Chevelle race car gets mangled as we are reminded of the risks of no-prep racing.
The video above comes to us from the YouTube channel of the National No Prep Racing Association and it features a race between two high-powered Chevrolet machines. The racing world has fallen in love with no-prep racing, but there is a downside to having cars with thousands of horsepower on a slick track. The video above shows that downside, as a classic Chevelle goes for an unfortunately wild ride that ends in a badly battered race car.
No-Prep Racing
No-prep racing has taken the American drag racing scene by storm with major help from television shows like Street Outlaws. The idea is to replicate the slick surfaces of a street race in the safe confines of a drag strip, but there is a clear downside. Whereas your average drag strip has been treated, or prepped, to yield the best possible track surface, no-prep racing does away with that sticky track treatment.
As a result, it is much more difficult for the vehicles to get traction, similar to what racers would encounter when racing on a public road. However, unlike a public road, there is far less risk to random people, but as the video above shows, there is just as much risk to the racers.
Chevrolet Duel
There are no details on the cars in the video above, but we have a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle taking on what appears to be a pro stock-style car based on the sixth generation Monte Carlo. They both appear to have open induction systems sticking up through the hoods, so they are likely monstrous V8 engines with nitrous oxide, since forced induction doesn’t seem to be present. In any case, these are clearly two serious race cars with power levels that are likely well into the four-figure range.
When the green lights drop, the two Chevy race cars leave the line pretty evenly. At first, it appears as though the Monte Carlo is pulling ahead, but as the two near the finish line, the Chevelle surges back ahead.
Unfortunately, something happens to the classic Chevrolet as it pulls into the lead, causing the back end to dance around wildly. The car brushes the near-side wall and the driver nearly gets it under control, but the Chevelle eventually slides across the track and slams into the wall in the other lane.
The car comes to rest on the track and safety crews are quickly on the scene to check on the driver. We don’t get to see him get out of the car, but the video informs us that he was OK.
Crank up your speakers and watch no-prep racing go wrong.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
