HOT ROD Drag Week 2023

[JRS]

HOT ROD Drag Week is the competition where street-legal drag-race cars run quarter-mile time trials every day for five days, driving on public roads between four different drag strips for a road trip of 1,000-plus miles unassisted by support vehicles. It's the ultimate test of a street/strip car, with trophies awarded in multiple classes for vehicles with various levels of modifications. The one car with the lowest average elapsed time over the week of racing is named HOT ROD's Fastest Street Car in America.

Here's hoping we get something closer to the full five days of racing this year, with Day 5 getting wiped out last time.

Schedule

Sunday 17th September - Registration, tech, test 'n' tune - Darlington Dragway (Hartsville, SC)
Monday 18th September - Day One racing - Darlington Dragway (Hartsville, SC)
Tuesday 19th September - Day Two racing - Rockingham Dragway (Rockingham, NC) -
Wednesday 20th September - Day Three racing - Bristol Dragway (Bristol, TN)
Thursday 21st September - Day Four racing - Carolina Dragway (Aiken, SC)
Friday 22nd September - Day Five racing - Darlington Dragway (Hartsville, SC)

Racing on days one thru four is going to be 8am to 2pm local, on the fifth day 10am to 6pm. Rockingham (day 2) and Carolina (day 4) are new to Drag Week competition this year IIRC.

2022 results.

 

[JRS]

Day One Livestream - Darlington Dragway

 

[JRS]

Looks like Tom Bailey will be running Sick Seconds 1.0. SS 2.0 is a bit wounded.

 

[JRS]

Welp.

 

[Dup]

Finnegan not attending this year but not because of any failure from what I can tell.

Seems to have come around quick. Hopefully I can catch most of it live and the weather plays ball this year.

 

[JRS]

Finnegan not attending this year but not because of any failure from what I can tell.

Yeah, more about saving Blasphemi from falling on her face and/or blowing up after that last session at Harrell Engine & Dyno raised more questions than it answered. Even after making ~1,000rwhp (albeit inconsistently) and shaking the lights out of the office ceiling

 

[JRS]

Yesterday's test session got rained out. Weather looks better today AFAIK.

 

[JRS]

This Viper though

 

[JRS]

Lots of big names missing this year (no Schroeder, no Alex Taylor, no Finn, no Cletus...) but some vaguely serious metal there nonetheless

The yellow convertible Beetle from the UK has been down the track in the 9s, pulling the front wheels well up off the ground

***edit***

Day 1 results. Took him a few attempts, but Bailey has the early lead albeit a slim one. Well, the overall lead is slim. He's leading his category by a decent chunk.

Some early mechanical and electrical carnage. Matt Frost's Nova broke its ProCharger, Bryant Goldstone had a battery fire on Sunday, but they both remain in competition (Goldstone, indeed, has the AMX in the 6s snapping at Bailey's heels). Six cars out even before the drive to Rockingham...and it's usually the drive that gets these cars rather than the track.

 

[JRS]

Day Two Livestream - Rockingham Dragway

***edit***

Day 2 getting underway now. Frost apparently found a replacement blower for the Nova

***edit 2***

Track prep looking on-point. Also cool having Lohnes back in the announcer booth (his day job announcing actual NHRA competition delayed his arrival at Drag Week).

***edit 3***

Bailey runs a 6.54. That's his work done today, he'll set off on the drive to the next track.

***edit 4***

Glenn Hunter out in Pro Street PA. Mechanical carnage on the drive between tracks, something came loose in timing country and pistons met valves.

***edit 5***

SMX-engined Viper just ran a 6.69 @ 216 while pedalling it

***final edit***

Day 2 results. Big news for me is Jerry and Matthew Sweet's '76 Nova eclipsing Doc McEntire's Drag Week record for a naturally aspirated car. 7.845 @ 171.89. No power adder. Hot damn.

 

[JRS]

Day Three Livestream - Bristol Dragway

22 cars confirmed out so far.

***edit***

Day 3 results.

 

[JRS]

Day Four Livestream - Carolina Dragway

***edit***

It's tight at the top now. Bailey ran a 6.8, Goldstone a high 6.6. Think Bailey keeps the lead, just. I'll have to see what the official timesheet says when it's published.

The SMX-engined Viper about blew its intake off actually blew its intake off trying to make a pass. Several top cars had issues on the drive to Carolina. We're at the point now where a lot of stuff is only just hanging on in there. Drag 'n' Drive events do be tough.

***edit 2***

The lengths Bailey had to go to in order to make day 4.

 

[JRS]

Day Five Livestream - Darlington Dragway

***edit***

Goldstone just ran a 6.56, Bailey a 6.70. Think that keeps Bailey in the lead, and Goldstone needing to find a bunch of time for the overall win.

Yep, someone crunched the numbers. Goldstone would need to be down around 6.43 to take the overall fastest average ET.

 

[JRS]

Official results.

Bailey takes it, 6.71 average to Goldstone's 6.74