So this past weekend I went to the Gator Nationals in FL, about two hours away from me, and I've never seen anything like it before. With Electrathon efficiency is in miles per gallon, with the most efficient Electrathon car getting about 2,370 miles per gallon, the top fuel dragsters get about 68 gallons per mile. Each 1/4 mile run each car will use about 17 gallons of fuel. The company my dad works for sponsors a driver, Leah Pritchett #777, and I was able to go in the pits of the car and watch them tinker with the engine. After each 1/4 run they will completely take apart the engine and get it ready for the next race which is between 55-75 minutes. Between Electrathon and drag racing there is nearly nothing in common on the track, but in the pits it felt like a Electrathon race. Everyone on every team would talk and help, it didn't seem like any cut throat rivalries. In the pits with between races you saw all the mechanics fixing the cars getting ready for race number two. I was doing my best to find similarities in the cars, the only thing i found was the same was the steering, with the cars using a rack and pinion.
With these crazy cars you never had to wonder if the cars were on. I talked with the car owner of the #777 car and I went with her behind the car on the launch pad at the starting line, about 30 feet behind the car. When the cars launched I felt a thump in my chest, a ringing in my ears, and stinging in my nose from the cars special fuel. For anyone who has never been to a drag race it isn't something you can experience from a TV: but only in real life.
The driver Leah Prichett (left) and the car owner Connie Dote (right) infront of the car. Both of whom I got to meet and have dinner with.
#777 car getting ready to do a burn out
Leah doing a burn out to get the ground and her tires ready for a launch which gives the drivers about 5Gs, going from 0-300 in about 3.9 seconds
Me on the line in my Dote racing team shirt they gave me with the Dote racing car owner (who took the picture), right behind me is Leah in the #777 car about to do her 2nd run in qualifying. Running a 3.9 second time getting her 8th place for the day.
For anyone who has never been to a drag race I would HIGHLY recommend you go, it is truly a unique experience.
Ron said
Mar 18, 2015
Ryan;
Glad you got to see the "other end of the spectrum" in racing... The excitement, noise, smells, and general experience of drag racing is of a different world than Electrathon.
BUT:
you were able to see the one "common thread" of all racing and that is TEAMWORK...
I learned the same lesson as you... except the other way around... I started in A/A alcohol dragsters when I was 11
(a long time ago in a world with different "rules" about driving and age/safety/and liability insurance)
back when the engine sat in FRONT of the driver in a dragster... and a "Fast time" down the 1/4 was around 10.5 to 11.5 seconds... (I also raced motorcycles in the '70's)
then many years later (2004) I discovered Electrathon... yeah the noise and speed are missing, but the teamwork and comaraderie are there... remember that...
and remember that helping your fellow crews (same team or competitor) is what helps to keep us all going... AND helps keep it all fun...
just remember to enjoy it all whether it be Top Fuel, F1,Rally, SCCA
(one of our former Electrathon competitors is a SCCA championship winner... HI Kyle..)
or maybe our Land speed record drivers
(Kirk Swaney [2007 @ 89.40723mph] and Shannon Cloud {2008 @ 110.258mph) BUT of course the batteries didn't last 1 hr (LOL)
Indy cars, motorcycles, Or Electrathon
but, as for me (after being involved in drag racing, motocross & even having a shot @ motorcycle road racing) Electrathon has been the most fun.... in all areas.. building, racing, promoting... and over all just being there! FUN
Ron
meangreen said
Mar 24, 2015
Let me second what Ron said and add a little to it. I drove my first race at 13 in a go-kart - that was in 1961! I raced stock cars off & on for 30+ years and did a little drag racing along the way. In all of that, the strategy was simply go as fast as possible to get to the finish first. When I got involved in Electrathon I had to re-learn how to race. Electrathon is a "thinking driver's race". You have to conserve power to make it to the end, but still run fast enough to be competitive. That's done with meticulous preparation of equipment and patience, finesse, and concentration on the part of the driver. Also, once you get past the initial cost of building or buying a car, the upkeep is cheap... unless you crash. The danger level may be lower than some other types of motorsport, but all the fun is still there.
So this past weekend I went to the Gator Nationals in FL, about two hours away from me, and I've never seen anything like it before. With Electrathon efficiency is in miles per gallon, with the most efficient Electrathon car getting about 2,370 miles per gallon, the top fuel dragsters get about 68 gallons per mile. Each 1/4 mile run each car will use about 17 gallons of fuel. The company my dad works for sponsors a driver, Leah Pritchett #777, and I was able to go in the pits of the car and watch them tinker with the engine. After each 1/4 run they will completely take apart the engine and get it ready for the next race which is between 55-75 minutes. Between Electrathon and drag racing there is nearly nothing in common on the track, but in the pits it felt like a Electrathon race. Everyone on every team would talk and help, it didn't seem like any cut throat rivalries. In the pits with between races you saw all the mechanics fixing the cars getting ready for race number two. I was doing my best to find similarities in the cars, the only thing i found was the same was the steering, with the cars using a rack and pinion.
With these crazy cars you never had to wonder if the cars were on. I talked with the car owner of the #777 car and I went with her behind the car on the launch pad at the starting line, about 30 feet behind the car. When the cars launched I felt a thump in my chest, a ringing in my ears, and stinging in my nose from the cars special fuel. For anyone who has never been to a drag race it isn't something you can experience from a TV: but only in real life.
The driver Leah Prichett (left) and the car owner Connie Dote (right) infront of the car. Both of whom I got to meet and have dinner with.
#777 car getting ready to do a burn out
Leah doing a burn out to get the ground and her tires ready for a launch which gives the drivers about 5Gs, going from 0-300 in about 3.9 seconds
Me on the line in my Dote racing team shirt they gave me with the Dote racing car owner (who took the picture), right behind me is Leah in the #777 car about to do her 2nd run in qualifying. Running a 3.9 second time getting her 8th place for the day.
For anyone who has never been to a drag race I would HIGHLY recommend you go, it is truly a unique experience.
Glad you got to see the "other end of the spectrum" in racing... The excitement, noise, smells, and general experience of drag racing is of a different world than Electrathon.
BUT:
you were able to see the one "common thread" of all racing and that is TEAMWORK...
I learned the same lesson as you... except the other way around... I started in A/A alcohol dragsters when I was 11
(a long time ago in a world with different "rules" about driving and age/safety/and liability insurance)
back when the engine sat in FRONT of the driver in a dragster... and a "Fast time" down the 1/4 was around 10.5 to 11.5 seconds... (I also raced motorcycles in the '70's)
then many years later (2004) I discovered Electrathon... yeah the noise and speed are missing, but the teamwork and comaraderie are there... remember that...
and remember that helping your fellow crews (same team or competitor) is what helps to keep us all going... AND helps keep it all fun...
just remember to enjoy it all whether it be Top Fuel, F1,Rally, SCCA
(one of our former Electrathon competitors is a SCCA championship winner... HI Kyle..)
or maybe our Land speed record drivers
(Kirk Swaney [2007 @ 89.40723mph] and Shannon Cloud {2008 @ 110.258mph) BUT of course the batteries didn't last 1 hr (LOL)
Indy cars, motorcycles, Or Electrathon
but, as for me (after being involved in drag racing, motocross & even having a shot @ motorcycle road racing) Electrathon has been the most fun.... in all areas.. building, racing, promoting... and over all just being there! FUN
Ron