Fast Words, Still Images Story by Dwight Drum Photos and Web work by Gary Larsen & Drum
NHRA Blasts into NASCAR Territory
It’s no turf war. NHRA and NASCAR are two different forms of popular motorsports, one bigger and one smaller, one straight and one with corners, but the sanctions set regional schedules so neither has an event in the same area the same weekend. No reason to split crowds if you are a sanction, even less if your company owns tracks that race both.
Bruton Smith, CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns the new zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., where NHRA’s “Countdown to the Championship” begins a six race playoff. SMI also owns New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H., where NASCAR’s “Chase to the Championship” begins its 10 race playoff. SMI also owns nearby renowned Lowe’s Motor Speedway, the huge local NASCAR draw.
Smith got his way when he envisioned a new “Bellagio of drag strips” and then supplied the resources to build it. The zMax Dragway at Concord, N.C., was completed in six months with 300 people working 12 hours per day for a total of 336,000 man-hours. All that on saturated NASCAR turf with no guarantee fans would embrace drag racing. Smith is proud of his company.
"We’re very fortunate that we have some great people,” Bruton Smith said. “I'm very impressed with this place. I love it. I had not realized how big this was going to be. Had I known that, we would have built more seats. That isn't to say that we can't build more, because we have been known to build seats."
NHRA officials are ecstatic with the highly functional results, the smooth concrete track and the many thoughtful amenities for fans. Their race was sold out even when the Carolina Panthers were playing a hometown game the same day.
"This is a market that we thought was a really important to be in,” NHRA president Tom Compton said. “It's obviously the motorsports capital with a lot of fans and we wanted to bring the NHRA to them."
Both sanctions have stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and John Force.
"I learned from the NASCAR boys,” John Force said. “I learned what they do, how they draw the fans, how they sign autographs. I always wanted that dream and NHRA to be a part of it. This stadium gives us that chance. Build' em and they'll come and that's what Bruton did."
Force’s daughter, 25, has her own shoes to wear instead of stepping into dad’s footwear but she too is at home on a throttle. Her popularity has exploded in recent months and often seeks dad for advice including what to do about swarming fans.
"Dad, they're 20 deep behind my trailer. How do I make them all happy?”
“That's what every driver dreams of -- to have that opportunity,” dad said. “You're a woman. You got the right name. You got your mom's looks. You can drive that hot rod like any pro out here."
NASCAR has a gazillion fans and NHRA has growing numbers too, but the difference between straight and round racing is less known to non-fans.
In NHRA crew members rebuild engines after every run. In NASCAR crew members rebuild engines after every race.
In NASCAR the fastest car to turn the last corner first, usually wins. In NHRA the only turn any racer wants to
make is off the straight track slowly after decelerating from a side-by-side winning run.
NHRA has four pro classes: Top Fuel Dragster, Fuel Funny Car, Pro Stock Car and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Their top classes use nitromethane explosive fuel. It’s a big boost to speed and then a bigger bust on parts.Unlike NASCAR every ticket is a pit pass in NHRA. Fans can go up to the ropes to get autographs. That’s limited in NASCAR, but routine in NHRA.
Fans can gather at pit ropes to watch crews disassemble and reassemble engines in an hour. They can also inhale nitromethane fumes usually not voluntarily as the pits are a working area. That power cloud is a burning experience known to NHRA fans as a nitro fix.
zMax Dragway Concord fans accustomed to Lowe’s Motor Speedway learned fast that they were able to visit the pit area when not in the stands, but they weren’t the only fast learners.
Legendary NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace dropped by to be welcomed by drag racing legend Don “The Snake” Prudhomme after learning one VIP pass was all he needed. NASCAR drivers Kurt Busch and Michael Waltrip stopped by early in the week to try out the track in cars not prepped for drag racing.
"We're next door to NASCAR,” John Force. “That is a trip when you see Rusty Wallace and NASCAR guys running around the starting line. It makes you want to crash for them."
Stay tuned.
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