4/8/04

SELLING THE SPORT

ired of the national-event scene? Can't be bothered with watching NHRA on TV anymore? Don't really care who Clay Millican beats up on in IHRA this year? You, my friend, may be in need of a new fix for your drag racing jonesin' -- and I think I have exactly the remedy to restore your faith in straight-line acceleration contests -- live, heads-up, outlaw doorslammer racing. It's fast, it's loud, it's colorful, and you never know what combination you're going to find in the staging lanes. In other words, it's a lot like the way it used to be.

I was struck by that thought a couple of weeks back while watching the 1973 cult classic, "Funny Car Summer," that chronicles the efforts of Jim Dunn and his young son, Mike, through a season of early-'70s plastic fantastic action. (And just in case anyone's wondering; yes, they're the very same Jim Dunn who owns a current NHRA Funny Car team and Mike Dunn who serves as ESPN's drag racing analyst.) Anyway, the race scenes in that movie reminded me of the atmosphere I've found at places like Phenix City, AL; Dallas, GA; and Jackson, SC. They convey a real, working man's sport populated by racers not afraid to go their own way -- Dunn was running a rear-engine F/C in the movie! -- and give fans the sense that anything can happen, and often will.

I've been fortunate enough to attend a few outlaw Pro Mod and 10.5 races already this year and it's been refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I still love the smell of nitro in the morning, but I've come to realize you don't need mega-million-dollar teams, an army of sanctioning body types in "official" shirts, or even a 1/2-mile distance to put on a great drag race. All it takes is a decent purse, a decent 1/8-mile track, and a few hardcore racers with a "run-what-you-brung-and-hope-you-brung-enough" attitude. Add to the mix a couple of thousand enthusiastic fans and you've got the makings of a mighty fine raceday.

Actually, the fan turnout is probably what impressed me the most. I mean, I expected to see great cars and tight racing, but having a crowd on hand definitely makes it feel more like an event. Far too often I've driven a couple of hundred miles to a race where nobody but the drivers' wives and friends showed up to watch -- and only because they had to -- making us wonder here at DRO whether the race truly was worth covering. Not so in the outlaw ranks.

There's a vibe going on right now, at least here in the southeast, that suggests this type of racing may be on the verge of exploding into something big. At least three new organizations have sprung up in Georgia and the Carolinas this year alone, with I'm sure many more local series at tracks throughout the region. Meanwhile, it's practically impossible to go to a race and not hear about a new car almost ready to debut, or one that's in the works for later in the year.

The only stumbling block I could foresee is the formation of too many small sanctioning bodies, which could eventually dilute the pool of credible racers. This is essentially what happened in my old stomping grounds, where at least three southern-Ontario dragstrips would schedule head-to-head events on nearly every major holiday weekend, thereby forcing racers to make a choice -- often to the detriment of Pro Mod and Quick-8 fields at each venue. Of course, we have a much larger pool to draw from down here, but there are only so many "stars" to go around. Still, just the fact that we can talk about stars in the Outlaw 10.5 class is a good omen, I figure.

Major-league drag racing, either of NHRA or IHRA variety, comes to most regions of the country perhaps once a year, and by all means I think everyone should get a taste of national-event action. (There really is no substitute for Top Fuel!) But for all those other weekends on the calendar, if you're a drag racing fan you owe it to yourself check out an outlaw race at a local track. Most events are just one or two-day affairs, so there's little need for hotel reservations or booking days off work. It's an affordable alternative to the big leagues, too, with tickets typically going for 20 bucks or less and kids usually getting in free. And from what I've seen, the little ones have just as much fun getting an autograph from the local Pro Mod king of the hill as they do fighting the crowds to see John Force.

Besides, the stars of tomorrow have to come from somewhere, and how cool would it be to say in 2010, "I knew him when ... "?

Race safe,

tocher@dragracingonline.com

P.S. Kudos to fellow Canucks Al Billes, Glen Kerunsky and Rob Atchison for getting their seasons off on the right foot. Billes won the NHRA AMS Staff Leasing Pro Mod Challenge at Gainesville; Kerunsky scored his first IHRA Pro Mod event title at San Antonio, TX; and Atchison finished runner-up in Funny Car at that same event. Go Canada!