So this is a pretty hairy video. The Urban Hillbilly Gang was recently at Speedy’s Newport Dragstrip in Arkansas for a $10,000 to win no-prep/grudge race between James “Birdman” Finney and JJDaBoss from Memphis. Both men have fourth generation Pontiac Firebirds. We believe both of them began life many moons ago as pro stock cars and both of them are bad ass fast and well known around the grudge and no-prep world. Finney’s car is turbocharged and the second Pontiac known as the “Prostitute” is on nitrous and big cubic inches.
For starters the track they are running on is about the most bare bones place we have ever seen outside of an alley. We’re not taking a shot at it. This place is the kind of track most people don’t believe exists anymore and in fact they’re more plentiful than what lots of fans and drag racers think of as a normal place. We’re work on some history of the joint for you but it is the perfect setting for this matchup between two really powerful cars on a pretty hammered and unprepared surface.
There’s big eruption of controversy that happens when Finney fires up and does his burnout. Apparently he was not supposed to carry it past the starting line. Both cars backed up and then the crowds gathered, much screaming was done, and the guys got back into their cars to race for the $10,000 in one shot.
The race is a perfect no-prep situation with the cars moving around, the drivers on and off the throttles and a finish close enough that no one can tell who won. There’s a “finish line guy” who makes the determination. If that isn’t the most stressful job in America I am not sure what is.
So here we go!
There ain’t no rules in grudge racing…..just what the drivers agree on – the track looks like someones backyard – I want!!!!
So when will we start seeing roadsters doing this grudge race no-prep thing? Why not full dragsters and funny cars? Few of the big time racers doing this stuff these days seem to have cars that originated on an assembly line.
Don’t like these caliber of cars? I have seen cars run 5.10 in the 1/8th with no cage, lap belt only, no helmet, wearing a wife beater shirt, and flip flops on.
With a no prep track being so slick after the 60ft cone I hope they do have all the equip they do. I don’t see the big deal about having a tube chassis or a back half car. If I could afford a double grain rail car I’d have one, but my back half will work until then.
Appreciate the work and attitude of Birdman and his crew. And the hustle of JJ and his.