For most of us in the sport of drag racing, brute horsepower, the smell of burning rubber and racing fuel, and the open header sounds that envelop us at the track are every bit a part of the experience as pressing that loud pedal or taking it all in from the sidelines. Lacking those sensual cues, we’d simply get bored. But for a small group of dedicated racers out there, silence is not only golden – it’s electrifying. On display here is the event dubbed “Power of DC,” which takes place at Mason Dixon Dragway in Hagerstown, MD and is part of the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) series of events.

These cars and motorcycles, while certainly a change of pace to the vehicles that we’re accustomed to seeing storm down the quarter mile, aren’t quit the slouches one might expect from a power plant that consists of rows of batteries. Scotty Pollacheck aboard the Kill-Cycle motorcycle holds the overall record in the series with a 7.86 at 169.00 MPH, and Dennis Berube lays claim to being the quickest electric-powered car in the world with a 7.95 at 159 MPH. That’s no chump change when you consider what they’re accomplishing it with. You won’t see any between-rounds thrashing going at at a NEDRA race, but you’ll certainly have to step over a lot of electric and extension cords.