Mustang Week Brings Exciting New Street Kings Class to zMax

Those familiar with the popular Street Car Bragging Rights and other series will be excited to learn Mustang Week is introducing this style of racing in its return to drag racing on the East Coast. For years, the event has been without drag racing for various reasons, but with zMax Dragway as its new home, the organizers were looking for ways to welcome Mustang racers to the event.

“Mustang Week is raising the stakes for drag racers in 2026 with the debut of Street Kings, an all-new competition designed to determine who owns the baddest true street-driven Ford in the country,” according to Mustang Week. Set to take place during Mustang Week 2026 in Concord, North Carolina, the class combines the excitement of heads-up racing with the accessibility and authenticity of real-world street cars.

Street Kings is built around one simple concept: race the car you actually drive. Every entry must be licensed, registered, insured, and capable of operating under its own power throughout the event. That means no trailer queens, no dedicated race cars masquerading as street machines, and no shortcuts.

Open to all Ford-bodied vehicles—including Mustangs, F-150s, classic Fords, and late-model performance machines—Street Kings aims to showcase the fastest and most capable street cars in the Blue Oval community.

Blind Qualifying Creates The Drama

The action begins with three rounds of blind qualifying, where scoreboards remain off and competitors won’t know exactly what their opponents are running. Qualifying positions are determined strictly by elapsed time, adding an extra layer of strategy and suspense to the competition.

Entry is capped at 75 vehicles, with the quickest 64 cars advancing into eliminations. Once qualifying concludes, racers will be divided into four performance-based divisions:

• King Class: Qualifying Positions 1-16
• Outlaw: Qualifying Positions 17-32
• Hot Sauce: Qualifying Positions 33-48
• Grocery Getter: Qualifying Positions 49-64

This unique structure allows competitors of varying performance levels to battle for meaningful prizes and bragging rights while still competing against cars of similar capability.

Four Classes, Four Chances To Win

The premier King Class is designed for the quickest cars in the field and will run true heads-up competition with no breakout restrictions. It’s a straightforward battle where the first car to the finish line wins.

The remaining three divisions—Outlaw, Hot Sauce, and Grocery Getter—will feature a unique breakout format. The breakout threshold for each division will be set at 0.10 seconds quicker than the quickest qualifier in that respective category. The breakout remains in effect throughout eliminations, rewarding consistency and strategic driving.

Eliminations will begin with a random chip draw to establish the opening-round matchups before transitioning to a traditional ladder format for the remainder of competition. Scoreboards will be turned on for eliminations, allowing racers and spectators to see every detail as the pressure ramps up.

Real Street Car Rules

Street Kings organizers are making it clear that this is intended to be a legitimate street-car category.

Every vehicle must feature:

• A functioning cooling system, radiator, and water pump
• Operational taillights
• At least one functioning headlight
• A valid license plate
• Current registration
• Valid insurance

Cars must be driven under their own power to and from the staging lanes. Tow vehicles and push vehicles are prohibited, although hand-pushing in the staging lanes is permitted. Vehicles suffering mechanical failures during competition may be repaired, but officials reserve the right to disqualify repeat offenders who appear to be violating the intent of the class.

Tire rules are designed to keep the competition grounded in realistic street-car performance. Rear-wheel-drive entries are limited to a 275mm tire on a 15-inch wheel, a 325mm tire on 17-inch-or-larger wheels, or a maximum 29.5×10.5 slick. AWD vehicles such as the F-150 and Explorer ST are limited to a 315mm tire on a 17-inch wheel or a 28×10.5-inch slick.

Prohibited equipment includes wheelie bars, throttle stops, delay boxes, and any reaction-time-based electronic aids.

$8,000 On The Line

In addition to the prestige of becoming a Street Kings champion, competitors will be racing for a guaranteed $8,000 purse.

The King Class winner will battle for a guaranteed $5,000 payout, while each of the Outlaw, Hot Sauce, and Grocery Getter divisions will offer a guaranteed $1,000 purse. Each class will pay 75 percent of the purse to the winner and 25 percent to the runner-up.

With blind qualifying, multiple divisions, real street-car rules, and substantial cash on the line, Street Kings is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated drag racing attractions at Mustang Week 2026. Whether you’re campaigning a small-tire Mustang, a boosted F-150, or a purpose-built street machine that still wears a license plate, Street Kings offers a chance to prove who truly rules the streets.

To register for Street Kings, go to MustangWeek.com.