I remember as a teenager going to the Norwalk, Ohio track and watching a few races back in the 70's. Never saw any Nationals there but the urge to get on the track and drive a car as fast as possible for a quarter mile was the definition of being a "guy". It was Ford against Chevy...Mustang vs Corvette...big block engines running open headers...the smell of gasoline, man was it a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night. And meet cool chicks.
Then life took place and I was away from the track for 20 years or so. Boy did things change.
In the mid-90's my office manager had two sons who raced pro-stock at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Tx just south of Dallas. I attended a Nationals race in the spring of 95. Built out in the middle of lots of vacant real estate it was a nice 45-minute ride to get pumped for racing (see my M post regarding Metallica's Fuel song).
Most of the parking was in a grass field. Getting tickets for pit access and seats at the starting line. The smell of the nitro when they are tuning the engines in the pits. The mechanics looking like space aliens wearing gas masks to avoid breathing the fumes. (I am here to tell you that the first time you stand too close to a car getting ready in the pits and inhale a full blast of that nitro exhaust...you think you will never breathe again. If it happens to you more than once you are an idiot.) Getting to walk right up to the greatest drag racers of all time and talk to them, get pictures taken and pictures signed...that two or three hours before the Sunday finals are the best. And the funnel cakes are pretty damn good too !
The Texas Motorplex 1/4 mile track:
Every once in a while you see something spectacular happen:
Just this week in Charlotte, NC in four-wide Funny Car qualifying.
I was actually in the stands a few years ago when the entire car body went flying off one of the FC's. Wildest thing I ever saw.
My favorite Top Fuel driver was Kenny Bernstein and, by a long shot, my favorite Funny Car driver is John Force. Both were big fan favorites and Force was so dominant in Funny Car as to be unbelievable...15 time Champion. His daughter Ashley is now also a Funny Car driver, and in the video below (I know it's pretty long but it is a good one) she defeats her dad for the win in this particular nationals back in 2008...topping out at 320 miles an hour. That and she is stunningly good looking...could there be a totally hotter woman on the planet!!
If you have never been, look for a track near you that runs the Nationals and take in a race. Friday nights they usually do qualifying under the lights so these 8000hp machines breathe fire into the night air. Closest thing in real life there is to seeing and hearing a dragon! It is spectacular. Sundays are the finals. Go get your blood pumping. I promise you will thank me...make sure to take ear plugs!
Night qualifying
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| One word: BADASS! See U tomorrow! |
