For over ten years, Rocky Mountain Raceway (RMR) has hosted Midnight Drags, a regular event that allows drivers to see how fast their vehicle really is.
Midnight Drags races are legal and safe, and anybody over the age of 18 can race their car, no matter what kind of vehicle it is, as long as it passes a simple tech inspection.
“It gives people who want to race their vehicles a vessel to come out and compete in a safe and contained environment, with a full safety team on hand,” said RMR general manager Mike Eames. “It’s a great environment for people who don’t want to compete in elimination type races and just want to run for fun.”
Music is also a large part of the event. Radio station U92 is one of the sponsors of the Midnight Drags, and they have a DJ present at the events who provides loud music, racing commentary and spectator contests.
The music is loud, but the thundering motors of racing cars are louder.
The midnight drags average 180 entrants and 2,000 spectators. It costs $15 to enter a vehicle into the midnight drags, and $7 for spectators.
Start your engines
Vehicle registration begins at 8 p.m., and racing begins at 11 p.m. and ends at 2 a.m. Trucks, motorcycles, and even 4-wheelers are often entered alongside cars.
SLCC Student Harrison Cleeland races his 1999 Dodge Dakota R/T, which he does his own modifications on.
“I enjoy racing” Cleeland said. “It’s also fun to come just to watch. I come to watch the fast cars, but it’s also fun to watch the slow cars that think they are fast.”
It doesn’t matter how fast or slow the vehicles entered are, as long as they pass a simple tech inspection. The inspection includes checking to make sure the vehicle has all lug nuts, and that the vehicle is licensed and insured.
Inspectors look over the entire vehicle to see what kind of motor it’s running and how modified it is, and then make an educated guess on how fast a vehicle will run. Higher performance machines require additional safety measures, such as helmets and even roll cages.
Racer Tony Alarid races his 2006 Dodge Charger R/T, which has been extensively modified by his mechanic, Alan Jacobsen.
“I come to beat my best times, and to see how my build is coming along,” Alarid said. “[Jacobsen] has been the mechanic for this entire build. We’re hoping to run faster than 13 seconds tonight.”
There are three more scheduled midnight drags at RMR for the 2012 season, weather permitting: Friday, Sept. 7, Friday, Sept. 14, and Saturday Oct. 6.
For more information, visit RMR’s website at www.rmrracing.com or call their office at 801-252-9557.