Ever wonder how big of a difference track prep makes? Well unfortunately, one Kansas driver got to experience how much tougher it is to race on a non-prepped track. With a normal race, the track would have that sticky traction compound laid down that we all take for granted.
“No-prep” racing is a growing trend across the country, simulating the often-unpredictable world of street racing with marginal traction, arm-drop or flashlight starts, and scoreboards turned off, in the safer context of an actual racetrack. In this case, with cloudy skies, a track temp in the 60’s, and rain the night before, there was bound to be some excitement.
On April 11, 2015 at the Kansas No Prep Race held at the Kansas International Dragway, FR8TRN, a 1998 Pontiac Trans Am with a Siebert Performance 408 engine and a Billet 94 Turbo, took on a fellow racer in a third gen Firebird loaded with a 385 CI Twin Turbo that cranked out 960 rear wheel horsepower. This was a race of turbo versus turbo. During the first round and only the second pair down the track, FR8TRN started losing traction at 108 MPH and came oh-so-close to crashing into the red Firebird.
Curtis Wells, FR8TRN’s driver, later stated that, “It was like running on water. There was nothing you could do.” Luckily, no damage was done to either vehicle and Curtis made an incredible save. Take a look at the video and see how close it really got!