Tuesday, June 25, 2013

I Love Horsepower!

A few weeks ago, I happened to see an advertisement on TV for an event in a nearby town.  I knew Vol Fan and I had to go!  So last Saturday, we loaded up early and drove 90 miles to San Angelo, Texas.  Boy, was I ever right about our need to go!!

If you meet me, I seem like a fairly quiet person.  But deep down inside resides a redneck, horsepower-loving monster!  If you've got enough horsepower to make me feel it in my chest, I LOVE IT!  Air shows.  Tractor pulls.  Love, love, love it!  And Saturday proved no exception with pulling that horsepower love out of me!

Vol Fan and I had made it to Showdown In San Angelo - the drag boat races!  We had plans to explore the entire 1/4 mile race site.  We happened to enter the race site and go where we probably weren't supposed to go but we didn't care and no one made us leave!  We were right beside the ramp where the boats entered the water and were about 75 yds from the starting line.  And there we stayed - all day long!

The races consist of several classes of races - starting with souped-up jet skis that were capable of running 80-90mph and ending with the 'Top Fuel' boat class with the top speed of the day being 247mph.  Yes, 247mph!!  From a dead standstill at the starting line, he ran a 1/4 mile in under 4 seconds!!  What I wouldn't give for a ride in that boat!!

In the video below, you hear two of the big boys idling at the starting line.  Once the light turns green, the first boat jumps off the starting line, has engine problems, and comes to a stop.  Then the second boat comes ROARING by!  These boats are unbelievable!!



If you ever get the chance to go to a race like this, GO!!!

And yes, that is my yell at the end of the video :-)

3 comments:

George said...

Those are some boats. I've never seen such a race in person.

Ed & Jeanne said...

Aren't those the same boats that sometimes lift out of the water and crash like balsa wood?

Busy Bee Suz said...

You are a crazy woman! LOL. This is where you and I are very different....I see this stuff and think of all the bad things that can happen.
I'm glad that you both had fun though.
XO