(Video Credit: TheRacingVids YouTube channel) – We were there when it happened. Maybe you were watching our live stream to see it happen, but there’s no doubt that it did happen. Stevie Jackson strung together the greatest series of run in drag radial type racing culminating with a 3.75 second blast that is all but a back breaker for the rest of the drag radial world and starts to raise some legitimate questions to what the lifespan, performance potential, and future hold for this no holds barred form of drag racing. The class is doing exactly what it was intended to do from the beginning but like a monster that has finally broken free of its controlling masters, Radial vs The World is perhaps advancing too fast for its own good. Simply put, the number of cars capable of running 3.80s in the eighth was tiny. The number of cars capable of running 3.70s in the eighth on a 315 radial? Right now there’s exactly one.
Herein lies the conundrum. What do you do? If you are a rules maker do you hang a minimum weight on nitrous cars? Stevie Jackson’s Camaro is insanely light. A PDRA Pro Nitrous car has to hit the track at a minimum of 2,300lbs. He did not have a minimum weight requirement at Denton, Texas so we’re guessing this thing was probably 2100lbs or somewhere thereabouts. Being that the tires is the equalizer, limiting factor, great balancer of things, all is far in love and war, right? If that attitude is taken the entire radial thing will become a sea of traction controlled pro mods like Jackson’s and it’ll be jump the shark time. If rules are imposed and enforced, will it hurt the fan appeal of this wide open style of competition?
The video below celebrates Stevie Jackson’s accomplishments as they should be celebrated. This is truly amazing stuff and we’re happy to be able to bring you lots of it live!
Like I’ve posted on here before, some day someone will put radials on a funny car and call it the “fastest drag radial”. Woo hoo. Bid deal. The class isn’t dying, it’s already dead. It’s a repeat of Pro Street and Outlaw 10.5 before it. “No Rules” sounds cool until somebody shows up with unlimited funding. Now your heap is obsolete. And BTW, did you notice the huge crowds in the stands in this video? No, because nobody was there.
If I remember correct it was almost 4am when he made the final run. There was over 1000 people online watching this. (thanks bangshift!) I really enjoyed the racing and the cars are wild. I do wish this article had more detail on the 900+ cube engine and some pictures of it tore down between rounds. the guys worked hard!