30 UNDER 30 |
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DOUG FOLEY JR . |
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As the head ride-along driver and one of several instructors at Pure Speed Drag Racing Experience , Doug Foley Jr . makes a lot of runs down the dragstrip every year . His schedule with the racing school takes him to well over a dozen different racetracks across the country . One day he might be giving 50 rides to corporate customers in a two-seater Super Comp dragster ; the next weekend he ’ s racing against A-list actor Idris Elba for a Discovery Channel show that aired in over 180 countries . Believe it or not , that ’ s Foley ’ s job , and he still finds time to spend nearly every off-weekend racing one of his personal cars . Foley , who grew up racing Junior Dragsters and helping on his father ’ s Top Fuel team , has taken countless people down the track for the first time . Some riders are corporate clients who have never even seen drag racing on TV , while others are lifelong drag racing fans who never had the opportunity to make a pass down the strip . Between giving rides and appearing prominently in drag racing segments on the Today Show and Idris Elba : No Limits , Foley enjoys the opportunity to share his passion for drag racing with so many new fans .
“ There ’ s no better way to hook a fan than by putting them in a racecar and taking them down the track in nine seconds at 150 mph ,” Foley believes . “ They ’ re able to feel the burnout and the initial acceleration . It brings out an excitement level that you just can ’ t get by sitting in the stands or watching it on TV . Seeing the riders ’ reactions after their first run is definitely one of my favorite parts of the job .”
While a majority of the runs he makes every year aren ’ t in competition , the hours of seat time in the ride car do help Foley when he gets the chance to race in local big-money bracket races . He experienced the biggest weekend of his young career earlier this year at Virginia ’ s Motor Mile Dragway , where the second-generation driver won back-to-back $ 10,000 races over Labor Day weekend . It was a dream weekend for Foley , whose goal is to become a major player on the big-money bracket scene .
“ Obviously you go to the track expecting to have a shot at winning , and that was the goal , but I ’ ll admit I was surprised when I won the first day . The car was repeating , and I just happened to be driving as good as I ’ ve ever driven before . The level of competitiveness at those races is so high , so it was definitely shocking . I woke up the
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morning after winning the first one thinking that my day had come and gone and it might never happen again . Then I went out and won another ten grander . It was definitely a surreal feeling .”
With a round record of 26-2 over the course of the three $ 10k races , the Statesville , NC resident
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also received a trip to Aruba for winning the overall points championship for the weekend . He used the winnings to purchase his own Chevy S10 drag truck which he plans to race in addition to the family ’ s Super Comp car in 2017 .
– NATE VAN WAGNEN DI
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PHOTO : NATE VAN WAGNEN |