Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / SCAG RACING – CONCORD, NC – Dave Richards and the Versatran / BlueBird Funny Car team may be running their first full NHRA season, but they’ll be racing on a familiar track when they head into this weekend’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Between the two events that take place at zMAX Dragway, the spring Four-Wide Nationals and fall Carolina Nationals, Richards will be making his 14th appearance at zMAX Dragway. He’s qualified for race day 11 out of his previous 13 visits to the facility with round wins at the fall Carolina Nationals.
“I have a few round wins at Charlotte, more than any other spot but we’ve been limited with where we’ve raced. I have a lot of friends in Charlotte and I’m looking forward to seeing them at the track. My family will be there too, my girls and wife, my good luck charms,” Richards said. “We always wanted to be racing full-time, to ‘make it’ and we’re coming back to a place we’ve raced a lot, and we’re in that situation, we made it.”
Just four races into the season, Richards and his Versatran / BlueBird team are looking for their first race day win light. Their pair of first round losses have not hindered the team’s diligence or the excitement of their opportunity to race a full-time season under the SCAG Racing banner.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the Versatran / BlueBird car. Every run we make, we get better, we learn,” Richards said. “Obviously, we wish that first round in Vegas was better, but this team is resilient, and we’re going to keep pushing froward.”
The NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway begins with four qualifying session Friday at 5:15 and 7:45 p.m. and Saturday at 12:45 and 3:00 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at noon. Television Coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) with a qualifying show Sunday at 11 a.m. ET and an eliminations show to follow at 6 p.m. ET.