LVMS to widen appeal with four-lane drag racing

Every now and then you’ll hear TV announcers talk about cars running four-wide in a NASCAR race.

They’ll be running like that all the time at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway dragstrip in 2018.

LVMS announced Wednesday it will join sister property Charlotte Motor Speedway in becoming a four-lane dragstrip. Bulldozers are on property with construction expected to be completed in time for next year’s spring race, the NHRA DENSO Nationals from April 6 to 8.

“Four-wide drag racing has captured the interest of race fans and competitors at Charlotte’s ZMAX Dragway,” LVMS president Chris Powell said in a statement. “It’s exciting to give everyone on the west coast a chance to see what fans back east have experienced for several years now.”

NHRA officials also expressed enthusiasm for the expansion project.

“The excitement and sensory overload of four-wide drag racing is one of the most intense displays of motorsports in the country,” NHRA president Peter Clifford said.

Antron Brown, the two-time reigning Top Fuel champion, said Las Vegas should get ready to rumble.

“It will be a real spectacle with four 11,000-horsepower cars launching at the same time,” Brown said. “That will shake Vegas down. It will be a really cool experience.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal. com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ ronkantowski on Twitter.