I’ve been going to the Bounty Race on a regular basis for the past 4 years. I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff at I-40 Dragway…wheelstands, wild burnouts and out-of-control passes that leave you wondering how the guy managed to save it. When I heard that Jim was offering $5,000 to the winner of the Pro Street class for the May Bounty Race event, I knew I couldn’t miss it.
Without a doubt, 2012 has been a busy year so far. I’ve attended more events than ever, and I’m about to go full blast into the crazy month of June. As far as May is concerned, well, it’s almost over but I’ve covered a lot of ground. The Goodguys Nashville Nationals was yet another stop on my schedule, and provided lots of good stuff to shoot.
Nashville is such a cool place, and LP Field has proven to be a great spot for the Goodguys Nashville Nationals. The Pro’s Pick area is prominently shown here…the best of the best!
Time sure does fly when you’re on the go 24/7! Seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I went down to Paradise Drag Strip for the Show and Go event, but it’s that time of year again. This year, the Show and Go came the day after the Strawberry Festival Cruise In, so it definitely made for a packed weekend for me.
Gotta love front engine dragsters! This one is super simple and very cool!
Well, it’s that time of year again…time for the Strawberry Festival here in my hometown of Dayton, Tennessee. It’s an event that is a pretty big deal to Dayton residents, and the biggest days of the event are generally Friday night because of the Cruise In and Block Party, and Saturday because of the parade. For me, the Cruise In is the attraction, so I always try to support it by bringing at least one vehicle to it. This year, I upped the effort and ended up having a great time.
The crowds are always HUGE at the Strawberry Festival Cruise In, and this picture gives you a little taste of the action.
I’ve been going to the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South for as long as I can remember. It’s always held on the first weekend of May and it was once a happenin’ event with more than 4,000 cars in attendance. However, the crowd has dwindled as of late, due to a number of factors, including the age of the participants and their willingness to sit out in the sun (or rain) the entire weekend. Regardless of that, I still go because it’s a great place to find vehicles to photograph, whether it’s for my magazine side work or for use in Coker marketing materials.
The Saturday crowd ended up being pretty big…this picture was taken in the morning, but by mid afternoon, the fairgrounds looked packed as always.
After visiting I-40 Dragway three times so far this season, I’ve noticed a ton of new paint jobs and several complete rebuilds. It’s normal for a couple of racers to revamp their cars over the winter, but 2012 seems to be the year for the new paint job! And while there are several brand new builds that will be debuting soon, I just figured I’d showcase these racers who have obviously put in some serious hours in the off season.
–Mike Farley campaigned this Camaro in the Pro Street class last year, using a roots-blown big block, but this year it has taken on a whole new look. Now with a reliable all motor big block, the car is set up to run the 6.0 index class, and features a fresh Hugger Orange paint job.
My home track, I-40 Dragway is known for its Bounty Race event, which is a monthly heads up race that always brings out a great crowd of racers and spectators to the eighth mile track. The Howe family has owned the track for 20+ years, and Jim Jr. is always creating new events to keep things fresh and exciting from year to year. For 2012, the highlight event for I-40 Dragway was the World Index Challenge, which offered up a $10,000 prize for 6.0 and 7.0 index classes. We’re talking guaranteed money here, so it drew racers from all over the country, and made for a HUGE event!
