(Photos by Joe Grippo) –When it comes to cool drag strips, few places in the country can match Maple Grove blow for blow. We’re talking about a place with incredible history and a legacy that most tracks would kill to have behind them. The Grove has been a landing spot for some of the greatest competitors in the sport’s history and it continues to be a hot bed of straight line competition today. We were rummaging through photo files yesterday and realized that Joe Grippo had submitted this action gallery from a Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event at Maple Grove months ago and we misplaced it. Well, better late than never, right?

Stock eliminator has been contested at every NHRA national event since the 1960 Nationals. It is one of the coolest classes in existence and both Chad and I love it to our core. Super stock came along a few years after stock and it has its own attitude and awesomeness with the large tires the car can run on their rear axle and more liberal engine modification rules.

Long story short, here’s a fantastic collection of photos that’ll kick off a few days of sweet, sweet sportsman drag racing coverage from the lens of Joe Grippo.

Click the images below to expand them and then scroll on to see them all –