DRAG STRIP AFFAIRS
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS It was never Donald Long’s intent to put on the type of race Lights Out has
become. He simply wanted a place where radial-tire racers felt important. Now, it’s the Super Bowl of small-tire
racing, bringing out the best talent from all over the country as the top drivers compete for the $50,000 prize in
Radial vs. the World in front of massive crowds.
guys who look at the rules and say, “Let’s go do this.”
What happens then is you get 1-2 guys who start
pushing each other, the hype gets going and before
you know it you’ve got 70 Radial vs. the World cars
with a 3.80-something bump spot (in 2019). That’s
what it has progressed into and I love it.
THE IMPACT
hoped the race could be.
LONG You have the best tuners in the world
that come from all over to play with these things
and the drivers are incredible.
JACKSON I’ve seen cars win that never
should have a chance to win and I was one of
them. This racing itself launched a tremendous
amount of people into careers with huge, blos-
soming businesses now, all propelled from this
event. It’s had a huge impact on our entire in-
dustry, from parts to chassis builders to manu-
facturers and on down the line. I don’t know a
corner of the sport this hasn’t touched.
FORE Without question, no other place has
started more photographer careers than Duck’s
race. I’m where I am because of Duck’s event.
There’s just so much action. If you miss some-
thing major, there’s something behind it two
minutes later.
WOODRUFF It’s pretty amazing what this
race has done for the racers. It’s crazy and hum-
bling to me to walk through the pits at an NHRA
race and get noticed. I never would have had this
opportunity if Donald hadn’t done this.
KUNDRIK For radial to keep going to where
it’s at, it’s absolutely amazing. Just to see all these
guys that were anti-radial and to see what Donald
has done with this deal and see where it’s gone,
it’s amazing. To have all these radial cars at the
same property, it’s just amazing to see what it’s
blown up to. (DI 114)
SEARS Everything kind of goes hand-in-hand.
Without great payouts, you’re not going to get a lot
of racers. Without great racers, you’re not going
to get a lot of fans. Without any of it, you’re not
going get a lot of sponsors or manufacturers trying
to one-up each other. It all has to work together
and it all has to benefit. I think these events give
everybody what they ask for. These events have
given people the chance to have a good time, see
bad, fast cars and great competition. It’s sort of an
anything-can-happen type of feel.
LONG This started off as a hobby. I was two
years into it and had people telling me it was just
a fad. To see it keep growing, it’s just awesome to
see everything keep rolling on.
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Following Lights Out VII, the race has never left
the limelight. “Nova Joe” Albrecht won Lights
Out VIII in RvW and Jackson took the $50,000
prize a year later against Keith Haney in another
magical final round.
Laughlin won on a holeshot to claim the Lights
Out X victory against Daniel Pharris in 2019,
as the most recent event continued to set an even
higher bar when it comes to mind-blowing per-
formances. For anyone who suggested a dip in
interest in radial racing is coming, Lights Out
X put those thoughts to rest as fans continued to
flock to Valdosta in massive numbers. In fact, the
general consensus was that Lights Out X might
have just set a new standard in radial racing,
opening up the possibility of what may be next.
In just a decade, the class has gone from 4.40s
being incomprehensible to 3.60s on the regular
with no dip in enthusiasm. The yearly trek to
SGMP for Lights Out has become a destination
event, and racers in radial racing are now house-
hold names in the sport.
In every way, it’s far beyond what Long ever
March 2019
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