no idea why this popped up in my head. We've had 4 wide racing for over a decade now. They had 4 wide racing years before the NHRA started implementing it as a national event. My question is how did they do it in the old days?. I recall seeing an old photo some time ago, but i didnt pay that close attention to it. Did 2 cars share one lane and how did the tree work and how was the timing kept?
4 Wide question
- Thread starter camaro
- Start date
PiPPi
Nitro Member
I wrote this in another place when the inaugural Potomac Nationals was announced
"I was there as a spectator back in the days when it was called Budd's Creek. To show my age, one of those visits was historic with a four wide Nitro Funny Car show in 1972. Steve Reyes took the attached picture. I met him IRL at Gainesville some 40 years later."
"From left to right across the tracks, the four legendary teams captured in Reyes' famous photo include: Ron Colson driving the Revell's Chi-Town Hustler - Gene Snow driving his Revell Snowman - Pat Foster driving Barry Setzer's Vega - Russell "Doughboy" Long driving Charlie Proite's Pabst Blue Ribbon Charger". I think they only did burnouts, not full 1/4 mile pulls.
They ran 4-Wide at US 30 in York as well. There's an image attached of that. I know there are better ones out there but could not find them.
"I was there as a spectator back in the days when it was called Budd's Creek. To show my age, one of those visits was historic with a four wide Nitro Funny Car show in 1972. Steve Reyes took the attached picture. I met him IRL at Gainesville some 40 years later."
"From left to right across the tracks, the four legendary teams captured in Reyes' famous photo include: Ron Colson driving the Revell's Chi-Town Hustler - Gene Snow driving his Revell Snowman - Pat Foster driving Barry Setzer's Vega - Russell "Doughboy" Long driving Charlie Proite's Pabst Blue Ribbon Charger". I think they only did burnouts, not full 1/4 mile pulls.
They ran 4-Wide at US 30 in York as well. There's an image attached of that. I know there are better ones out there but could not find them.
Great pics! In that top one, those two on the far right almost look like they are in the same lane. Maybe it's the camera angle, can't tell.
When I raced at Green Valley Raceway in the late 60s they often ran the stockers 4-wide, 2 lanes, no center barrier and one tree, just to keep the event from lasting until 3am in the morning due to the number of entries. Heads-up racing; each class ran only others in the same class. I don't recall anyone crashing.
I attended a race or two at the same track when they ran 4 nitro funnies at the same time. Looked just like the ones in Par Willen's photograph. That was about the time Gene Snow started laying down big trap speeds thanks to the new-at-the-time Crowerglide. Fastest car in that foursome was Snow who was using a single chute. LOL
I attended a race or two at the same track when they ran 4 nitro funnies at the same time. Looked just like the ones in Par Willen's photograph. That was about the time Gene Snow started laying down big trap speeds thanks to the new-at-the-time Crowerglide. Fastest car in that foursome was Snow who was using a single chute. LOL
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Idea for a Different NHRA Four-Wide Format: Two Head-to-Head Races at the Same Time
I’ve been thinking about a different way NHRA could run four-wide racing that would keep the spectacle of four cars launching at once, but make the actual eliminations work more like traditional drag racing.
Instead of all four cars racing each other and the first two finishers advancing, each four-wide pass would consist of two separate head-to-head races happening at the same time:
Lanes 1 and 2 race each other
Lanes 3 and 4 race each other
All four cars would still stage together and run together exactly like they do in four-wide now. The difference is that you’re only racing the car in the lane paired with you.
So if you’re in Lane 1, the only car you have to beat is Lane 2. It doesn’t matter if the cars in Lanes 3 and 4 run quicker than you. Win your matchup and you advance.
Lane choice would work similarly to normal NHRA eliminations.
In the opening round, the higher-qualified car gets lane choice. But because this is four-wide, that choice also determines which pair of lanes the matchup uses.
For example, say the #1 qualifier is racing the #5 qualifier. If #1 wants Lane 3, they choose Lane 3 and #5 automatically goes into Lane 4. That matchup is now 3 vs. 4.
The driver with lane choice in the other matchup then chooses between the remaining Lanes 1 and 2.
In later rounds, lane choice would go to the quicker car from the previous round, just as it normally would. So performance continues to earn you the advantage.
The important rule would be that the racing pairs are always 1 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 4. You couldn’t choose Lane 2 and have your opponent in Lane 3.
The ladder itself would remain a normal elimination ladder.
Instead of advancing two cars out of a four-car race, you’re advancing the winner of each individual matchup. That means reaction times, red lights, holeshots, lane choice, etc. all work essentially the same way they do in traditional two-wide drag racing.
The only difference is that NHRA is running two elimination races simultaneously.
Then when the field gets down to the final four cars, all four still make one final four-wide pass:
Lanes 1 & 2 — Championship Race
Lanes 3 & 4 — Third-Place Race
The two championship finalists race head-to-head for the Wally while the other two semifinalists race head-to-head for third place, all four cars going down the track at the same time.
To me, this would preserve what makes four-wide unique — four nitro cars staging and launching together — while making the competition much easier to follow. Every driver has one opponent, every race has a clear winner and loser, and the elimination ladder works basically the same way fans are already accustomed to.
You’d still get the insanity of four cars running at once, but underneath it would be two traditional drag races instead of one four-car race where two cars advance
I’ve been thinking about a different way NHRA could run four-wide racing that would keep the spectacle of four cars launching at once, but make the actual eliminations work more like traditional drag racing.
Instead of all four cars racing each other and the first two finishers advancing, each four-wide pass would consist of two separate head-to-head races happening at the same time:
Lanes 1 and 2 race each other
Lanes 3 and 4 race each other
All four cars would still stage together and run together exactly like they do in four-wide now. The difference is that you’re only racing the car in the lane paired with you.
So if you’re in Lane 1, the only car you have to beat is Lane 2. It doesn’t matter if the cars in Lanes 3 and 4 run quicker than you. Win your matchup and you advance.
Lane choice would work similarly to normal NHRA eliminations.
In the opening round, the higher-qualified car gets lane choice. But because this is four-wide, that choice also determines which pair of lanes the matchup uses.
For example, say the #1 qualifier is racing the #5 qualifier. If #1 wants Lane 3, they choose Lane 3 and #5 automatically goes into Lane 4. That matchup is now 3 vs. 4.
The driver with lane choice in the other matchup then chooses between the remaining Lanes 1 and 2.
In later rounds, lane choice would go to the quicker car from the previous round, just as it normally would. So performance continues to earn you the advantage.
The important rule would be that the racing pairs are always 1 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 4. You couldn’t choose Lane 2 and have your opponent in Lane 3.
The ladder itself would remain a normal elimination ladder.
Instead of advancing two cars out of a four-car race, you’re advancing the winner of each individual matchup. That means reaction times, red lights, holeshots, lane choice, etc. all work essentially the same way they do in traditional two-wide drag racing.
The only difference is that NHRA is running two elimination races simultaneously.
Then when the field gets down to the final four cars, all four still make one final four-wide pass:
Lanes 1 & 2 — Championship Race
Lanes 3 & 4 — Third-Place Race
The two championship finalists race head-to-head for the Wally while the other two semifinalists race head-to-head for third place, all four cars going down the track at the same time.
To me, this would preserve what makes four-wide unique — four nitro cars staging and launching together — while making the competition much easier to follow. Every driver has one opponent, every race has a clear winner and loser, and the elimination ladder works basically the same way fans are already accustomed to.
You’d still get the insanity of four cars running at once, but underneath it would be two traditional drag races instead of one four-car race where two cars advance
65 Goatboy
Nitro Member
Isn't the pic exactly what Nunzio describes, a two lane track with each pair in one lane?
