(Words and photos by Brad Klaassen) – 2014 was another incredible racing season for me. I kicked off the beginning of the year with dirt slinging midget action at the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in January, and ended the season in November at the Match Race Madness Event at North Star Dragway outside Denton, TX. There was plenty of other ultra cool drag racing action to cover at my home track, Osage Casino Tulsa Raceway Park, which hosts the Throwdown in T-Towns, the Nostalgia Nitro Nationals, NHRA Division 4 Race, the Radial Revenge Tour, the Duck Drags and a PDRA Pro Mod Event.
What’s also not to love about the amazing nostalgia racing going on across the country? Of course my season wouldn’t be complete without hitting the March Meet and the NHRA’s Heritage Hot Rod Series, California Hot Rod Reunion, at Auto Club Famoso Raceway. I was also lucky enough to hit some new tracks this year. The IHRA Nitro Jam Series at San Antonio Raceway was a blast as well as the NHRA’s Heritage Series Summer-Kick off event at Rocky Mountain Raceways, just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Working close to home is also nice when I can cruise over to Thunder Valley Raceway Park, near Noble, Oklahoma, and shoot some killer straight line action there including their Pro Street Racing Series Events and NHRA Division 4 Race. I also made a visit to Heartland Park Topeka this year for some NHRA Division 5 action.
I also branched out a bit further with some new forms of racing I’d never experienced before. The short drive for me to Texas Motor Speedway near Ft. Worth, TX, was well worth the trip to shoot the Red Bull Air Race. I was able to take a track tour at the Circuit of the Americas, home of the U.S. Grand Prix, outside Austin, TX, and shoot several different types of race cars in action from atop the track’s twenty two story observation tower. Shooting shifter Go-Karts in action across the fence from North Star Dragway, Denton, TX, was fun too.
Covering the Outlaw Fuel Altereds and Southwest Heritage Racing Association Races at both North Star Dragway, Denton, TX and Thunder Valley Raceway Park, Noble, Oklahoma, are always a ton of fun. Plus, I also made my annual journey to Ardmore Dragway just outside of Ardmore, Oklahoma, for their Labor Day Hot Rod Reunion. Covering half of Hot Rod’s Drag Week for the first time at both Tulsa Raceway Park and Thunder Valley Raceway Park was a whole new level of fun for me and I can’t wait to experience it again next year.
So, with the 2014 season in the books, I’m already itching to begin the 2015 season. Once again I plan on hitting some more new tracks, seeing a new set of drag machines, and meeting more new friends. When a racing season comes to an end, I’m always saddened not hearing roaring engines and seeing tire blazing burnouts. However, that sadness doesn’t come close to comparing not seeing my racing family during the offseason. I know we all have to be somewhat crazy to chase a dream that we obsess about 7/24. But, it does create some very special bonds and I’m so lucky to be part of this crazy gig we call racing. Thank you to everyone for all your support, Thanks to Brian Lohnes and Chad Reynolds at Bangshift.com for all they do, and a special thanks to my wife Bad PK, aka Phyllis Klaassen, for letting me live my dream.
Until 2015, see you at the drags!
-Bad Brad
Awesome stuff as usual Brad!
Awesome shots Brad. I really like the old floppers and altered. Good stuff. What I don’t get is how a fellow Okie does such a good job. 🙂
Thanks Mike Brooks and Doug Gregory. It’s all just smoke and mirrors! LOL