Drag racing is all about lightweight cars with big engines hauling ass down a flat strip of asphalt…usually. The thing is, people will race pretty much anything with an engine, given the chance. For the men and women who transport cargo and goods across America’s highways, there aren’t many chances to cut loose and enjoy their big, powerful semi-trucks. But bob tail drag racing sees the truckers and racing enthusiasts turn out by the thousands.

Don’t believe there is a market for big rig drag racing? Just check out this video from the 2010 El Rodeo Bob Tail Truck Drags, where safety is second to racing up hill in super-powerful trailer pullers that make more torque than your last three drag cars combined.

Alright, that might be a slight exaggeration, but you get our point; these are big, heavy trucks with massive diesel engines churning out incredible amounts of torque. While most semi-trucks won’t even dare go over 70 mph on the highway for fear of getting a huge ticket, at these sanctioned drag races, they can really ring out all that torque for some killer truck acceleration.

Of course, being that these races don’t tend to take place on actual drag strips, safety seems to be a secondary concern…not that concrete barriers would do much to stop an out-of-control big rig. Then again, anybody willing to attend such an event and inhale all those toxic diesel fumes (note the constant smog haze over the event) probably isn’t thinking long term consequences anyways.

But we’d totally risk taking years off of our life to see these big rig racers up close and personal. It doesn’t get much more visceral than this.