In the entertainment industry they coined the term “power couple” as a way to describe when two A-Level actors get together and shake up the business. I get it that they are talking about a different kind of power but I still think we missed it and that term should have been created by racers. I mean we are the kind of people that frame most everything in our lives with numbers reflecting horsepower, torque, elapsed times, top speed, etc.

What an incredible experiment….

Whenever anyone decides to try a new format of anything racing related, it comes with growing pains and a little skepticism. 

Will it be as fun as the original? 

Will there be enough competition to make it fun?

Will only being a Single Day be enough to fill the void I’ve had for monnnnnnnths since my last drag and drive event?

If the “next generation” is anything like Matt Fling, the hot rod scene is in good hands. This young man truly embodies the heart and soul of what it takes to be successful in this car community. He has grown up around many of the longtime drag and drive racers so they view him as a little brother or grandson almost. But, the new wave of racers get a whole new Matt…

The Flings became so present in the drag and drive community that they became integral to its success. Legacy is built upon solid foundations. Consistency and commitment. And the kind of passion that makes a couple choose a drag and drive event for their honeymoon!

If you wait your whole life for a bucket list event or race then life will race right by. I have taken a different approach from the traditional bucket list. If a friend or kiddo is excited then we plan it, fund it, and do it  - now. So, a couple of years ago, I decided to shift my focus from making the truck faster (the index classes 12.0-14.0 have all the fun anyway, right) and focus more on reliability of the ride and adventure that comes with the trip.

Air-Cooled VWs and Drag and Drive events go together like peanut butter and jelly. A growing number of events have a dedicated class for cars with these engines. While you’re likely picturing a Beetle, the Italian designed Karmann Ghia is the weapon of choice for James Holth.

For Danny Grubuagh when he signed up for Sick the Mags “Sick Week” in 2022 he started down a path that would immediately alter the course of his life. Being smitten by the drag and drive lifestyle Danny never looked back.

Larry is proof that intense competition can come with a “slow car”, and this is one of our favorite things about Rocky Mountain Race Weeks Index Class Formats. They were the first to introduce this style of class in drag and drive and the popularity has proven they had the right idea. The 14.00 Index is typically in the Top 3 of Car Count for the events. And with stories, and racers, like Larry, the competitors better have their game face on if they are signing up for this class.

Jeff Russell And his 1937 Pontiac deluxe 8 “hot rod taxi” have been making the trip to Fl for Sick Week since 2024. To say his car gets a lot of attention might be an understatement. Maybe it’s because it’s dressed up like a taxi. Maybe because pre war Pontiacs are not very common at the race track, or local roads for that matter. Perhaps it’s because it has a traditional sbc hanging out in the wind. But It might be because with that old school combo small block and turbo 400 he lays down low 11 second ¼ mile time slips like a copy machine.

David Lipps’ Hellcat checks every box that defines the backbone of drag and drive: street miles, consistency, and performance that holds up for five straight days. A 4,875-pound sedan running low 10s while driving the same roads as everyone else is exactly the kind of car that fills the staging lanes at these events. These are the cars that keep drag and drive alive. In the next installment of Backbone of Drag and Drive, we’ll take a look at another racer proving that the heart of this sport lives in the 10-second time slip.

Andrew Dopita’s Record 12 Second Run at Rocky Mountain Race Week 2018.

ALLSTARS DRAG & DRIVE 2026 IS OFFICIALLY SOLD OUT IN UNDER 2 HOURS

What’s under the cover?????

With the 2025 drag and drive season complete and the Drag & Drive Awards Show concluded, the final standings are set for the Drag & Drive World Championship (DNDWC) Points Series presented by Summit Racing. T

Before the weather turns and the cars go back on jack stands, we came together one more time. Short Circuit 2025 brought veterans and first-timers alike onto the same stretch of Route 66 to share roads, stories, and Waffle House coffee. Because around here, the racing is great—but the people are the reason we show up.

Seven racers have competed in FOUR National Level drag and drive events in 2025, events with 4 or more days of racing. That is something that wasn’t even possible a few years ago. That’s how much drag and drive has grown in the last few years….

This list of incredible racers?

Episode 125 of the Drag Drive Repeat Show presented by Summit Racing hosts Mike Narx and Eric White welcome Cody VanWinkle, the creator of Weekend Warriors Race & Relax, a brand-new regional event hosted at Western Colorado Dragway. The episode dives into Cody’s journey as a racer turned promoter, the winners and highlights of his event, the announcement of The Short Circuit (a new DDR-hosted event at Tulsa Raceway Park), and a detailed historical deep dive into Hot Rod Drag Week’s Street Race Small Block Power Adder Class.

Drag Drive Repeat is at it again! The Short Circuit event is set for Nov 7-8 at Tulsa Raceway Park! Two Days of Racing, Pitza Party and Waffle House for breakfast - this is going to be a laid back drag and drive event just for fun

Hot Rod Drag Week 2025 celebrated 20 years of drag-and-drive competition with the quickest year in history. Over five days of racing, 15 records were broken, further cementing the event’s reputation as the ultimate test of street-legal drag cars.