Drag Racing (not the RuPaul kind)

[GuzziMoto]

I went to my first NHRA pro event this past weekend, the kind with the top fuel dragsters and funny cars.

All I can say is WOW. I have seen it on tv but that does not do it justice. It was amazing. I am not really into drag racing, I am into motorsports in general. I have been to local short track car races, flat track motorcycle races, AMA roadracing, NASCAR, MotoGP and even F1. Even with all that previous experience I was still seriously impressed. I have never seen anything else that impressive. The noise, the violence, the speed, it was all quite staggering. As to the noise, it went beyond terms of volume. You actually felt it as much as you heard it. Ear plugs almost seemed like a waste of time. My internal organs were hearing it. You could see the shock wave from the cars. 

Watching them idling at the start line, staging, it was almost subdued. But the moment the light changed you could see the cars erupt in violence. Then, a moment later as we were 600 - 700 feet away, you heard the violence. Then it built as they came hurtling towards you. As they went by I could feel my whole body tightening up, as if to holds my insides against the shockwave.

After experiencing this in person I highly recommend that anyone who is into racing, into motorsports, go watch it in person for themselves if they have the opportunity.

That was amazing.

[Baldini]

Second that . First time ever I was near a top fuel dragster start up - not so much "hearing" it as feeling the whole world shaken around you. Visceral. Thinking, how could that much energy & violence be contained by cases, screws & bolts. 

[savagehenry]

I experienced drags as a kid, my parents would take me when I was probably 6-7. Your description made this a genuine Deja Vu moment. As I write this I can feel the hair on my neck and arms standing on end. . That it was over 40 years ago takes nothing away from the memories. The cars were undoubtedly less powerful and slower, but they were still some of the fastest things on earth at that time, creating indelible impressions on this future motorhead.

No doubt, this has something to do with my love of heavy metal music, the power waves don't just hit you, they pound THROUGH you.

[Scud]

Absolutely best in person. Your description reminds me of the first time I saw a Grand Prix race in Long Beach. The speeds, sounds, and smells are intoxicating.

 

When I first moved to Carlsbad, the Carlsbad Raceway was still active, but in decline. There was a time when it was a world class drag strip and motocross track - even making appearances on "ABC's Wide World of Sports." My first house in the area was very close to the strip and I could hear the races every Saturday - and sometimes went to watch. Toward the end it was purely a "run what ya brung" sort of event. Really fun to watch all the hobbyists.

 

http://www.carlsbadraceway.org/Drags.html

 

Now it's a bunch of industrial buildings, stores, etc. As the song goes, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot:

 

[docc]

I thought the same thing when a neighbor invited me to the "tractor pull." I thought, "Oh yeah, whatever."

 

Reminded me of the drags! One guy had FOUR Dodge Hemis chained through to drive his unlimited rig. It was intense (just like Top Fuel drags)!

 

We sat about 3/4 of the way down the pull. As it turns out, that's where things blow apart! Like big 671 GMC supercharger flying up in the air!

 

Ya'll come, now! Ya hear?

[czakky]

Alright you guys convinced me. Whose gotta wheelie bar for a v11?

[GuzziMoto]

I thought the same thing when a neighbor invited me to the "tractor pull." I thought, "Oh yeah, whatever."

 

Reminded me of the drags! One guy had FOUR Dodge Hemis chained through to drive his unlimited rig. It was intense (just like Top Fuel drags)!

 

We sat about 3/4 of the way down the pull. As it turns out, that's where things blow apart! Like big 671 GMC supercharger flying up in the air!

 

Ya'll come, now! Ya hear?

I have been to a few tractor pulls, now that I live in the country (it is required to go, I think).

They are a lot of fun, especially the modified's. A "tractor" with three or four blown V8's....Awesome. A "tractor" powered by a radial airplane engine.....Insane.

I do like tractor pulls.

But, in all honesty, as cool as tractor pulls are the NHRA Nitro guys blew them into the weeds, big time. That was a whole 'nother level.

[docc]

But, in all honesty, as cool as tractor pulls are the NHRA Nitro guys blew them into the weeds, big time. That was a whole 'nother level.

 

True that! I haven't been to a national event in a lot of years, but I love the ear splitting *pop*pop* of those upturned exhaust shooting 4 feet of blue flames! At "idle."