My father in law invited me and my father to go to Bristol, TN to watch the NHRA drag nationals in Thunder Valley. This was my first NHRA event and I was pretty excited. My drag racing experience consisted basically of seeing a few races on TV, going to a local 1/8th mile track and doing a few passes in my car many years ago. I thought drag racing was pretty cool, but nothing compared to circuit racing.......that thought was quickly changed when we got off the tram and started walking thru the pits. A waist-high pro stock car was being towed by a van just a few feet from where we were.....no where else can you get this kind of access to cars and drivers. From there, I fell head over heels with the sport (maybe its just anything with wheels and a motor?).
Everything about these top tier dragsters are insane. First, there is the sound. I had heard these things would be loud, but little did I know that the sounds these cars made register on the richter scale - seriously. There is no high pitched scream that you get from F1 or MotoGP, instead this guttral roar fills the air with a presence that makes your inner ear shake in your head. The sound is like the alien ships from War of the Worlds (I'm convinced they got that sound from these dragsters). The speeds are unfathomable. 325mph is just a number, but when your camera is dialed into a 1/160th second shutter speed, even panning the cars are most times blurred. If you are close to the track, a slight whiff of nitro-methane fills your nostrils and burns your eyes.
There is plenty of action on the track. There are tons of different classes, each with its own rules and restrictions. Alcohol burning, gas burning, nitrous oxide, turbos, superchargers, and finally top fuel nitro-methane - its all here. Cars that look mostly stock on the outside to funny cars that just barely show a resemblance thanks to painted on headlights and tail lights. Even 1000hp Harley's are there riding wheelies the whole way down the track.
So after watching some of the racing, we head back to the pits and watch the teams work on the cars between runs. There is a definite difference on how each team operates based on a lot of factors. After each round, the cars come in for work whether they win or lose. Losing teams work diligently, but lack the urgency of the winning teams. Winning teams have 45 mins to completely rebuild the engine, transmission, and clutch pack, reload the chutes and diagnose any problems from the run before. Generous funding by high level sponsors shows in the pits too. These crews move with a fluidity and pace that has to be seen. Often the driver is working along side the crew also to help get the car back before the deadline. I stood less than 5 ft away from Alexis Dejoria as she repacked her chute in preparation for the Funny Car finals. After the crew gets the engines rebuilt, there is a test fire process to ensure all is well and tuning is correct. Here's a beginner tip - do not stand behind a Funny car when they are test firing the engine. We got blasted with a face full of nitro - it makes your eyes water and lungs burn. Ron Capps hopped out of the driver's seat after the test fire with his gas mask on - you could tell he was smiling by his eyes.
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