Here we are in mid-April, and it feels like the drag racing season is just getting started. Yes, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) has already run six national races, but only in the south and west. And, yes, drivers here in the mid-Atlantic are already racing for points at their local tracks. But the biggest names in the sport have been spending their time elsewhere.
That is, they were until last Saturday, when the Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Association (NEOPMA) brought its road show to Virginia Motorsports Park (southwest of Richmond, in Dinwiddie, Virginia). I was there to cover the race for Drag Racing Online.
Pro Mod standouts Tommy Gray (driving "Undertaker") and Scott Cannon (at the wheel of "Modzilla") both put up big numbers in testing and qualifying, covering the quarter-mile in the 5 second range at over 240 miles per hour. (Those are their cars in the photos below. Click on the image to see full size versions.)
Scott Cannon, in his supercharged '68 Firebird, on his way to a 5.979/241.45, in qualifying.
Tommy Gray and his supercharged '68 Camaro ran a 5.914/241.67, in testing.
Cannon was quickest in qualifying, but, unfortunately, he went out in the first round of the race, when his car broke on the starting line. Gray went on the win the race.
One of the things that I like most about covering races is meeting other writers and photographers. Usually, they’re friendly, funny, and generally cool, and that was the case with Rick Fisher, a fine photographer, who runs Fisher Productions. That’s him in the photo below, during a break in the action.
Rick Fisher.
I’ve mentioned several times in previous posts that drag racing is, by far, the most racially diverse motor sport in America. Here’s yet another example. That’s Marc Hayes in the photo below, holding his trophy for winning the Pro Mod Nitrous class, surrounded by his multi-racial team.
Pro Mod Nitrous winner Marc Hayes and his team.
One more photo, for no other reason than I like it a lot. This is the supercharged ‘68 Camaro of semi-finalist Tim O’Hare. He’s about 75 feet beyond the starting line, and he’s probably already doing 100 mph.
Tim O'Hare's supercharged '68 Camaro during qualifying.
For full coverage of the race, see my article and photos on Drag Racing Online.
Great article and photos, John! I could almost HEAR them!! :-)
Posted by: Bob Travis | 23 April 2009 at 10:19 AM
@Bob Thanks much. It was a heck of a day at the races.
Posted by: John Edwin Mason | 23 April 2009 at 02:31 PM