(Photos by Jeff and Mike Burghardt) – If there is one thing that I love more than all else at the NHRA national events I go to, it is the sportsman racing categories. Last weekend at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Arizona, we had some great racing in categories ranging from stock eliminator to top dragster. As you will see in these photos the level of equipment was pretty varied as well. From the tiny E/Front wheel drive stock eliminator Plymouth Horizon that was running (impressive) 16-second elapsed times and was brought to the race track on a tow dolly behind a half ton truck to the mighty competitors on top sportsman and dragster who are running bottom 6s and dialing their cars in.
This is the first year for a national championship chase in top sportsman and dragster so competitors from as far away as British Columbia, Canada and Pennsylvania were on hand to make an attempt to gather points early in the season. The crowd was big and lots of the Arizona fans were into the sportsman racing as well. Sure, lots of people run for the pits after the fuel cars run but there were LOTS of eyeballs cheering on their favorite cars and brands during stock, super stock, competition eliminator, etc. Great weather, lots of cool cars, and a fun show. These NHRA sportsman racers are the backbone of the sport and they were really getting after it at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports park.
PHOTOS WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT THAT ANNOYING HDR.
Maybe the photog isn’t very good and using HDR as a crutch………..