Mopar Mile-High Nationals rocks the Rockies
Nearby Bandimere Speedway offers an additional attraction for gaming guests
The 31st Annual NHRA Full-Throttle Mopar Mile-High Nationals were held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison, just a few minutes down the hill from Black Hawk. This was the final stop for the race circuit on what has become known as the “western swing” that includes Seattle, WA, and Sonoma, CA. At 5,860 ft. of elevation, Bandimere Speedway, also known as “Thunder Mountain” presents unique challenges to the racers because of the altitude and thin air, and a win there is a team effort. Funny Cars, Top Fuel dragsters, Pro Stock Cars, and Pro Stock Motorcycles roared down the quarter-mile track sucking the wind from race fans and crew lungs, and stopping hearts with speeds exceeding 300 miles per hour in less than four seconds!
Privileged enough to receive a photographer’s press pass, I was able to get right next to the action. Having never attended a drag race, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but thought that the starting line would be a good place to begin. Cars were stacked deep awaiting their turns while racers in both lanes smoked their tires in the “burnout box” to heat their tires for better traction in preparation for their prospective heats. When the “Christmas tree’s” light changed from yellow to green, two Pro Stock cars were off in an instant. The eventual winner in that class was Allen Johnson in a 2010 Avenger with a top speed of 198.64 mph. The Pro Stock Motorcycles followed and were almost as fast at 186.41 mph for Andrew Hines who, in a battle of the sexes, edged out Karen Stoffer in the final round.
The 7,000 horsepower, nitro methane burning Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars were the stars of the show, and were what I had looked forward to the most. After I crossed over to the west side of the track for another perspective, Top Fuel dragsters inched toward the starting line. With my gaze trained through my lens, the pure force of the start was overwhelming. A wall of air hit me like a tsunami that I imagine would be akin to being ten miles from the epicenter of an atomic bomb explosion! All I could do was depress my shutter while my body’s reflexes closed my eyes – which now stung and were watering from the cloud of exhaust. My editor, who was stuck in the Media Center’s air-conditioned press box, and would have very much have liked to be on the field, was missing all the fun. Even with ear plugs, I could only hold my close-up position at the starting line for three or four races because of the assault on my body, and moved back to the east side of the track that didn’t have the back wall magnifying the sound. Although I breathed easier on the other side of the drag strip, I never quite got used to the booming force of the start which caused me to flinch every time.
In his fourth Funny Car Finals win of the season, Robert Hight beat 61 year old points leader and crowd favorite, John Force, with a time of 4.161 seconds and a best speed of 301.33 mph. John’s daughter was also racing this weekend, but was knocked out in one of the early elimination rounds.
Finals Top Fuel Dragster honors went to Doug Kalitta of Ypsilanti, MI, with a blistering quarter mile time of 3.880 seconds at 314.17 mph.
If you’re a race fan already, or have never attended a professional drag race, I recommend that you check it out at an upcoming event held at the excellent Bandimere Speedway facilities – you might become hooked on the need for speed! Don’t miss the Pinks All Out television event coming on August 14th where local drag racers compete for $10,000 in cash – one of the hottest car shows on TV. For more information and schedule of upcoming car shows and race events, check out their website at www.bandimere.com.