I've missed you drag racing, truly. So when I finally saw you again after our last weekend together in the suburbs of Pomona, I was excited again - freakin' boner time. Sure, some were skeptical and asked, "What the hell are you doing here?" Easy: to see two cars wind it out on a stretch of tarmac totaling 1,320 feet. OK, so there was a drift event, but we see each other all the time. I rarely get to watch a good drag these days, so E-town is the perfect backdrop for such a thing.
Every year I've been to Jersey for this event, I always walk away a happy camper. This is where you find true drag racing enthusiasts with lots of heart. With the exception of maybe Moroso, drag racers always tell me that this is where all the flavor truly is. The SoCal tracks are all but extinct, except those only open once a year for sport compact events. Even then, the people don't come out like they used to (remember those early street battles?). I've never seen an Englishtown event that wasn't packed. Although the actual number of cars that entered the drag racing was a bit on the low side, it was still cool to see the bleachers fill up 'til the end.
Now, don't get any funny ideas from this. I'll always show up for a good drift battle, but I know I won't be going to anymore drag events, because the best ones aren't as easy to get to as that short drive to Irwindale. It's just cool to know that in some other parts of the country, people are still gettin' down with drag racing as if it never went out of style.
Jonathan Wong jdmwong@superstreetonline.com