Zmax Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway

ZMax Dragway is the world's most technologically advanced drag racing facility — built adjacent to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord and opened in 2008. It hosts multiple NHRA national events each year and is the only facility in the world capable of staging Four-Wide drag racing (four cars launching simultaneously).

For families who have never attended a drag racing event, ZMax is an extraordinary sensory experience. Top Fuel dragsters run on nitromethane fuel and produce 11,000 horsepower — they accelerate from a dead stop to over 330 mph in 3. 7 seconds across a 1,000-foot track.

The sound is not just loud; it's a physical sensation. The exhaust blast from a Top Fuel dragster can knock over small children standing near the track. Kids who have never experienced anything like this are uniformly and completely transfixed.

The Four-Wide NHRA Nationals, held at ZMax each spring (typically April), is the event to see if you can only attend once. Four cars — not the standard two — launch simultaneously from the starting line. The combined sound, speed, and spectacle of four Top Fuel dragsters running side by side is something that exists nowhere else on the planet.

Pit passes are the upgrade that transforms a drag racing event from a spectator sport into an interactive family experience. With a pit pass, you walk directly through the pit lane between rounds — within 10 feet of Top Fuel cars, funny cars, and Pro Stock vehicles being torn apart and rebuilt. Teams generally welcome families with kids.

Crew members explain what they're doing. Drivers sign autographs before rounds. It's an access level that doesn't exist in other motorsports.

Bring ear protection for everyone, especially children — this is not optional at drag racing events.