The NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway always deliver intensity, emotion, and some of the toughest competition on the tour. For Curt Smith Jr., the 2025 edition of the event brought a rollercoaster weekend filled with early confidence, solid performance, and a painfully abrupt ending that left the team thinking about what could have been.

After weeks of preparation, late nights in the shop, and careful tuning, the team entered the event feeling strong. The car had shown solid consistency in testing, and the early-weekend passes in Concord confirmed that the combination was coming together at exactly the right time.

A Clean Start: First Round Victory

Eliminations began with energy and anticipation. With a field stacked with some of the best in Stock Eliminator, every round would matter—and no one took that more seriously than Curt Smith Jr.

The first-round matchup went exactly to plan. Smith Jr. executed a clean, disciplined pass from start to finish. The car left strong, the early numbers were promising, and Smith Jr. appeared to be on a competitive run.

But as the car approached the finish line, disaster struck.

Going through the stripe, the engine let go—violently. What began as a smooth pull to the finish instantly turned into a cloud of smoke and a sickening change in tone from under the hood. Smith Jr. guided the car safely to a stop, but the damage was undeniable: the engine had suffered catastrophic failure.

And with it went the team’s shot at capturing a coveted NHRA National Event Wally.

A Tough Ending to a Promising Weekend

The failure brought the weekend to a sudden and disappointing halt. For a team that had been building toward a deep Sunday run, the heartbreak hit hard. Momentum was on their side, confidence was high, and the first-round win showed the performance was there. Unfortunately, the mechanical setback ended what could have been one of the most memorable weekends of the season.