WHY DRAG RACING ?

It is a great sport, but what makes us continue to do it year in and year out. After being involved for some 40+ years in this sport, through two generations of racers, I asked myself that question each spring.

First we spend money we can’t really afford to spend, on our cherished cars, to make them go faster, look nice, and make great sounds. Now, we all know the car is just a machine. Even one caressed and prepped as a race only vehicle, does not have a mind of it’s own. Or, does it! After spending great amounts of time and expense, this wonderful creation may or may not perform as expected. And, on any given day at any track, "IT" may just decide that it is not going to do what "IT" was created to do, whenever "IT" decides to rebel. Of course, this often happens in the final round of competition, but could occur the round before you get in the money, or quite often in the first round, sending you home early.  Sometimes one wonders about the "machine" aspect. The racer loves his car, but it’s like a frustrating romance. It can go sour on a moment’s notice. And, the spouse cannot understand why we spend all that time, money, and effort to build a car that is taken to a track, once a week and beat on mercilessly. They also question the sanity of a person who spends a Saturday and/or Sunday, sitting around in the hot sun waiting for a chance to race, maybe one or two times, seemingly trying to break the car. Ah, drag racers!

Then there is the racing itself. We drive to a track 2 or more hours away, each weekend, April through October, towing our pride and joy, which has been prepared and cleaned to perfection, so that we can compete in style for the fans and fellow racers. It can cost between $60 and $150 to enter the car, driver and a couple of team members. A couple of time trials and we’re ready to race! If we can win a few rounds, and the car continues to cooperate with consistency, we are elated. We might even win the meet and get a few hundred dollars. But, most of the time, we will make a couple of passes, then sit and wait 2+ hours before making any more runs. The conditions have changed so drastically that it’s difficult to know how the car is going to perform. And then there's the chance that a red light in round one, ends the day and sends us home early in disgust. But that’s the challenge!

We must also mention the dust and dirt have invaded every corner of the car by now, and even our clothes are specked with tire rubber from the burnouts, and smell of smoke as though we had been standing in the middle of tire dump fire. But, we love it!!

Winning is not everything. Just being there and doing what gives you good vibes, and great experiences, is what makes the sport of Drag Racing so addictive. Being with other participants and "bench racing" is a mandatory activity that provides much of the satisfaction of involvement in this activity. After a long winter’s absence, the first time you return to the track in the spring and hear the music of a racing engine, chills run up your spine. You know you are hooked!

Another season has ended for us. Now the car has to be rebuilt again. Just can’t wait to get started on a new season with the elation of winning and the agony of losing.

Weekends are for Drag Racing!

Ralph T.

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