12/9/03

Fast street car racing
is where it's at!

've attended a few "fastest street car" type races recently and left each event suitably impressed with the racers and equipment on hand. It never ceases to amaze me how much time, money, and good, old-fashioned hard work are put into these cars to race for what usually amounts to relatively small purses. I mean, even the most basic car has to have 20 grand or more wrapped up in it, not to mention the tow vehicle, trailer, and tools, while a $2,000 payout to the winner after a hard day's racing is considered a good result. And that's for a very basic rig; many of the teams easily have more than $100K invested -- probably much more.

Now this is hardly news to anyone who owns one of these racecars, but it's testament to the genuine love, dedication, and enthusiasm they have for the sport.

Love? How else to explain the willingness to endure those seemingly endless late-night tows, frantic thrashes between rounds, or the heartbreak of losing a close round? About a month ago I visited Brainerd Optimist Dragway, up near the Georgia-Tennessee border, for a Drag Radial event where I spent quite a bit of time working the pits. I expected to find a lot of good ol' boys from nearby states, but instead talked with racers who made the long hauls from Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida. Almost to a man they told me they were there because they loved to race and that's where the race was that weekend. It was that simple. But it also told me there's a real hunger to compete in the class, if only more venues are made available.

Shades of Two-Lane Blacktop -- Corky Markwart in the Ammons Brothers'
primered and not-so-pretty '55 Chevy (far lane) gets the jump on Chris Tedeschi
in the Drag Radial final at Brainerd Optimist Dragway. (Photo by Ian Tocher)

For dedication, I need look no further than the recently resurrected National Street Car Association led by Tony DePillo and Patrick Budd -- both hardcore racers themselves. With all the strife and turmoil they've gone through in recent years between fighting for naming rights, rule making, surviving inept management partners, and coping with the ever-present complaints of slighted racers, it's a wonder these guys haven't already thrown in the towel.

I spent a race weekend with DePillo and Budd at the (then) NMCA season ender in September and I really think they have the racer's best interest at heart. That's not to say they're always going to make the right decisions, but I'm confident they're not out to screw anyone over and seem genuinely interested in addressing issues in a fair and friendly manner. In other words, they're dedicated to their cause and the reputation the NSCA has as an organization that cares is well deserved, in my opinion.

The last point -- enthusiasm -- was driven home for me by Corky Markwart's crew after they won the Drag Radial final at the north-Georgia track. By their reaction you'd have thought they'd just won an NHRA national. They were that stoked! Even after a long, cold day that even included a little controversy, they were able to put all that aside to celebrate the accomplishment.

It's just too bad these guys (and a few gals, too) don't often get the recognition they're due. And according to early results from our 2003 Drag Racing Online Survey, a lot of you agree. One of the biggest messages sent to the powers that be at DRO worldwide headquarters is that you want to see more fast street car coverage, including Drag Radial, 10.5-tire shootouts, and traditional classes from the letter organizations (NMRA, PRO, NSCA, etc.).

So with that in mind, we're pledging at DRO to cover as many hot street-type races as possible next year. Who knows? Maybe we can help discover, "the next big thing."

But first, one of the biggest challenges we face is knowing ahead of time where the action is, especially for those one-off specialty events. So, if you know of a big race coming up that you think is worthy of attention, let us know and we'll try to send someone out. I know I'm looking forward to covering more "grassroots" racing in '04 -- but don't for a minute think I'll be giving up my nitro doses. That just ain't gonna' happen!

Race safe,

tocher@dragracingonline.com