Of all the great ideas, innovations, and wacky creations that Byron Dragway’s Ron Leek came up with over the years as one of the nation’s best drag strip promoters, his master stroke was the World Power Wheelstanding Championships. This event has become well known around the country as the most balls out, crazy display of wheels up action on the continent. Wheelie bars are verboten, sanity can be openly questioned, and the show is top notch. Byron Dragway is usually packed to the rafters with fans who are bundled up like they’re on an Arctic adventure and the track is always hooking hard enough that the competitors in the contest carry their front ends really high and really far.
Previous to this winning effort by long time event competitor Larry Jeleniewski, the best non-wrecking wheelie we ever saw from the event was Steve Blue’s Camaro which went about 400 feet on the bumper and did it with little to no drama. Jeleniewski bested Blue’s mark by a couple hundred feet, cranking out an incredible eighth mile wheelstand that has him shifting through three gears, praying a lot, and landing like it was a little 60-footer. The sheer amount of guts it takes to keep a car up and rolling when you literally cannot see in front of you is something we’re lacking. Jeleniewski ain’t. His classic Barracuda looks a lot like the old LA Dart!
Press play to see the biggest, most impressive, and most daring wheelstand you’ll lay eyes on this year!
Not only is Larry a hell of a driver, but since meeting him in person at Monster Mopar Weekend St.Louis he is a ambassador to the sport, as he supports our veterans such like myself.
ran hoodless on purpose to see where he was going?
Pause it at 00.06 – you can see it does have a hood – it has a black snorkel style scoop that may have given the impression of hoodlessness (is there such a word?)