American speedway magnate and connoisseur Bruton Smith has hinted for years at his interest in four-wide drag racing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway that he purchased in 1998— even long before the construction of the zMax Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina, that finally made four-wide nitro racing a reality. But the idea for the LVMS strip, which was conceived by a pair of casino and hotel entrepreneurs in a manner that would allow an extra set of lanes to be constructed with limited cost, was never fully put to bed.

Photo by Jeff Speer

And today, after witnessing the success of eight previous editions of the Four-Wide Nationals, Smith and his Speedway Motorsports Inc. have announced the long-awaited expansion of The Strip to four lanes, with construction already underway and plans to contest the NHRA DENSO Nationals next April in a four-wide format.

“Four-wide drag racing has captured the interest of race fans and competitors at Charlotte’s zMAX Dragway,” LVMS president Chris Powell said. “It’s exciting to give everyone on the west coast a chance to see what fans back east have experienced for several years now. Four-wide drag racing was the vision of our chairman, Bruton Smith, and our chief executive officer, Marcus Smith.  They are two of the key reasons that NHRA drag racing has become one of the most popular forms of motorsports in the world.”

“The excitement and sensory overload of four-wide drag racing is one of the most intense displays of motorsports in the country,” added Peter Clifford, NHRA president. “We look forward to presenting the four-wide experience to the dedicated NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series fans in Las Vegas and the surrounding states.”

John Force won the first-ever Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte in 2010, and as one of the great business visionaries in drag racing, sees the excitement and intrigue that four-wide nitro racing presents.

“I’ve got to give credit to Bruton Smith for investing in the sport of NHRA drag racing,” Force said. “His four-lane in Charlotte gave him two races, one with the two-lane in the Countdown and then the four-lane in the spring. It only makes sense that when he designed his Vegas track, from day one he planned on four lanes. That will allow those two races to be even more successful. So, good for you Bruton, and thank you from all of us at John Force Racing.”