The weather on Sunday, July 12^th was fitting for the “Little Slice of Heaven” that is South Mountain Raceway. And a perfect day for The Rumble on the Mountain. If you’re a drag racing fan, the day had to make you feel like a kid in a candy shop. One of the first things you’d see after pulling in the gates was “The Messenger” Nostalgia Alcohol Funny Car of Jim Gloyd. Once you managed to get your eyeballs unpeeled from that incredible paint job (and the message behind it), you’d be smack dab in the middle of Vintage Eliminator village, a unique display of hot rods in their own right. If that didn’t take your mind back to the past enough, glance around and see the Back Seat Drivers pitted there. All of them are wonderful examples of front-engined drag racing excellence. Also some beautiful Super Stockers to join in the fun. And if that wasn’t enough, there was the Mini Bike class. There were some really wild critters in that bunch and I heard one person remark, “They look like pit bikes with wheelie bars.” There was even a snowmobile in the house. And if you were paying close attention, you might even have noticed a twin-engined S10 making a couple passes. Something you won’t see just anywhere. Another rare sight was the opportunity to see a vintage front-engined dragster towed to the staging lanes by a vintage race car. Can the racing visuals get any more special than this?

Then there’s a guy who really typifies what grassroots racing is all about. The Quicksilver Nova of Jeff McQuait is not a high-dollar operation, but a home-built hot rod mostly built at his house with a lot of blood and sweat (not necessarily in that order), just like the other friends and family that race with him. These are the kind of guys who keep the local tracks afloat (and the sport) every weekend. Guys who’d rather spend their time working on their cars instead of throwing away time and money on other things. You’ll often find Jeff and others like him at the track and it’s worth your while to check out these guys when you can.

The crew did an excellent job on the starting line, keeping the track clear and prepped and the burnout box supplied with water. Not tasks for the weak of heart when the sun shows up. These guys, along with first-class announcing and great food at the snack bar all work together to make this a great experience for the racers and fans. At the end of the day, a few went home with trophies, all went home with smiles on their face. With all the social media buzz about how the sport is changing, take time to support a local track like South Mountain Raceway. They still do it the old-fashioned way and they do it right. Check out their schedule and make it a point to go catch a race! You’ll be glad you did!

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