(Photos by Greg Rourke) – Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week 2017 was a huge success and an absolute blast from top to bottom. There were stories of triumph like Dave Schroeder and Jon Ens finally getting a long deserved win in Unlimited, there were stories of thrash with multiple people basically rebuilding engines in weird spots, there was carnage like the valve that Mike Finnegan’s hemi sucked, and there was the joy on the faces of those competitors who survived what I believe to be the hardest and most grueling week in hot rodding.

The weather played into the favor of competitors this year as the temps were cool every day and that kept both the cars and the drivers happy as they were not on full meltdown mode while traveling the beautiful higways and byways of this beautiful country.

Greg Rourke was our man on the scene at Byron Dragway and he blasted the photos you’ll see today and in the coming days on these pages. Byron Dragway is a track I had been to but never announced at. I got to check that box during Drag Week and I loved every second. Friend and legend Ron Leek stopped in to chat and he kept offering me food like a kindly grandpa. Hell of a guy. The best part of the day was asking him how many events he had ever run that started on a Wednesday morning at his track. His answer was an immediate, NONE! More than 2,000 fans came through the gate in the middle of the week to watch drag racing…how awesome is that?!

Enjoy these photos and stay tuned for more in the coming days!