All the action from Benaraby Dragway’s Come and Try Day
“Everyone says they are keen to get the season back on track.”
Gladstone
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DRAG racing is back in Central Queensland with motorcyclists and car drivers unleashing their pent up COVID-19 frustrations at Benaraby Dragway on Saturday.
CQ Drag Racing Association president Mike Gawley said the “Come and Try Day” attracted 50 happy people, including 31 racers to the meet.
“It was all about come and try, learning how to drag race,” he said.
“Actual hands-on, experienced racers, educating the new people about how to see the lights, read the lights and how to read their time slips.
“We’re putting them onto the live 1320 app so they can avoid the time slips all together due to COVID restrictions.”
Racing successfully is far more than just putting your foot down hard when the lights go green.
“Today we had people learning how to pre-stage and fully-stage (to activate the lights and timing),” Mr Gawley said.
“There’s at least half-a-dozen people from today’s racers alone that it is their first time and they are keen to come back and do a Friday night (off street drag meeting).
“Everyone says they are keen to get the season back on track again after the COVID disruption.
“And that’s the point, to get the sport of drag racing growing in Central Queensland.”
The Come and Try day was held over the eighth-mile drag strip, half the length of the full quarter mile at Benaraby Dragway.
“We’ve got several more meets, really close together, coming up,” he said.
“Not to catch up on the racing, but to improve the track conditions after it sat being unused for the past three months.”
The tradition of All Bikes continues in August at Benaraby Dragway.
“Our All bikes is coming up again, on schedule as it always was on August first,” Mr Gawley said.
“It’s a huge annual event, people are calling and emailing about it.
“We have live bands, a lot of entertainment, drag racing and it’s a whole weekend blast!”
To see if you like the sport of drag racing, the Come and Try Days make it safe and affordable.
“A person who has never been here before spent $75,” Mr Gawley said.
“To get on the track, to get licensed, to get good insurance coverage from ANDRA (Australian National Drag Racing Association) and to get instruction from professionals.
“They get as many passes as they can do and it’s good bang for their buck, it's a good safe day time environment.”
The next meeting at Benaraby Dragway is round two of the Central Queensland Drag Racing Championships on July 10 and 11.
“On the Friday night we have an off street meet then championship racing on Saturday,” Mr Gawley said.
For more information visit www.benarabydragway.com or follow Benaraby Dragway on Facebook.
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