Drag Illustrated Issue 178, September / October 2022 | Page 77

Hoosier Heritage

Indiana ’ s Wabash Valley Dragway celebrates 50th season
By Van Abernethy
PHOTOGRAPHS BY VAN ABERNETHY

Wabash Valley Dragway kicked off its 50th season in April with the Hoosier No-Prep series and plans to close out 2022 the exact same way . “ Our first scheduled event in April , as well as our season finale in October , feature this same series ,” says Race Director Troy Mann . “ What ’ s interesting about this group is that it truly is No-Prep . We scrape the track down as far as we can go and it ’ s still not good enough for them !” laughs Mann .

While the Hoosier No-Prep series bookends the season schedule this year , there ’ s a diverse mix of events throughout the year coming to this NHRA-sanctioned eighth-mile facility in Terre Haute , Indiana . Scheduled this year are no less
than 15 bracket points races , as well as a robust number of test-and-tune sessions .
Wabash Valley Dragway takes cancer awareness seriously with monthly fundraiser events known as the Pink Ladies . “ We do it on the first Friday of every month , as ladies come out and race their street cars and every ounce of money raised goes to Pink of Terre Haute , which is breast cancer awareness ,” says Mann .
The Hux Cancer Awareness race is another event where money is raised for cancer research . “ That event is basically a memorial to those who
have left us due to cancer ,” says Mann .
In May , the track held the Bernie Mann Memorial race , now in its 24th running . “ This is my dad ’ s memorial race , and it ’ s always heavily attended .” Troy ’ s dad was well-liked and respected as an innovator by racers in this area . The event held in his honor is strictly for no-delay box entries . “ That ’ s how my dad liked it , and for the last two years , we ’ ve had over 170 entries ,” says Mann .
In June , the track hosted the Midwest Jr . Super Series . “ That ’ s a traveling series that is sponsored by Protect the Harvest . They usually have around
September / October 2022
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