NHRA Carolina Nationals Eliminations Postponed Until AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals

Persistent rain showers moved into the Charlotte area on Sunday afternoon and halted racing for the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals. The first round of eliminations for Top Fuel and Funny Car were completed, and four pairs of cars in Pro Stock had finished competing just before the rain began to fall. Eliminations will be completed during qualifying at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals this weekend.

The NHRA Safety Safari was just cleaning up the zMAX Dragway racing surface following a crash. V Gaines, whose Dodge Dart went out of control and crashed past the finish line in his round win over Allen Johnson, was uninjured in the incident. He will be allowed to use a replacement car for the continuation of eliminations.

Summit Racing Pro Stock driver Jason Line was one of the competitors who finished the first round of eliminations, defeating Chris McGaha and setting Low ET of the round with a 6.533 second pass.

“When we do get to finish this race, my Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro will be ready,” said Line, who won the rain-delayed Lucas Oil Nationals that were contested two weeks later at the U.S. Nationals. “Maybe (this delay) will work out for us again.”

Line’s teammate Greg Anderson put up a good fight against Jeg Coughlin, Jr. during eliminations. Both drivers left starting line within .005-second of each other, and both cars had some trouble downtrack. At the finish line it was Coughlin who got the win light, 6.629/187.11 to Anderson’s 6.696/180.55.

Eliminations for the Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals will be run concurrently with qualifying sessions Friday and Saturday at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex near Dallas, September 19-21. Visit Drag Race Central for more news and results from the Carolina Nationals.