"YBS PHOTOGRAPHER BORIS CLARK SHOWS THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THE DRIVERS DURING PRE-RACE"
Now Try To Imagine The Incredible Skills Of These Drivers …(RH)…… 2023
Ybsports Staff Images,
NHRA Superstar Brittany Force has been one of the top drivers on the circuit the last several years.
Angie Smith, one of the Pro Stock semifinalists on Sunday takes a moment to gather her thoughts prior to her run
The great Leah Pruett, finds that quiet moment to get into the right frame of mind during her semifinal run.
Cont'd from front page:
Then in walked Mr. Koretsky and his reluctance to put up a resistance to that love jones, and the rest is as they say...history. Some years ago, a small one mile oval in the very scenic and Historic Nazareth, Pennsylvania, the home of the Champion Indy Car Racing family The Andretti's, was facing a similar fate, and could have used this same kind of love from anyone who would take the chance on saving it. But that attention never materialized, and the racetrack was eventually dismantled and its remnants were sent to places unknown. What a gem and what a monumental loss for such a beautiful historic town. Where was its’ Ken Koretsky? But the marriage between Koretsky’s, ‘Grove' and The NHRA survived it's short romance, and it has renewed the love and vigor of the people in the northeastern part of the region as well as the entire state of Pennsylvania. And judging from the race’s turnouti last weekend it shows. There aren't too many American sports that are built on one concept...FAMILY...but with the NHRA, that is pretty much a fact! A sellout crowd on Saturday and a projected sellout on the final day of competition backs that up. But how do you get the word out?
I mentioned at the top about incredible story lines, well here are just a few of them;
Story line #1 - I personally believe that every female and no matter their age, would be doing themselves a favor and make it their mission to get out and attend an NHRA drag racing event. Whatever you aspire to do in this life...start here! And while you're at it, make a special point to take note of who the sports superstars are. And it doesn't matter which discipline of racing that catches your interest...Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock or Motorcycle. Also make it a point to stop by to share a word with one of these incredible female talents. When you do this you're going to find out that the female competition is by far, the creme of the crop! Many years ago I attended my first NHRA race in Englishtown, New Jersey and one of the sports current stars today was barely five years old. A short while ago she ruled the roost in Top Fuel Drag Racing and although she just recently stepped away to grow a family, her two younger siblings are causing havoc for the competition in their respective series.
Story line #2 - Antron Brown, the ageless wonder and now a Top Fuel Dragster Racing Champion, began his career as a Pro Stock Cyclist over fifteen years ago. Brown is now one of the sports most recognized faces and greatest personalities. Antron's story goes beyond what dreams are made of having survived a catastrophic accident in his early years that caused him to lose part of a leg, he persisted and found his niche in the NHRA. A Philly boy first, and a New Jersey resident second, he is one of the circuits most sought after autographs on the entire NHRA roster and without hesitation is quick to oblige his growing audience with his signature.
Story line #3 - Another legend of the sport, and still very competitive in today's series is Sir John Force. One might ask if Force had somehow attained Knighthood...and my answer to that question would be yes, from my vantage point absolutely. For someone who started out as a utility truck driver for the NHRA, he has made the most of an opportunity. Force is now the owner of four NHRA Racing Teams and the father of current Top Fuel Queen Brittany Force. Now in his sixties and maybe I am being a bit too generous in that assumption, he is still holding his own as one of the sports premier racers. But what is still so fascinating about his incredible achievements is what he has undoubtedly passed on to his three daughters, Ashley, Brittany and Courtney. That handoff has resulted in enormous success and admiration nationally for his girls, but most importantly he has given them the will and expertise on how to win! That exclamation point was not lost on me and you know what else was not overlooked...how family oriented the fandom base is at an NHRA event. Somehow I can’t help but feel as if it’s been Force's dedication to his family that has highlighted this reality and has transitioned this belief to his fan base nation wide.
Having spent decades in the analytical field as a Chemist and later Applications Specialist in the Semi-Conductor fields, I can appreciate a little mathematics and chemistry when the two are combined to produce ground speeds of over 300 mph within a quarter mile split.. And if breath taking sprints encased around times of 3 to 4 seconds covering roughly 1100 feet is your motivation...then this is the tonic for you! And if the desire to find inspiration in your quest to reach high milestones…then this…is definitely the tonic for you!
One final thought about the unimaginable talents of the women behind the NHRA Drag Racing mystic, There motor drive to step into a man's sport, and not yield back an inch is beyond incredible and in my estimation, they are an inspiration for every young woman seeking their groove to fly high, and achieve. Shirley Muldowney had to fight this fight, but she was alone and the odds were stacked against her, but now the numbers are too overwhelming to deny an unyielding paradigm that has been standing at the doorstep of the all male domination in the NHRA. And I for one, am loving it!
Russ Harris - Managing Editor
Ybsports Staff Images,
Top Fuel Driver Antron Brown a Philadelphia native locks in prior to being pulled to the launching pad.
SIDE NOTES:
Grove owner Kenny Koretsky, who purchased the facility around five years ago, was also a competitor at the track for many years. Koretsky’s son Kenny Jr.still competes at the Grove on a regular basis.
Wanna drive an NHRA Hot Rod? Nothing to it! All you have to do is hold onto the steering wheel, an apparatus that is only has a cylindrical circumference of that of a 200mm wafer substrate, or let's say something roughly about the size of a small dinner plate you would get out of your kitchen cabinet and guide the rail down the track at around 330 plus miles an hour. You can do that right? Well, every single female driver in the Top Fuel and Funny Car series can and with incredible ease!
I had an enjoyable conversation with two loyal fans of the racing venue whose fandom went back nearly two decades. In fact, one of the two still races an old chevy there on occasion. My question to the two of them, “why do you come here” and in unison they both replied, “because it’s better than church” and who’s to argue with that logic…certainly not I.
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