Went to the local dragstrip as a spectator...

[Stever89]

I'm fairly new to the whole drag racing scene. I've never drag raced anything, but plan to take my coupe when I feel I'm ready, and the car too. So in the meantime I've read and watched videos about it. Next I decided to go the annual "Street Wars" at my local dragstrip. Now I realize "Street Wars" is a "run-what-you-brung" thing, no real competition, all kinds of vehicles, some built up and some plain stock. It's all in fun.

What got me was the overall ignorance of the whole thing by the drivers. I lost count of how many guys staged (double-bulbed) before the other driver even got to the line, how many deep-staged, and how many took passengers. If you're tweaking for better times, why take an extra 150-200 lbs along? I saw the same cars coming back over and over like they were trying to get better times, but had their gf in the passenger seat

It was a fun day though, saw some fast cars, saw some complete idiots in ricers too

It all made me feel a lot more comfortable about it. I know know if I screw up, I won't the only one by a mile

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Sounds like "local track USA" to me.

As long as the track owner(s) make no attempt to educate the participants as to proper track etiquette, and do not enforce any safety rules or requirements, then I would expect every bit of what you saw.

(Although I no longer go to any of them,) for a true "reality check" you need to go to a few "grudge tracks" like we have down here in da south.
I'm talkin' abandoned WWII airstrips like Tuskegee, AL. and/or any of an assortment of these obscure strips of asphalt that end up in the middle of nowhere Alabama, Mississippi, or Georgia that I have been to.

Not only do we have all of the above as you've described, but throw in some serious money being bet, Loud Gangsta Rap pouring out of the P/A system between rounds, Spectators openly drinking cans of alcohol w/ bulls on the label lining the fence, (if there even is one) EZ ups w/ BBQ "entrepreneurs" all over the place, an unknown assortment of unregistered handguns, and some really pissed off sore losers, and you got yourself an interesting evening

 

[Stever89]

Sounds like "local track USA" to me.

As long as the track owner(s) make no attempt to educate the participants as to proper track etiquette, and do not enforce any safety rules or requirements, then I would expect every bit of what you saw.

(Although I no longer go to any of them,) for a true "reality check" you need to go to a few "grudge tracks" like we have down here in da south.
I'm talkin' abandoned WWII airstrips like Tuskegee, AL. and/or any of an assortment of these obscure strips of asphalt that end up in the middle of nowhere Alabama, Mississippi, or Georgia that I have been to.

Not only do we have all of the above as you've described, but throw in some serious money being bet, Loud Gangsta Rap pouring out of the P/A system between rounds, Spectators openly drinking cans of alcohol w/ bulls on the label lining the fence, (if there even is one) EZ ups w/ BBQ "entrepreneurs" all over the place, an unknown assortment of unregistered handguns, and some really pissed off sore losers, and you got yourself an interesting evening

I'm south of you in Biloxi the track I went to is in Gulfport

Gulfport Dragway, Mississippi Gulf Coast

Not that bad of a place, I'd been there before, long time ago. I didn't really pay attention to the shenanigans going on in the staging lanes before. No rap, folks were drinking (heck I brought my own cooler) a couple of beer stands and hotdogs. Weather was great. Didn't see any weapons, thankfully!

 

[NIKwoaC]

Whenever I've go to the track, it's a test and tune night, and I don't care what's going on in the other lane. I've been lined up against 16 second Saturns, 13 second BMWs, and 11 second muscle, so I rarely give much thought to strategy in my staging. I just race myself, try to get a better ET and reaction time.

 

[Stever89]

Whenever I've go to the track, it's a test and tune night, and I don't care what's going on in the other lane. I've been lined up against 16 second Saturns, 13 second BMWs, and 11 second muscle, so I rarely give much thought to strategy in my staging. I just race myself, try to get a better ET and reaction time.

I suppose you're right. This aint bowling

 

[Cobra912]

Sounds like "local track USA" to me.

As long as the track owner(s) make no attempt to educate the participants as to proper track etiquette, and do not enforce any safety rules or requirements, then I would expect every bit of what you saw.

(Although I no longer go to any of them,) for a true "reality check" you need to go to a few "grudge tracks" like we have down here in da south.
I'm talkin' abandoned WWII airstrips like Tuskegee, AL. and/or any of an assortment of these obscure strips of asphalt that end up in the middle of nowhere Alabama, Mississippi, or Georgia that I have been to.

Not only do we have all of the above as you've described, but throw in some serious money being bet, Loud Gangsta Rap pouring out of the P/A system between rounds, Spectators openly drinking cans of alcohol w/ bulls on the label lining the fence, (if there even is one) EZ ups w/ BBQ "entrepreneurs" all over the place, an unknown assortment of unregistered handguns, and some really pissed off sore losers, and you got yourself an interesting evening

LOL ^^ I wanna visit these places!

I visited Mobile last spring, couldn't find any track stuff going on.

 

[Cobra912]

The biggest problem with drag racing.......it's addicting.

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

The biggest problem with drag racing.......it's addicting.

trying to go faster is addicting, whether that be on a track or a back road lol.

 

[90stang5speed]

You're right about it being addictive. I havent been to a track in over a year & Im really looking forward to checking out the local 1/8 mile track over in Al. I just want to watch some cool cars. I hope I dont run into the crap Mike mentioned above but, I do expect some of it. Once I get the car back together, I hope I dont run into the sore losers with hand guns lol.

 

[BlackGT89]

At least you guys have a local drag strip to go to. The Huntsville Dragway (1/8 mile) got hit by one of the tornadoes that came through here back in late April. It was already in trouble so I guess it's closed indefinately now.

 

[90mustangGT]

Yes, the jokes that happen at tracks can actually frustrate some of us. What's more annoying to me than the amatures and ricers is the "semi-pro" type that make a real production of everything. You're launching a drag car, not a space shuttle.

At least you guys have a local drag strip to go to. The Huntsville Dragway (1/8 mile) got hit by one of the tornadoes that came through here back in late April. It was already in trouble so I guess it's closed indefinately now.

I feel your pain. I live so close to a closed dragstrip that when it was open, you could hear it in my neighborhood. Southeastern International Dragway opened in 1955 and closed in 2005, and at one time, it and Yellow River were the big tracks here in GA. I'm still bummed over it sometimes, because the closest track from here is 100mi about. It really puts a damper on things.