Fayetteville Import Drag Night, 9/11/2010

Drag racing as a form of competition is really nothing new.  Import drag racing, on the other hand, is still somewhat in the "development" phase. I mean, it's been around for going on 2 decades, but if you make your way out to one of these events you'll get the impression it's still in beta.  The cars (well, some of them) are fast as hell, but there's a whole lot of parts breaking going on.  I recently made the trip out to the Fayetteville Motorsports Park (in Fayetteville, NC) for the Battle of the Belts Imports Race, on Sept 11th 2010.  It was my first time out at a mostly-Japanese drag night, and the comparison with domestic or European drag racing is pretty interesting.

First of all, an overlying theme: turbochargers.

While there were a handful of all-motor engines to be found, for the most part there were more basketball-sized spinny mufflers than you could shake a stick at.  Think I'm kidding?

Still not sure?  Ok, how about jack-o-lantern sized turbos?  This monster was under the hood of an EG Civic Si coupe.  How do they even spool these things?  Direct nitrous injection into the impeller housing?

And while some of the cars looked pretty darn ratty, they did manage to rip down the strip like nobody's business.  When they weren't breaking.  Check out this innocent-looking late-seventies Toyota Corolla laying down a high 10-second time.  A little bit of 2JZ-GTE goes a long way!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NUUk1BmI64

In fact, I'd have to say the overlying them was "all praise to the mighty 2JZ-GTE."  They were everywhere.  Know why this S14 240SX goes down the strip so fast?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgdUPfK8oXA

...because it's got 2JZ-GTE power.  No, seriously.  Nissan chassis, Toyota engine.

That white engine bay with the gleaming huge-turbo 2JZ-GTE under it, the first picture?  Yeah, that's the engine bay of a Honda S2000.

Word around the track was that this monster was a sub-10-second car, but due to less-than-ideal conditions, I never saw it run.  C'mon, guys, what's a little rain?

There were actually some Supras (with Supra engines!) in attendance, including this absolutely mean looking MKIV.  With what I believe to be sufficient turbocharger.

With a turbo that large on an engine not-that-large (remember, a Supra's only a 3.0L) it takes a bit for the action to really get going.  But when it does, it does.  Watch how he passes the white CRX, even though the Honda had a way faster R/T and 60' time.  Brutal mid-range power on this one!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g5ToPQE220

Thankfully not everything there had a 2JZ under the hood, because that would get old quickly.  There were some absolutely face-slappingly awesome Hondas in attendance.  How's this for an exhaust setup?

Exhaust and wastegate exiting through the hood. Coolest thing I've ever seen.  Also, huge turbo.

Who needs a headlight, when you can have a carbon-fibre intake for your giant turbocharger instead?  This is some seriously clever stuff.  And they weren't all show and no go - when they weren't blowing up they were putting down 10 and 11 second ET's at crazy-high trap speeds.  Loud as hell, too!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXfrA0m6y-0

This guy was a big fan of his rev-limiter.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCYDaAbLAv0

Another turbocharged EG hatchback, this time making a much cleaner run.  I apologize for my shaky camera work - no tripod, sorry.

There were also a lot of interesting cars to be seen out in the parking lot.  Some rice, but a whole lot of sleepers.  Check out this AWD DSM - looking pretty unassuming, until you see the R-comp slicks on all four corners.  Hmm...

There were DSM's laying down good times too.  Check out this 1G Eclipse GSX launching like it'd just been rear-ended by a cement mixer:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWqGd41fLIA

There were also all sorts of neat cars to be seen in the paddocks, even if they weren't racing.  Isn't this picture the dream of every crazy JDM enthusiast?

I really wish this STI had run down the track once or twice.  It was extensively modified under the hood.  I dig the huge Perrin front-mount.

Here's something you don't see very often in America - a Nissan BNR33 Skyline GT-R Spec V.  Sadly, it just sat there parked the whole time.

Why can't we all just get along? Seen on the back bumper of a Lancer Evolution.

Another super-rare Nissan - an R33 Skyline GTS-T, which had the single-turbo RB25 and rear-wheel-drive.

Although it was raining on and off, the drag racing was great.  Watching big-turbo Supras break the rear end loose as they slam into fourth gear halfway down the track is a site to be seen.  And while the frequency of cars blowing up and needing to get towed down the track was disappointing, import drag racing is still a spectacle that has to be seen.  I'll definetely be making my way out again in the future, and hopefully the weather will hold off this time!