Freshman Victoria Greene sits in her pits with a tray full of cheesy, greasy nachos and awaits the announcer to call her to the staging lanes. Greene has spent almost every Saturday at the drag strip since she was 8. Greene says working behind the scenes takes a lot of time and commitment.
“I am pumped up every time I get to spend time at the race track,” Greene said. “A racetrack is hot, nasty and not an enjoyable place, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
Spending time at the race track, racers can expect to get dirty, sticky and irritated by the end of the day. Greene, even knowing when she gets home that she will be covered in oil and dirt, can’t wait for her race day to begin.
There are three different types of commonly seen drag: bracket racing, grudge racing and heads-up racing. There are distinct differences between the three classes.
Heads-up drag racing focuses on who brings the fastest car. Two cars line up perfectly even and leave at the same time. Whichever car gets to the finish line first wins the race.
“I was excited and scared at the same time,” Heads-Up Racer, Garrett Glover said. “If that’s even possible.”
Grudge racing happens when two racers bet money that their car will be faster than the others. Both cars get two time trials down the track so there can be a correct tune-up inside the cars computer. Both racers then line up on the track and leave when the light turns green. The first car to cross the finish line wins the money that was bet toward the race.
“I was nervous that I was going to lose my money,” Grudge Racer Chase Smith said.
Bracket racing takes more strategy. This being focused on about how consistent the car racing will be. The racer puts a specific time on his or her race car based off what the car has been running during that race day. However, if the car runs faster than that specific time it’s a loss. So using the sense of judgement can be very important. If you feel that you are going too fast then you adjust your speed and elapsed time by letting off the gas pedal and or using your brakes before you cross the finish line.
“The worst part of racing is losing but knowing you could have done better,” Greene said. “But when you win you feel very accomplished and good about yourself.”
