(By Jason Mazotta) – Drag racers have a number of reasons why they love the sport; the acceleration, the speed, the sound or smell, but for some it is seeing the win light at the finish line. This video epitomizes the exhilaration of winning, and captures the excitement that can be infused in the team standing behind the racer in their biggest win.
With summer nearing an end, the NHRA/IHRA bracket final races are just around the corner. It is the single race that can make or break the season for so many of the best bracket racers in the country trying to win their division and move on to the NHRA World Finals to race for a national championship in their respective class.
This video is a flashback to the 2010 Division 1 Bracket Finals at US 13 Dragway and the Pro Eliminator final round, where Butch Weinrich is racing for himself, his family, as well as the huge group of racers and friends that he usually competes against at Capitol Raceway, but at this once a year race, he can call them all his teammates as they cheer him on.
Weinrich brings his ’69 Dodge Dart to the starting line, leaves with a good reaction time, and runs close enough to the number to turn on the win light…and the celebration that ensues will bring a smile to anyone’s face that has competed and understands what Weinrich has gone through in working all season to qualify for the bracket finals team, and then work his way through some of the toughest racers in order to win and qualify for the World Finals (where he went to California and won it all!). From the pom-poms, to the air horns, to the near mosh pit, you can see the excitement and pure joy from the friends of Weinrich, but it is the emotion from his wife and daughter that are supporting him from the front row of stands that makes this video the perfect example of what it means to win at this level.
Enjoy the moment with the Weinrich’s and their friends, reliving their biggest win from 2010.
So great. Bracket Finals are always a fun time, whether you qualify or just cheer on your team.. Good stuff.
Should come as no surprise – the passion and the elation of a win are the same from whether you’re Force or just Fred. I won the NoE eliminator at last points race of the year last Sunday, locked in 3rd place – the party started just as soon as the win light came on, just a-whoopin’ and a-hollerin’, I almost forgot to steer and brake. 🙂 Bracket Finals at Ennis coming next week.
I crew on a buddy’s Bantam altered that we run in Div.6 Top Dragster class. We have raced together for several years and after coming close more than once, we won a LODRS race at Mission Raceway in Canada a couple of years ago. I was wiping tears from my eyes all the way down to pick him up at the end of the track. It really is hard to win a big race, as they say, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!
Thank you so much for posting this. Butch has been our teammate for years at Capitol but he alternated between Cecil and Capitol each year at finals and we were lucky enough to be racing with him on our team this year. i was standing by his dad at the burnout box when he won, it was his dad’s last year to see him race in the championships, this brought tears to my eyes to see this. Thanks again.