NSRA Hotrod Drags
18th - 20th September 2009
 
Hot Rod Drags – Shakespeare County Raceway
September 09


I’d never seen drag racing before but as I’d been watching Brock’s thread on the building of ‘Black Pig Too’ (see the Hot Rod Tech forum), with interest, it might be fun to see it racing, so off I went to Long Marston near Stratford on Avon, (hence the Shakespeare tag I guess!). Got there on Saturday afternoon and was told “You won’t get anywhere near the pits” but I found a way through the tents and caravans and all the amazing cars in the outer field, to a spot very near the pits, which also turned out to be quite near Steve and Lesley's amazing camper/transporter, (more of that later).
Had a walk round and found the Black Pig but things weren’t going well. The battery was on charge, till the genny ran out of gas. Literally, gas! I thought they ran on petrol but not this one – so off I went with Steve to the local garden centre, (!), for a new cylinder! Turned out there were more problems and the Pig didn’t run in the end but I expect Steve will write about that when he’s got over being pig-sick, (ha ha), about a lost weekend.
There was plenty to see though. Everywhere I turned there were more amazing cars, trucks and even motorcycles and I was having such a great time taking pictures I almost forgot about the racing! I watched a few cars go down the strip but I really wanted to look round some more – I must have walked miles! The Black Pig pit was a good place to be as the queue for the track went right past the open front where I sat for a while with Doc, (Twisted Patience), while my sore feet recovered. Later that evening there were fireworks – an unexpected bonus for me, I love ‘em, especially the noisy ones!
Sunday was more of the same but always new stuff to see – when Brock asked if I’d watched any racing I said I’d rather be in the pits but later I went up to the track to watch a few cars and then a couple more…  and the next ones….  and got really sucked in to the excitement of it all and stayed there for ages! Great to see some really quick cars and some much slower but all obviously such fun! Some of the miniature Tot Rods, driven by children, achieved as much as 45mph!
I took a few photos of the inside of the transporter/camper as it’s such an impressive conversion – not suprising I guess as Brock's a carpenter by trade. All quite posh inside but the beds and table fold up and the dividing wall rolls away and then the car goes inside! All in a vehicle that used to be a mobile library. Amazing.
I had a great weekend, the weather was really hot and so were the cars - my first time drag racing but it won’t be the last!

-Bobbi (BikerGran)