Drag Day - Pueblo Motorsports Park

A recent two-wheel jaunt to the Pueblo Motorsports Park in Colorado proved to be a nostalgic ride. I used to race there at the Drag Strip--in another life, at another time. My obsession then was on four wheels, and in a straight line. Either way, racing, like riding, is either in your soul or it's not. If the sounds and smells of internal combustion engines and the scent of burning rubber mixed with the lure of hot asphalt do not excite your very being, then drag racing is not your thing.

We rode down south from Colorado Springs to Pueblo Motorsports Park on the last day of racing, November 1, so I could see some old friends and introduce my pillion partner to a part of my past life. As we entered the track complex, we passed dirt bikes of all persuasions as well as four wheelers. The complex is a haven for the dirt bike crowd as well as drag racers, quarter midgets and road course enthusiasts, whether it be on two or four wheels.

If getting out and turning your adrenaline pump on excites you, this is the place. Engines, wheels, speed, fear and grins are here for the taking. Pick your pleasure, open the throttle and feed your need for speed. For me, the Drag Strip still holds sway on my inner desire to go fast--FAAST. It is dissimilar to my motorcycling, yet it is the same. Somewhere deep in my core the sensations meld. Speed, or the control of it, is intoxicating. Like drinking, one beer may be enough for some but not enough for others. The same goes for speed. Fast for you may be too fast for me. At any rate, inside we all crave and experience the same high. God, I love it!

Executing a clean pass and hitting your numbers on the strip are akin to setting up for a chicane and flowing through with grace and speed. For me, the same sense of accomplishment, pride and adrenaline add the exclamation point to the sensation. It really is very personal. It is a ME thing: "I feel good about myself. I did this." It is a sense of self-realization, complete with all the reward for a job well done, and the critique of how to improve oneself. No one needs to know; no words need be spoken. All this occurs within ones self. Whether it be racing or riding, I believe that those of us who pursue these endeavors feel the same. When I ride I always try to improve. I rethink turns long after getting off the bike. I want to be a better rider, better driver, for me. Yes, I love all the aspects of being on the open road with the pillion rider secure in her place, the scenery, the freedom. But deep down inside, my ability to master the machine and the speed is fed and kept alive.

For more information, see Drag Racing 101. If you liked this article, you may also like Track Daze. Don't forget to view the slideshow below and SUBCRIBE above.