While they don’t compete head-to-head for race victories, tally points, or keep records, wheelstanders are a definitive part of drag racing’s heritage, dating back to the very formative years of the sport. Fans new to the sport, and the youngsters among us, in particular, are enthralled by them, and as such, they remain a valuable asset in growing the present and future generations of straightliners. And, although they’re fewer and further between these days, you can still find wheelstanders booked-in at events all across the country.

One racer in particular, North Carolina native Danny O’Day, maintains a solid schedule of exhibition events year in and year out with his 1934 Ford Altered. Faced with the loss of his longtime sponsor during the offseason, J.C. Beattie, Jr. and the team at ATI Performance Products stepped in to put their name on perhaps the most well-known wheelstander in the country this season.

At present, O’Day and his ATI-backed Ford have 23 events scheduled for 2016, beginning at the PDRA season opener in Tulsa back in March and running right through November, with starring exhibition roles at everything from PDRA and Fun Ford events to NHRA Lucas Oil races, Super Chevy Shows, and several one-off Night Of Fire events, from Florida to New Hampshire to Texas.

“Some of you probably don’t know that our Superwinch sponsorship ended after 28 years with the sale of the company. Fear not, because we will be sponsored by ATI Performance Products. Jim [Beattie] was our very first product sponsor in 1986 and now J.C. Beattie, Jr. has stepped up to be the title sponsor of our wheelstander,” said O’Day. “We have a great schedule this year and hope the rain will leave us alone. It’s great to have longtime supporter ATI on as the title sponsor this year.”

O’Day’s machine, with a 1,500 horsepower supercharged big-block for power, has run down into the 8.30s in the 1/4-mile and the mid-fives in the 1/8-mile, all with the front wheels high in the air, the skidplate on the rear dragging the pavement, and the brakes literally steering the car.