(Words and photos by Brad Klaassen) – Grand Prix Auto Sports Center came to life under the direction of owner Jon Brook in 1967. Brook opened his fledging business as a full service speed shop that remains today as the only old school speed shop in Oklahoma. Being a lifelong gear head, Brook had the need for speed and had to prove the worth of the go fast parts he sold. So, this gave birth to Grand Prix Racing and after 55 years of burning up racing fuel nothing has changed for Jon.

Fast forward to 2016 and a gear head that had a need for speed went from a single bay shop to the newly rehabbed Mecca for speed you see today. Brook and his team at Grand Prix Racing turned a rental property once serving as a church into a house of worship dedicated to all things speed. Grand Prix Racing has been campaigning a nitro injected front engine dragster in the A/Fuel class of the NHRA Heritage Series for the past nine years and in 2017 they are gunning for a NHRA Heritage Championship. Brook also added a nostalgia top fuel slingshot to the stable a year and a half ago that is ready for match race bookings, but currently the primary focus of the team is competing with the inject nitro car across this great land we call the United States.

So, after learning a bit about the speed shop and race team fast forward to the offseason of racing and the annual Grand Prix Auto Sports Center/Grand Prix Racing Christmas Party. With a hint of 70 weight oil, nitro and BBQ in the air gear heads from the 918, 405 and 602 turned out in droves to not only celebrate the glory of speed, but celebrate the best reason for a season, Christmas.

With a full house of speed freaks in attendance to check out the new Grand Prix Racing headquarters, the party went down with great food and great friends sharing their love for racing and a lifelong passion for competing in the greatest sport on earth.

So, with that said, I pray each and every one of you had a Blessed Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. Relax while you can and recharge your batteries because before you know it it’ll be time to burn racing fuel and rubber again.

See you at the drags,

-Bad Brad