Prob just another sign the internet is killing paper again..... sure seems a lot of people watch the live feed

It should be interesting to see what they publish this year. It seems they actually reached out to some people to try and harvest stories etc.

They have shed a few staffers over the last few years that I feel hurt the publication. Elana Scher and Phillip Thomas were both Hot Rod staff that dug deep in the event and gave great coverage. Neither one of them work for Hot Rod anymore.

and i REALLY miss Billy's wright ups !

Agreed, I miss Billy's take on things Dragweek

Billy is going to be missed around here for a very long time. At least by me. He was a remarkable individual.

RIP Mopar Billy

Here's a link to Mopars at 2019 Drag week and some coverage of Billy's family...

https://moparconnectionmagazine.com/gallery-cuda-ricks-2019-hot-rod-drag-week-adventure/

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthread...rod-drag-week-adventure.html#Post2705839

You are absolutely correct on my not understanding working your butt off and spending a hoop of money to help the magazine sell more of their products while not offering even a small rewards for doing this event other than writing about their experiences and some printing of the winners for each day and the event chanmpions
I was invited to participate in the first Engine Masters Competition, when I ask about rewards for the winners they didn't respond or offer me any more invitations
My thinking is if your doing work for a corporation that will help them sell their products you should be paid, at least the winners in a competition, for doing well when you win
Volunteer work helping people or communities is one thing, using and abusing people by holding a competition in a hobby they love that mainly helps the company putting it on is not something I want to help promote, let alone pay a entry fee for, and participate in for zero pay back is not in my things to accomplish in my life
This is America, you have the God given right and freedom to pursue anything you like to create your happyness

Back when Eddie was running in the street class and one of the first in the 7's with his Duster didn't he receive a jacket and trophy? I actually like drag week tho.

Yaaaa and money collected on Moparts so he could make it there. 😂

Wow, there's a curmudgeon here.

Drag Week is still a blast....don't worry.

Cab, I've been on drag week 10 times and the fact that they don't pay is 100% completely irrelevant to me. Same with any racing I've done. I race because I'm a racer. That's what I love to do. Racing's a money pit. If I won a cash prize for doing well at a race, so what? The prize would be a fart in a hurricane. I'd still be way under water. I don't care if a magazine makes money off of coverage of the event. It's no different than if you race at NHRA. They make money off of the racers. Unless you're a professional racer, it's going to be a money pit win or lose. Those of us who do drag week love to race, and we love the event. if they started throwing big prize money out, it would probably ruin it. It's very grassroots. You see a lot of the kind of cars that will never fit in at the events that pay bucks.

Joel, we race for the same reasons, I love it also
Growing up in SO CA back when drag racing was big I cut my drag racing teeth on the street and then at several different SO CA drag strips ran under AHRA, NHRA and some non certified tracks for local street racers. All of them gave you a trophy or money prizes for winning your class and later on your bracket when it got big.
I chose drag racing as my passion, it is a money pit and it consumes a bunch of my time even today, I still do it as I like to win and go fast, I've thought of putting a younger better driver in my current car but I haven't found the person I would let drive it with trust and knowing they can provide good feedback when things start to go sour I didn't choose to go drag racing for the money but when you win and get some of your investment back it adds to the addiction
Maybe some day I'll find a good driver, hopefully before I sell both cars

They do give out a nice jacket to the winner of each class. Plus some other stuff to the winners of the top 3 fastest classes like drums of fuel, and fancy Drag Week electric guitars.

And I did get that free GV overdrive in 2014....

Anyways, racing is a fun hobby for me, and Drag Week turns it into a really challenging, real world adventure. And it gave me an excuse to build a neat Mopar. Which I have to get working on again, for 2020.

The experience, and friendships made on Drag Week, by far outweigh any payout. Billy always did an awesome job of describing Drag Week in his write ups, but it can't be put into words, it NEEDS to be experienced. I stay in contact with people I first met on DW 2015 yet today. In fact one of them, I've offered to pull his car, with my truck and trailer to DW 2020, just because it is a opportunity of a life time for him, and the adventure that lies ahead, will be priceless.

It is hard to fully appreciate Drag Week without actually doing it as a driver or a rider aka trunk monkey.

I can see it as being fun and a true challenge, but what I can’t understand is if guys love it so much and it only happens once a year why can’t guys get there cars ready for it. Even Billy admitted every year that he always started getting ready late for it every year and a lot of the story was about stuff that could or should have been addressed months earlier. It’s hysterical watching the same guys bow out every year. I just shake my head when they post they signed up.

Why??? because most people have jobs, family and other adult life that gets in the way. Even if you have the car ready a month in advance, you are testing, checking, and fixing things. It's a 6 day event with tech, and now add in drive time, both ways. You burn up 2 weeks right there. After the event you are so exhausted, and don't want to even look at the car for a couple months. Then you take the car apart, make some changes, wait on the machine shop to get back to you... Next thing you know, you have a month until the event starts again.

The event is not for everyone. Most people that have experienced, NEVER look at racing the same way. Your expectations of what a fast street car, are tossed right out the window, once you survive the event.

Ya but many of these guys sign up every year and never end up going so that excuse doesn’t fly for many. And a two month break shows a lack of wanting it very bad.

Signing up pushes you to get the car done. I don't know too many that sign up every year, and bow out at the last minute.

As for Not wanting it because of you took 2 months off, that isn't true. Guys like Joel, have a business to run, and a household to maintain. Things that can get sidetracked while trying to prep for DW, and need to be addressed when you get back. For Joel, that is his busy time of year at work, and he puts in A LOT of hours. Does he want to work on the car after a long day? He has quite a few irons in the fire. When we get to Drag Week it's pretty much ALL business with us. We take it very seriously.