WIND STOPS DRAGBOATS

The wind got so strong, it blew over the E.T. & Speed scoreboard

Marc watching the crane lift out one of the Hydro Light boats

Forrest Lucas being interviewed by the track announcer.

The first Drag Boat Series race of the year, was at Firebird Raceway over the weekend, and I met Marc at the track yesterday morning. At about 9:30, the morning started out with the top fuelers blasting down the liquid racecourse, followed by the Pro Mods, and Top Alcohol Hydros. It was at that point, the action was halted due to the ever increasing wind. The Top Alcohol Flats were taken out of the water, and the drags were put on hold. They continued to run the Hydro Lights around the 1 mile plus course, and a few Cracker Box Boats kept the show going for an hour or so. Then, the wind increased to the point where whitecaps were visible, and the racers and vendors were frantically trying to secure their awnings and easy ups. As the wind increased, it became questionable as to whether the action would resume at all. At around 2 pm, the P.A. system announced that the race was cancelled for the day, due to weather conditions. I think the fact that the time & speed trailer had blown over, was the final straw. Marc and I watched the scoreboard as the wind increased, and made a comment to each other that with the force of the wind hitting the lights directly from the front, it seemed only a matter of time before the thing went over. Despite the late addition of some extra ropes, the wind was the winner, and over it went. The sad part about mother nature being responsible for the cancellation of the race, is that this was the first race of the season, and the first time in decades, that all of the drag boat associations were united under the guidance of one sanctioning entity - Lucas Oil. There was, and still is, a lot of optimism, that with Forrest and Charlotte Lucas directly involved, the opportunity to take this sport to the next level is a real possibility. Unfortunately, this wasn't the greatest of starts, particularly with a small crowd, and a low turnout of race boats. I had the chance to talk to Forrest Lucas, who I had previously met through our friends, Lucas Oil employees, Bob and Shirl Kase. I was a little surprised to see Forrest and his wife Charlotte, in Phoenix, since their son Morgan was competing in Top Fuel, at the NHRA Race in St. Louis. Forrest stated that they have a lot to learn, but are committed to advancing Drag Boat Racing above where it is today. In fact, they are building a new race facility in Missouri, that is supposed to be ready for next season. I enjoyed the short chat with Forrest, and am convinced that if anyone can take this sport to the next level, the Lucas Oil empire might just be what Drag Boat Racing has needed for a long time.