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COPYRIGHT 2004 Ehlert Publishing Group
Modern-day drag racing has become a critical science of speed. Twenty or more years ago, it was about building horsepower. Now, it's a little more about everything involved; creating the perfect combination of all parts.
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When drag racing, tires, gears, sprockets and horsepower are key ingredients. Even after all the components are dialed-in and working together, the race can be lost by simply jumping the gun and "red lighting."
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WHY DRAG ON ASPHALT?
Before we get into the mechanics of drag racing on asphalt, we need to answer an important question: Why? The owners of Houston Motorsports Park asked the same question to ATV racers when they opened the track. Brothers Graham and David Baker were amazed to see ATV riders at this track who wanted to race. With it being the track's first year hosting drag racing events, they were unprepared for the influx of ATVers. "We had no idea that quads would want to drag race on asphalt," Graham Baker said.
"We wanted to give people a safe place to drag race," David Baker added. It's no secret that street racing is prevalent in Houston. Hearing stories about youngsters who get hurt racing their cars, because they couldn't handle the speeds or the roads they were racing on, is sadly somewhat normal.
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So, the Baker brothers wanted their facility to give speed demons a legal and safe environment to put the pedal to the metal. When the Bakers bought the park, it had only a 3/8-mile, high-banked oval track. Initially, they had no intentions of adding a drag strip, but thanks to John Huttel, an investor,...
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