Best of 2012: Drag Racing

Alright, I’m running behind on this stuff, but here we go! My favorite drag racing photos of 2012!

Small block, stock suspension car doing its thing. Shot at the Bounty Race at I-40 Dragway.

August 2012 Bounty Race

Another month goes by and it’s time for another Bounty Race at I-40 Dragway. I had a few other things to accomplish, so I got to the track a little later than usual, but still did my best to cover it. Car count was a little better than months past, but there are still a lot of cars that are in the midst of repairs or rebuilds.

My pictures aren’t always great at night, but I love the nighttime atmosphere at I-40 Dragway…you can always feel the excitement in the air after the sun goes down.

July Bounty Race Coverage

Well, the heat of summer has set in and it was apparent at the July Bounty Race. While the temperatures were not unbearable, the racer count was a bit low in the heads up street classes, which is normal for the dead-of-summer months. However, a strong turnout of index racers came to I-40 Dragway, gunning for a $2,000 winner’s purse. Throughout the night, the action grew more intense, and it culminated with a series of great final round passes.

Todd Lyle’s nitrous big block Camaro is a consistent contender in the Pro Street class. One of the few nitrous combinations in the class, Todd’s car rarely skips a beat.

May 2012 Bounty Race Coverage

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.

New Looks for 2012

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.

World Index Challenge Coverage

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!

March Bounty Race Action

As usual, we spent the last Saturday of the month in Crossville, Tennessee, home of I-40 Dragway and the Bounty Race. It’s a pretty regular event for us, so it’s always fun when the first event of the year rolls around. For the March event, the Bounty Race had a great turnout, with lots of anticipation leading up to the biggest index race in history, which happens next month at the eighth mile track. We saw lots of great racing action, with a few good wheelstands thrown in the mix. Click HERE for the full gallery or you can view some of my favorite shots right here!

This Road Runner was one of my favorite cars to watch, with its twisted up launches and low 5-second passes.

Best of 2011: Drag Racing

Alright, I’m not going to type some elaborate blog here…just wanted to show off some of my favorite drag racing images from 2011. Check ’em out…

Jim Howe Jr. blazing the tires at I-40 Dragway during one of his Bounty Race events.

Last Bounty Race of the Year

The 2011 Bounty Race season came to a close this past weekend. I made it to nearly all of this year’s events, but I’ve had so many other things going on that it’s severely cut into my time at I-40 Dragway. For the April race, I had to go to a wedding in Asheville, North Carolina the same day. After finishing the wedding, and cleaning up afterward, we trucked over the mountains and into Crossville to watch and photograph the race. It was a valiant effort by me, and my very understanding wife, whose sister got married earlier in the day.

Love this car! It was super quiet and ran 6.30s thanks to a turbo small block. Very sneaky Mustang!

Here’s a link to the complete gallery of photos: http://byrdphoto.smugmug.com/Cars/I-40-Dragway/October-2011-Bounty-Race/19805337_CM72wD#1556909411_5MJm3t4

September Bounty Race Action

Well, it’s that time of the month….time for the Bounty Race at I-40 Dragway. Christina and I headed out in the early afternoon to go watch (and capture) some of the action on the track. I photographed, she ran the video camera, and I even tried out my new GoPro camera on Mike Farley’s new Pro Street Camaro. Jim and the crew had a great turnout of cars, and that made for some wild rides, as the competition was pretty fierce. The wildest ride of the night goes to Tim Kincaid and his twin turbo Mustang, which runs in the Pro Street class.

Tim Kincaid's Mustang after a wild wheelstand and a battle with the guard rail at I-40 Dragway.