With no guard walls, no frills, and the surface literally being part of an old air base runway or taxiway, Speedy’s Newport Drag Strip in Newport, Arkansas seems to be about the perfect place to hold a no-prep race. We’re not saying that sarcastically, we’re saying that honestly because this place totally captures what the no-prep phenomenon has been about. Boiling the sport of drag racing down to the most basic elements of its being. Two cars, a win light, and a dude starting them with a flashlight.
We’re not saying that standing at the finish line of a place with no walls is smart. It isn’t. In fact, it is one of the more moronic things we have laid eyes on recently. Standing around the cars at the starting line is one thing but crowding the track on the big end is just fantastically dumb…but there they are. Hey, to each their own.
The neatest thing about this video is the fact that Bill Smith in his stick shifted 1955 Chevy and another racer in his old school shoebox were both at a part of this race. Smith’s car has been out racing forever and it runs a very pissed off small block and a manual transmission. It is ver fun to see it and pretty amazing to see how well it works on this unprepared surface. People seem to have been loving it in the face of all the tube chassis cars that were there competing. Fun stuff, if not slightly dangerous.
The old school strip probably made a few bucks that day as well!
Holy cow, I saw one guy actually do a burnout AND find the starting line ON HIS OWN!!! Amazing.
Speaking of old school, the idiot standing at the finish line with a baby in his arms deserves a good old beat down for sure.
Why does “no prep” also mean “no safety”? This looks liked deaths waiting to happen.
Accurately and concisely put !
I like how parked cars and spectators serve as catch fence in the fish line area Stay tuned its inevitable
finish line that is
Smoke’em if you got ’em and don’t forget to bring the baby!
Pure trash. Wish I was there ! Feelin’ the love !
Its not safe!!! OMG!!! We is gonna die!!!
I understand what they’re doing, but I wouldn’t put one foot in that place. Even the drivers don’t seem to be concerned about their own safety because most of them aren’t wearing gloves.
Some nice and serious cars. I get the allure of no prep racing (street outlaws, real racing, etc) but no safety in place? A skilled driver can “lose it” at the top end or in the box. BIR this year when the tree got SH!T WHIPPED. Never even thought something like that could happen but i saw it. Drivers know the risks and accept it, I guess others should too.
well… it is Arkansas…& home of the Clintons. Whaja expect. It’s all fun & games until someone loses an eye, then it’s Hillaryous.
As a racer I really hate seeing all those idiots on the starting line. If I hit one accidently I would be really pissed if my car got damaged! As for the dumbasses along the sides of the track, I doubt they are going to be around much longer being so stupid!