| Words
and photos by Ian Tocher
10/21/04
If you're a
fan of fast, heads-up, doorslammer
racing, add the World Street Nationals
to your list of "must-see" events.
The 12th annual version was held Oct.
15-17, at Orlando Speedworld Dragway
with nary a dragster in sight, delay
boxes just an ugly rumor, and a record
299 cars vying for spots in four classes
of 32 qualifiers each. Entries came from
as far afield as California and Canada,
and more than a few foreign languages
could be heard among the estimated 8,000
to 10,000 spectators who jammed Orlando
Dragway on each of the event's three
days of speed. Simply put, it was a good,
old-fashioned "run-whatcha'-brung-and-hope-ya'-brung-enuf" kind
of race.
Eliminations were held under cloudless
skies on the NHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile
with air temperature in the high 80s and
track temperature hovering about 115 degrees
most of the day. Both lanes appeared equal,
with neither obviously favored by the quicker
qualifiers; in fact, several drivers commented
that track conditions were probably better
than they'd expected. |
