Engines roar for drag racing

Tune it up, rev it up and run it down the track. 

Drag racers from across the valley are turning wrenches to finish up those last minute touches for the Wine Country Racing Association season opener on  Sunday May 24. 

For five weekends a year the Osoyoos airport is transformed into Richter Pass Motorplex, and plays host to a day full of side-by-side drag racing action.

Tom Kamann, of Oliver, is especially anxious to get this season started. Kamann has spent the past four years building his ultra cool 1955 Dodge Coronet. The vehicle, created in the old gasser style, is sure to please the crowd and competitors alike. 

I asked Tom what would inspire a man to put this much time, love and care into a project. 

“My dad worked for Chrysler for 44 years, in their technical department," Kamann said. "We were right in that car scene back in Windsor and Detroit in the 1960s. I guess that’s where it all started.”

A MOPAR fan to the center of his heart, Tom has put in countless hours to see this project through to its completion. He’s ready to get his driving career started.

When asked what changes we can expect to see in DDK Racing’s 1978 Monte Carlo, Oliver’s Ken Brown said “Well, now, a guy can’t let everything out of the bag, can he?”

In the true spirit of drag racing, the players often keep their cards close to their vests. 

The gates open at 9 a.m. on Sunday. Any drivers interested in seeing what their machine can do are encouraged to show up and register early. Vehicles must pass through a safety technical inspection prior to racing.  

Admission is $10 for those over 12, free for the little guys. (Children must be accompanied by an adult.) Time trials start at 11 a.m. The final elimination round starts at 1 p.m.

Concessions are available on site. Spectators can fill the grandstands, bring a lawn chair or cheer from “Redneck Row”. 

2015 race dates: May 24, June 7, June 21, September 27 and October 11.