Although rain delayed the racing, once series boss Dan VanHorn and his drivers got the all-clear, they hit the track in a hurry. For the better part of four hours, vehicles poured into the staging lanes, to the starting line, and down the track; making adjustments before heading back to the lanes for another go. There were some pauses in the action when one car laid down some oil, but for the most part, there was non-stop racing action with the world’s quickest and strongest Hemi-powered vehicles, making for an awe-inspiring spectacle for those who came out to watch.
Take a look at some of the gnarliest drag sessions below:
After several rounds of time trials, qualifying runs for all of the classes were made and the field headed into eliminations. We have included several videos here that show the kind of racing action that we saw in Milan while the weather was clear. Click here for dozens more videos from the event.
Unfortunately, after the field had gotten through a few rounds of class eliminations, the rain started back up. With nightfall approaching, the decision was made to call off the rest of the action. As a result, some of the classes did not finish up while others did, so here is a look at the results for the various classes.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
