Speed is all relative. Stick a fast car next to a fast car and the sensation can be muted. Run a slow car next to a slow car, similar sensation. When you are door to door with another car regardless of speed the adrenaline of the similarity takes over.
Recently we took our 1992 Honda Civic CX out to the Orlando Speedworld drag strip. This car is by no means a powerhouse. It houses a stock Honda B16a2 engine swap. Let’s take a guess and say it makes around 135whp and weighs around 2450lbs with driver. It isn’t going to set any speed records. But what it does does very well is allow you to thrash on it, making glorious sounds at 8k rpm all while being on the right side of the law. Yes, roll through 1st and 2nd gear with all its mite and you are barely cresting 60mph. But that is the genius of the car as it sits. Spirited driving, fun to drive, the right size all while within the safe confines of low speed.
Whether you are going 125mph or 87mph a race is a race. Being at the drag strip is a win in its own right. You get to catch up with friends, see what they are working on, see strangers’ vehicle projects and of course the all-knowing timing board tells the story. I got 3 passes during the night. First take away; it is hard to launch a car with no 2-step and on street tires. Maintaining your desired RPM and slipping the clutch to try and get that perfect launch takes practice. 3 passes weren’t enough. But ultimate ET wasn’t the goal Being there was the goal. All said I ran a 15.7, 15.5 and 15.6 all in the 87mph range. Not Fast. But still fun. It was more of a cruise down the boulevard than a drag race. Still had great conversations, still enjoyed the drive to and from the track.
What would make this better? More slow cars to race against. We all have a 15 second car sitting around. Could be our SUV, could be a project, could be your kid’s car. Imagine 10 of us out there in our 15 second cars battling it out for supremacy. Reaction times and launches would make all the difference at the stripe. This is a plan I can get along with. Stay tuned to your Instagram and Facebook pages as soon we will try and line up a Slow Car Drag Racing night again. Let’s have some fun while barely breaking the speed limit.
