NHRA Southern Nationals

dale worsham nhra drag racing — Strapped into the cockpit, funny car driver Dale Worsham waits in the staging lanes for his turn.

Going to Commerce, and Atlanta Dragway in particular, is like a homecoming for me. I lived in Commerce for several years while I was a kid, and I visited the track on many occasions with my father (I think he took me every chance he got). So it’s always special for me to be able to work in a place where my father and I shared so many great memories.

father and son at race — Me and dad at a race back in the day.

This year’s NHRA Southern Nationals were supposed to be held May 3-5, but heavy rains pushed them to this past weekend (May 10-11). It was my second year covering the races with Mark Reblias, and it didn’t disappoint. Even to this day, it never ceases to amaze me just how much power these machines (top fuel and funny cars) have. At 10,000 horsepower, it’s hard to conceive that all of this power is catapulting a driver to more than 300 mph in 1/8th of a mile. And the sound? I’ve tried to explain to people just how loud this sport is, but words can’t do it justice. It literally shakes your insides. Just as Don “The Snake” Prudhomme explains in an ESPN article, “Loud isn’t a strong enough word. It’s so overwhelming your brain can hardly compute what it’s hearing and seeing. It’s damn near a religious experience.”