"We're going to have the greatest dragstrip in the world right here in Charlotte," said Herbert, a nine-time winner in NHRA's Top Fuel division. "I'm hoping a lot of spectators and fans from the NASCAR races are going to come see what this is all about, watch these cars go zero to 330 mph in 4.5 seconds and make 8,000 horsepower -- it's exciting."
Pouring began Monday evening on the strip, which will be the only four-lane concrete quarter-mile track on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit.
"The main thing is that the car's going to go down there and not have the transition from a concrete to an asphalt surface," Herbert explained. "It's going to make it a lot better show for the fans, and it's a whole lot easier for the cars to run down the track and go fast without having to make that transition."
Pouring of the concrete racing surface is scheduled to continue through July 3. Due to the summer heat, all pouring takes place late in the evening and through the night.
zMax Dragway @ Concord will open in grand fashion by hosting the NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sept. 11-14. The four-day event will be the first of six races in the second leg of the playoff-style NHRA POWERade Countdown to the Championship, featuring competitors in all four Professional categories: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Four-day tickets for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway @ Concord start at $99 and $20 for children ages 12 and under. Each event ticket is also a pit pass, which allows fans access to the Professional and Sportsman pit areas. To purchase tickets, log on to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or call the Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267).
NHRA Top Fuel racer and North Carolina resident Doug Herbert visited Wednesday evening to check on the progress as crews worked to complete zMax Dragway for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sept. 11-14. Like the drag racers before him who have toured the site, Herbert was impressed with the "Bellagio of dragstrips."
"We're going to have the greatest dragstrip in the world right here in Charlotte," said Herbert, a nine-time winner in NHRA's Top Fuel division. "I'm hoping a lot of spectators and fans from the NASCAR races are going to come see what this is all about, watch these cars go zero to 330 mph in 4.5 seconds and make 8,000 horsepower -- it's exciting."
Pouring began Monday evening on the strip, which will be the only four-lane concrete quarter-mile track on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series circuit.
"The main thing is that the car's going to go down there and not have the transition from a concrete to an asphalt surface," Herbert explained. "It's going to make it a lot better show for the fans, and it's a whole lot easier for the cars to run down the track and go fast without having to make that transition."
Pouring of the concrete racing surface is scheduled to continue through July 3. Due to the summer heat, all pouring takes place late in the evening and through the night.
zMax Dragway @ Concord will open in grand fashion by hosting the NHRA Carolinas Nationals Sept. 11-14. The four-day event will be the first of six races in the second leg of the playoff-style NHRA POWERade Countdown to the Championship, featuring competitors in all four Professional categories: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Four-day tickets for the inaugural NHRA Carolinas Nationals at zMax Dragway @ Concord start at $99 and $20 for children ages 12 and under. Each event ticket is also a pit pass, which allows fans access to the Professional and Sportsman pit areas. To purchase tickets, log on to www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or call the Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office, 800-455-FANS (3267).