Christopher Northrup; The Swiss Army KnifeBracket Breakdown · Apr 28, 2026
Annotations will appear as you listen
0:00
66:24
Topic
Woodburn
Woodburn is the track the hosts are discussing for a weekend of drag racing. The segment focuses on how the event schedule and weather affect when races start and how often tracks get to run.
A bracket race is a type of drag racing where everyone picks a target time. The goal is to run as close to that time as possible, not necessarily to be the absolute fastest.
A “gambler’s” is a bracket-racing-style side event where the payouts are higher and the format often adds extra stakes or rules compared to regular rounds. It’s typically designed to encourage bigger risks and more aggressive racing.
A “64 car field” describes the number of entries in the bracket event. Field size affects how many rounds there are and how the ladder is structured, which can influence strategy and how often you get to make full-power passes.
They’re talking about the track getting resurfaced. New pavement usually makes the surface stickier and more consistent, which helps cars perform better.
They’re saying the venue got upgraded beyond just the racing lane. When a whole facility improves, it can make events run better and feel more professional.
The starting line is where cars line up to launch. Keeping it painted and prepped helps drivers stage the same way every time and makes the track easier to use.
A points race means racers are collecting points all season. If you win or finish well you move up, but if you break or don’t finish you can lose ground.
Top Alcohol is a drag racing class (typically split into Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car) using alcohol-based fuel. It’s known for high power and specialized engines, with cars tuned for repeated quarter-mile runs.
Topic
NHRA vs IHRA
NHRA and IHRA are different organizations that run drag races. A driver can race in both, but the events aren’t always identical.
“Tranny” is slang for the transmission. In drag racing, transmission failures can be catastrophic because the car is under extreme load during launches and gear changes.
A “belt” failure in a drag car usually refers to a drive belt for an accessory system (commonly supercharger-related or other rotating equipment, depending on the setup). Losing a belt can quickly cause a power/boost or accessory failure, ending a run.
Pro Stock Motorcycle is a type of drag racing for bikes. The bikes are built for fast launches and quick acceleration, but the rules limit how much teams can change so it stays competitive.
Sportsman motorcycle is drag racing for non-top pro competitors. It’s usually where a lot of riders cut their teeth before moving up to the highest levels.
Funny Car is a drag-racing class where the cars look like stretched, low-slung versions of production cars, but they’re built for racing. They’re designed to launch hard and go very fast in a straight line.
Jet cars are race cars that use jet engines. Because they work differently than normal engines, they can be tricky and require special setups to race safely.
A “tack” is a tachometer that shows how fast the engine is spinning (RPM). If there’s no tach, you have to shift by feel instead of watching the numbers.
Warning lights are the dashboard alerts that tell you something might be wrong. Older cars (especially race cars) may not have as many alerts, so you can’t rely on the car to tell you when to back off.
Shifting at the right time helps the car keep pulling hard. If there’s no tach or gauges, the driver has to listen and feel the engine to decide when to change gears.
Drag races are usually run over a set distance on a straight strip. Drivers use distance markers to know when they’re near the end of the run and what to do next.
They’re talking about a race track called “Firebird,” where people go to race and hang out with other car folks. It’s used as a reference point for how the guest became known in the local scene.
The Pontiac Firebird is a type of American car known for performance, especially from its earlier generations. It’s been around for a long time, so lots of people have seen it or heard about it growing up. That’s why it can come up in stories about car history and memories.
Topic
Getaway drivers
“Getaway drivers” appears to be a TV or media series connected to car culture. The guest suggests it helped broaden their audience beyond the track, implying the show’s format centered on driving and automotive storytelling.
A Mustang is a famous Ford sports car. In the clip, they’re talking about a moment where it stalls—meaning the engine stops running—while it’s being driven in a scene.
“Stall” means the engine dies and the car stops running. It can happen when the car isn’t getting the right conditions to keep the engine turning.
Concept
track type of deal
They’re talking about eventually running a racetrack. It’s not just about cars—it’s a whole business with lots of planning and rules to keep events safe.
They’re describing moving cars long distances across the country. That kind of work is mostly logistics—planning routes, timing, and handling vehicles safely.
Topic
Denver for nationals
“Denver for nationals” points to a national-level motorsport event or competition traveling to Denver. For listeners, this is a clue about how racers and teams build experience through recurring events and regional travel.
Revitalizing a track means they took a place that wasn’t really active and put money and effort into making it work well again. That can include fixing the track and setting up events so people want to race there.
Gleason Raceway Park is referenced as a specific drag-racing venue the hosts hadn’t heard of before. The discussion focuses on how quickly it became popular once the family started running it, implying changes to operations and event programming.
A dragster is a race car made for drag racing—mostly going fast in a straight line. They’re saying that particular track wasn’t a good fit for that kind of car, likely due to how the track is set up.
Concept
door card track
In drag racing, “door cars” are regular cars (or car-based race cars) that have doors, not the specialized dragster style. Saying it’s a “door car track” means the place was more suited to that kind of racing.
This part is about making the drag strip safer. They talk about how a short stopping area can be risky, especially at higher speeds. Their goal is to make the track work better for how fast cars run today.
The “shutdown” is the part of the track after the finish where the car slows down and comes to a stop safely. If it’s too short, the car can still be going too fast when it reaches the end, which is dangerous. They’re talking about making that stopping area longer and smoother.
Track prep means getting the racing surface ready so it’s grippy and consistent. If the surface isn’t prepared well, cars can lose traction or behave unpredictably. The speaker is saying they learned a lot about how to do that.
“Surface” questions are about how the track feels under the tires—basically how much grip it has. In drag racing, grip affects whether the car hooks up and accelerates cleanly. That’s why they consult an expert about the track conditions.
An eighth-mile is a shorter drag race distance than a quarter mile. Because the cars don’t run as long, the track prep needs can be different when you switch formats.
Humidity is how much water vapor is in the air. In drag racing, the air conditions can affect how the car performs, so track managers and racers pay attention to it.
They’re talking about a specific drag strip in western Colorado. They explain where it is and what makes it tricky to race there, like weather and track conditions.
“Dusting of the track” refers to loose debris or dust on the racing surface that can change traction and consistency. When the track goes from “black to brown,” grip can drop and the racing line may become less predictable, so crews may need to re-prep the surface quickly.
Wind can blow dust onto the racing surface. If that happens, the track becomes less grippy, so they’re basically saying they’d like something to block the wind.
The speaker mentions “Bristol” as a familiar racing track people associate with a certain vibe. They’re using it as a comparison to explain how scenic their current track is.
A “racecation” is basically a racing weekend that also feels like a vacation. It’s when people go for the track events, but the location and views are a big part of the experience.
Topic
quick 16 program
A “quick 16” is a drag-racing event format where 16 cars start, and they race each other in rounds until there’s a winner. It’s called “quick” because the schedule is designed to move through the bracket fast.
“Top Comp” is a drag-racing category/format where cars are grouped to race fairly against similar competition. The key point in the quote is that their event runs in a way that includes both regular “door cars” and dragsters.
Term
sportsmen
“Sportsmen” is a mid-level class in drag racing. It’s usually for competitors who aren’t in the top pro ranks. The rules and payouts are often different from the highest classes.
A “junior program” is racing for younger drivers. The track groups kids by age and often runs their sessions separately. That helps with safety and makes it easier to manage the schedule.
“No prep” means the track isn’t cleaned and conditioned for perfect grip. That makes launches harder because the surface can be slick or uneven. Drivers have to be more careful with tires and how they launch.
A “flashlight start” is a way to start the race using a light signal instead of the usual electronic lights. It can feel more like a street event, and you still have to time your launch carefully. The exact cue can vary by event.
Concept
sand trap
A “sand trap” is a safety zone designed to stop a car if it goes too far. It uses sand to absorb energy and slow the vehicle down. It’s there to reduce the risk of crashes.
Term
NHA track
The speaker is saying the event still has serious safety features like you’d expect at major drag-racing venues. They’re contrasting that with the more “street” style of the race start and track prep. The name in the transcript sounds like it could be “NHRA.”
Concept
time runs
“Time runs” refers to timed passes used to establish performance and/or qualifying information. In bracket racing, time runs help racers understand how their car is performing so they can choose a dial-in and improve consistency.
“Test and tune” is an open practice session at a drag strip where racers make runs to dial in their car (tire pressure, launch RPM, gearing, tune) before competition. It’s especially important on “no prep” surfaces where traction can vary.
A “main event” is the primary competition race of the day, usually with the biggest payouts and most structured bracket/ladder format. The hosts mention multiple main events across Saturday and Sunday, indicating separate competitive rounds.
Concept
one time run
A “time run” after a main event suggests a single additional timed pass for racers to re-check performance and adjust their strategy. On inconsistent surfaces, even one extra run can help tighten dial-ins and improve reaction/launch.
Bracket racing is a drag race where everyone is trying to hit a specific target time, not just go as fast as possible. If you’re closer to your target than the other car, you win. That’s why racers talk so much about consistency and setup.
A delay box is a gadget drag racers use to control exactly when the car starts its launch sequence. The goal is to make launches more consistent so you don’t spin the tires or launch too early/late. In bracket racing, that consistency can help you dial in your run.
“Doubles” here means an event format where you can run two entries (or two runs) in a way that’s different from the usual single-entry setup. The speaker is saying the event currently restricts doubles in the same class, but might allow it later. That changes how people decide whether to enter now or wait.
Term
singles
“Singles” means the event is set up for one entry per competitor/class, instead of the more complicated “doubles” format. The organizers want to see if enough people sign up before they change the format. It’s basically about how the event fills and how rounds get scheduled.
Concept
bracket fest
“Bracket” racing is a type of drag race where each car has a target time, and the goal is to run close to it. “Bracket fest” likely means the event is organized around that kind of head-to-head racing.
Concept
pre-inter style
It sounds like they’re using a setup where people sign up or get in ahead of time. That way the event doesn’t get so crowded that there’s nowhere to park or too many cars show up at once.
This highlights a practical operational risk for race events: overflow parking can spill onto nearby private property. That can create conflicts with neighbors and force organizers to restrict entries or gate access.
They’re talking about what track life is like for the people who run it. It’s not just racing—it’s also long work hours and helping younger drivers grow.
They’re talking about how racers start young and then level up as they gain experience. The track operator likes seeing kids grow into more serious competitors.
Concept
division seven
“Division seven” likely means a specific group/class of racers. It helps match drivers with similar experience so races are safer and more fair.
Concept
back-to-back weekends in the tower
The “tower” is like the control/announcing area where you see the race from above. Spending two weekends in a row helps you understand how your role changes what happens on race day.
The “pits” are the service and team area where cars are prepared, repaired, and adjusted during an event. It’s where crews work and where spectators often see the cars up close.
An “oil down” means someone spilled oil on the track. Oil makes the surface slick, so tires don’t grip as well and it can be really risky until it’s cleaned up.
“Sanctions” are the official rules and approvals that let a racing event happen. They’re the organizations that make sure events follow safety and competition guidelines.
Topic
10 grander
A “10 grander” sounds like a big-money race—something where the prize is around ten thousand dollars. Bigger payouts usually mean more pressure and more intense racing.
Topic
arm our man
This sounds like the name of a track or event where they race. The transcript is a bit unclear on the exact wording, so it’s hard to pin down which place they mean.
Topic
Summer send off
“Summer send off” sounds like a named event—basically a race weekend or season finale. These kinds of events can be important because they often mark the end of a series or a change in the schedule.
Kenny Bernstein is a well-known drag racing driver, especially associated with Top Fuel drag racing and the “King of Beers” persona. His presence at a track is a big deal for fans because it connects local events to major national drag racing history.
Staging procedures are how the driver lines up the car at the start and gets it ready to go. Doing it consistently helps the launch be more predictable and avoids mistakes.
A shot clock in drag racing is a countdown timer that limits how long teams can take during pre-stage/stage and other setup steps. It’s used to keep the event moving and reduce delays caused by long procedures.
A staging tool is basically a way to help cars line up and start at the same time. It makes the race fairer because the timing starts when everyone is properly positioned.
A staging battle is when two drivers try to outsmart each other right before the launch. Instead of just lining up and going, they play timing games to get an edge.
Term
wheel flicker
“Wheel flicker” is a driver technique used to influence traction and the car’s launch behavior, often by momentarily adjusting wheel/steering or load to get the car to respond the way the driver wants. The speaker is describing a period when this technique was especially effective or “prompt.”
Car
johnny easel chassis
A “chassis” is the drag car’s main frame. Saying it’s a “Johnny Easel chassis” means it’s a specific builder’s frame design, which can change how the car launches and hooks up.
On a drag strip, the timing lights (the “tree”) have a first step called pre-stage. You put the car there first so you can be ready to launch the moment the race starts.
The drag strip has lights that count down to the start. “Flickering the bulb” means you intentionally trigger the staging light in a quick way so you’re ready to launch at the right moment.
Concept
drag racing fling
“The fling” appears to be a specific drag-racing event where the speaker got caught waiting to stage. Event context matters in drag racing because track conditions (like rain, late-night timing, and prep quality) can change how drivers stage and launch.
A trans brake is a drag-racing trick that keeps the car from moving while you’re building power. Then when you release it, the car launches hard and consistently.
A burnout contest is when drivers try to make the biggest, smokiest burnout on purpose. The goal is to heat up the tires and show off how well they can control the car while spinning the wheels.
LIVE
You got to you got to do that you got to just put the stank face on
I think I'm gonna get some implants. Maybe you do some silver teeth or gold. Oh, you're gonna get a grill. Yeah
I like it man. Well, you just sold that dragster. So I know you got the coin for it. Whatever. I'm still broke
You're I'm forever in debt
Same brother. I'm in the same club, man
Same club. How you doing boss?
It's uh, it's been a good day today
I'm pretty jazzed about the episode today
got Chris Northrop on but uh
Yeah, just a great Monday so far and what what better month what way what better way to end a Monday than talking a little racing
I can dig it man. I'm uh, I'm still a little nasal. I'm on week three of whatever
Whatever it is that I got man. It's serious
But I got a little sun this weekend trying to just get out stay active
I've been keeping man. I got told you I got the pool dialed in a couple weeks ago
It's still been a little cold, but I've been keeping it fresh vacuuming it every couple days
And uh, I can see it out the window right here. It's calling to me. So summer's coming trying to get better
I got to hop on a plane a week from tomorrow and head out for the tb twin fifties
and be on the mic for like four or five days so
I don't know man. Something better turn around quick. I'm gonna go get some steroids get a steroid shot
And see if uh, see if that can jump start things because uh, it's just lingering
Got it. Gotta kick it. I've heard uh, ryan heart talk about the
Lemon juice or one lemon juice trick. So yeah, yeah, you can make juice or just suck on lemon wedges and stuff. Um
Yeah, it works man
This guy said it must be in oregon because he got home from olala and he feels like
Crap so
Yeah, brother. I had like I got 22 staff that worked for me and four of them called in sick this morning
One of them got the shingles
And the rest of them all got whatever I got. It's it's bad around here, man
My goodness. Well, hopefully you can take it
Um, we'll get we got we got some good apparel on the show today. Let's see this
And the racing
Got that thea bold motorsports right there. We got that western colorado drag
Well, you know how to represent for our man funny car
In the house today. Uh, my favorite hat right now, man. It's just it's got the tall crown
You know, like like semi flat bill just a little
Just a little curve on it, man. It's just right so shout out to shout out to chris for the threads
Oh, yeah, speaking of apparel
We got some new thea bold motorsports hats in the house and uh, I'm gonna do a little giveaway today. Let's uh
Let's see who shares the show
Um out of the shares, I'll I'll pick a lucky winner and I'll send you a share like and share
Motorsports hat. So click that share button
Get it out there to all the friends and family and hopefully they tune in catch a little more
Then you went with the five panel too. So it's just that one solid front panel. It gets that nice point
On the crown, man. It's solid. Look at this. Oh, it's got the fence. Whoo.
We
And not your typical snapback. Look look at this. It's like
Not even velcro. I don't there we go
It's like fancy velcro
Big ballon just flexing on them all day today. Jesus
But uh shout out to the floras family in california nasty graphics. They did all the embroidery
So hit them up if you need some hats or anything embroidered
I can dig it. Um, not a lot of west coast stuff going on. I did make my way up to woodburn, uh this weekend
Um, it was supposed to be their second summit points race of the year, but the first one got rained out. So really it was the first, uh,
roe de vegas man started, uh
Started this weekend up at woodburn his beautiful weekend up there. Um, got to call a couple rounds, but I was a little horse
Hung out with some buddies made the rounds and uh, nice to be at the track man smell a little racecast
You know smell a little burnt rubber
It was nice
Always good to get back to the track and for a bunch of people that's their first time to the track this year
And we're at the end of april. So
Is that typical or do you guys usually start earlier than that?
Oh, they start putting stuff on the schedule in march, but it's such a wild card, you know
Some years my very first year racing. I don't think I raced until like the 15th of july and I only missed one event
You know because it rained all spring long and then you know some years
You know, they're getting it in in march. Um, so just depends been decent. They've got a few events in um
So far a couple specialty races and some tests and tunes and stuff. So
Well, the racing is definitely not going to stop in the northwest this weekend in wedding
we got
um chat axers putting on a race
up there
It's uh, it's a three-day race, but uh, it's just a test and tune and a gambler's on friday night 2000 to win on friday night
um super pro we got
7000 to win on saturday and sunday and in pro we got 2500 to win saturday and sunday
And another pretty big deal. Uh, there's a $10,000 shoot up on saturday night
Based on a 64 car field. So pretty good little bracket race up there and in northern california
If you're closest is definitely something
I'd be looking into for sure
Yeah, man, um, I've been wanting to get down to redding for for quite a while now and um, it's a race that if my stuff was ready
I definitely would have
Considered getting down there. So I'm hoping to have a car that's put together over the winter
So that I can hit this early season stuff next year. I'd really like to get down to vegas and hit the fling
Um, and then you know hit some stuff like this. I know they just had one this past weekend. I think 5k to win
um
as well on both sides, so
Things are popping down at redding, man. We talked earlier, uh, you know in one of the early episodes
I wasn't sure what was going on down there. I know tony was having some
insurance, you know
Challenges and things like that, but it seems like they got all that worked out. I know they got the new surface down there
so
So good to see things popping off down to redding
Yeah, it's it's good to see that they
Did a lot of track improvements and not just the drag strip. That's a whole motor sports
Venue and big improvements around the whole facility. So
Awesome to see people putting money back in
Into the sport slash ports
That that we love to participate in
So yes, sir. I saw my man steve canton. He's the resident grounds keeper at woodburn. He went down there and uh
I think he just did some testing to him with his car
But he uh
Brought the paint can and all that stuff and painted up the starting line got it all fancied up for him
So they had fresh paint and everything looking looking sharp this weekend
Um
You guys about it. I know there was a points race up in walla walla. I saw a post on their
On their facebook
They normally ladder first round and they couldn't because the computer there's too many cars computer couldn't do it
So that was um, you know anytime you've got problems like that. That's a pretty good problem to have so
You know looking looking strong here early on up here in the northwest. So it's good to see
Everybody's itching to do a little racing
Yeah, man
um
NHRA stuff we didn't have a have a lot obviously out here, but the the big four wides
um
And uh, you know a little west coast west coast walley coming home with my man joey severance
520 at like two almost 280
In the final uh of top alcohol. So I think that was his 30th
uh national event win
Um and made a big move in the points
So that was cool to see joey. I know he's been you know bouncing back and forth with NHRA and IHRA and
He's had the car to win at every event that he's entered so far this year
um
Look at that 68 cars and super pro looking good
uh
And he just had bad luck blew a tranny lost a
Belt I think one round and he just had some bad luck on a and an otherwise pretty awesome car
But uh sealed the deal got it done
and um
Bringing the bringing the diamond walley back to to woodburn drag strip. So shout out to
Shout out to him. The only other thing that really caught my eye
Um, I follow pro stock bike just a little bit
Uh
And ryan ailer man flying ryan ailer who who he's always sporty and and you know
And scrappy, but he typically never on the top half of the sheet at least the last couple years he used to be
uh
Number two on the sheet man. And so um, that's unique for him even this year
So I don't know what's going on in the ailer camp, but they got that hot rod flying
Uh, didn't end up, you know making to the final or anything, but um
But kind of kind of interesting to watch the sheets and watch how everyone
Qualified and was doing out there. So
Hey, uh, what's the what's the kid's name clayton
Clayton Bowie
Yeah in the finals of pro
This week that that guy'll jump on any bike and you know, he'll raise sportsman sportsman motorcycle
Pro stock motorcycle. No matter if it's got two wheels. He's riding it and uh, he does a good job man
So, um, yeah, look out for look out for clayton howie
Um, you know shaking things up a bit
Perfect
Well without further ado, what do you say we bring our guest in?
Mr. Chris northrup jack of all trades master of none man. This guy can do it all
Let's do it everything from funny car to movie star
To track manager and big money bracket racer jet cars and you drove jet cars too, right? This guy's crazy. Let's do it
I've never driven a jet car. No, you couldn't pay me in
Oh, I would tell people if we should just tell people that that's what I would say
No, funny thought it was wild enough man jet cars. That's that's just crazy
I did drive a harsins car, right? Yeah. Yeah just for one year
Just a little step nothing crazy, you know
You slapped the wall one time in a funny car and andy schmollio's out funny car chris and it sticks, you know
That's funny man. Thanks for joining us chris. Good to see you man. Good to see you guys
Let's uh, let's jump right into the fun stuff. Uh, you did drive. I believe it was this funny car
Yep. Oh, yeah
Tell us tell us a little bit about how you got involved in a funny car and
How it was driving it so not a lot of us had much funny car experience
I don't know. It's just kind of you know kids dream, right? And uh, we're family friends with dale and uh,
You know back in boise we had a towing company. So we did a lot of work for
Dale and and some of his friends and whatnot and and one day he came into the shop and you know, I bugged him for a few years
Hey, dale, if you ever need a driver, you know, hit me up, man. I'll do burnouts in your shit. You know, let's have a good time
and
One day it comes into the office. He goes, hey, you know, my driver's out, you know
Would you like to drive the car? And I you know kind of looked at him kind of crazy. I'm like, are you serious?
It's like hell. Yeah, I want to drive the car. You know, so I think we uh
I think we oiled it down and burnouts more than we made full passes, but
shit is hell of a time
And uh, the biggest thing about it is built in the 70s. So I didn't have any warning lights. No nothing
I didn't even have a tack. There was nothing in the car. He's like, well, just shift it when you you know, it feels right and you
You know, it was winding up and she's like, wow, this is crazy. You know
He's like about thousand foot. Just ride your hand up the rail find the shoots. You know, I'm like, well, this all right
That's no joke, man. That car's been around a long time
I grew up at near firebird and I remember seeing you know, dale and my dad knew dale pretty well
and and they'd work on his you know, semis and stuff sometimes and
And uh, yeah, that that car had been around a long time
Um, it's funny you and I talked a few months ago
Like kind of grew up near and around each other and didn't realize it. Um hanging hanging in a lot of the same circles
Hanging out a lot of the same parties. Um
And just not realizing who each other were when we were kids and and um, you know
A lot of people have gotten to know you out at firebird
Anybody who didn't get to know you there might have got to know you uh on on getaway drivers. So talk a little bit about, um
You know, what that was like going from kind of just local local race guy that folks know to
To being on a on a tv show, man. What was that thing all about? Well, I'll tell you our biggest fan base was in eastern asia
So we didn't have a lot of american fans, but man, we were killing it overseas
No, it was a good time. I mean, I I really thought going into a show like that like
You know filming everything and being nervous like I I
I struggle with public speaking, which is kind of weird to say being in the position that I'm in, you know, like
You know, you give me at the banquet at firebird, man, and I'm gonna chop up all my words
But for some reason like on care. It was just a good time. It was fun, you know
um, the biggest the biggest
I guess fun thing for being on a show like that is being like an actual car person like we are right
And then you have these hosts that are fake car people or you know famous influencers, whatever, right?
So we're going to film like the first scene and I break out a character because they stall the Mustang
As they're driving it in trying to be all badass, you know, so I don't know. It was a good time
It wasn't as serious as you really would think it would be, you know
I don't know
But it ended up being an important thing for you, right because that set up kind of your your
Next big move right with with gleason
Somewhat I mean, we all me and my family kind of had dreams to
one day, you know
retire have our own track type of deal, right? Um, because we had the trucking company we were
constantly working hauling cars cross country, whatever
um, so
I mean after that it put me in a position to where I could do it with them, you know what I mean
Because definitely couldn't do it on my own
But yeah, no, I took everything from that show
Just happened to be about
The year before, you know that it happened and so we decided, you know, why not?
my dad was getting a little older and tired of working and
Decided he wanted to retire and work even more because running a racetrack is not less work
I mean gosh, this is ten times more work than we've ever done before but you know, it's it's
I don't know. It's worth it in the end. It's it's cool. Uh, but yeah, no that show definitely set me up for
Being in the operation world of racing, you know, uh before that I would have probably never
Said hey, yeah, you know, I'm gonna manage the track one day. You'd look at me like are you kidding me?
This kid right here
There you go
Got the scotty cannons on man
Oh, yeah, there you go. Someone who knows someone knows his history right there every year
We went through Denver for nationals and uh, I had cut my hair into a mohawk and whatever color car my was
You know, whatever color my car was that year. We'd dye my hair, you know
So one year we had a red white and blue car had red white and blue mohawk that year's orange
You know, just kind of a theme thing we tried to do every year. It was fun
I like it man
um
Sorry park. I just keep jumping in because he keeps giving me segue
So you you get in with your family you guys make the move
To gleason talk a little bit about how you guys mean you jumped in both feet
Um, I don't know how much revitalizing that track or the programs that it was running needed, but um,
But whatever it was you either maintained or took it to a to a pretty high level
I mean, I'd never heard a gleason raceway park a day in my life
And it was like almost instantaneous that from the time you guys started running it starts popping up
I start hearing about it. There's races and and and people are loving it
So, you know, what was that like you guys jump in all feet first as a family and turn it into what it became
Yeah, no, I mean it was it was really cool process, you know to get to see
I mean literally from ground up what goes into making the sport possible
You know and as a kid who grew up in the sport taking a lot for granted
I mean like most of us do when we go racing, you know, I didn't give a shit what anybody did before I got there
You know, I was just here to do what I wanted to do but
You know to get to do it from the ground up was
I mean it was cool the track there shut down in 2008
So it had been sitting since
It what we took it over what to 2020 we bought it got there
And really I think we opened first year in 21 late later in 21. Um, but
I mean shoot we put so much into that place
the shutdown when we got there was uh
You didn't want to drive a dragster at that track, you know, it was known as a door card track
You know, you're like if you have a dragster, it's not going to go well
Um, it's you're going to bounce all over the place. Maybe crash not make that turn, you know type of sketchiness
It's almost like a sketchy as music city, but we didn't have a drop-off at the end
So you just weren't going to die you'd go into the cornfield, you know, maybe hit a tree
But you're not going to go up a 700 foot cliff
Uh
But we we ended up making the shutdown a little over 1600 feet
Smoothing it out, you know
Kind of just we we like to say that we want to make race and make sense
So we're just trying to make it make sense, you know for for nowadays racing like your average dragster goes 470 and that's a slow car
You know, they're like, oh man, you only go 470. It's like wow. Yeah, I guess
You know the average guy is going 440. So, you know 440 on a track shutting down early is tough, you know
But no me me and my dad and and my uncle we put a lot into that place and
No, it was a good learning curve for me really learned ins and outs of it, you know
I will say everything I know about prepping a track is due to western nickels
Not to me not due to me having a track, you know any question I've got on on a surface question
I just call west and then pick his brain, you know, it's kind of
Kind of nice having the guru in your in your pocket book or in your pocket
That's so much pocket book. He wishes he was in my pocket
He knows the thing or two about making a track good man. So that's uh, that's a good guy to have in your corner for sure
Yeah, no for sure. No, but uh, you know, they're still going to this day. My dad's still there running it
Um, shoot. They're still
having a good time our first our first year in
Operation there. We got to witness having our first world champion. So that was cool
Um, the second year we were there
We won team finals as the track
So it was you know, kind of neat to come in as you know, a brand new track and then all of a sudden kind of have some success as a whole, you know
so
Really really cool deal. We had a couple of big money races like like every east coast track does. I mean every mom
Pop track on a tuesday's racer for 5k back there. So
Now it was it was a good time
And what you guys signed on with ihra or were you a w d r a or both?
Um, when I was there, we were ihra. Um, and then I left in 24
And they went to w
d r a whatever that was
Which is now ihra again. So yeah, they're ihra track again, I guess nice nice
Part well, you're sitting in the tower of western colorado dragway
Um off the clock, but always on the clock if you know what it means. Yeah, but uh
You're now the track manager at western colorado
What is one of the most like diverse things between the the gleason
Racers and the western colorado racers
Uh safety
Yeah, I just gonna see they can see that it's in colorado tech tech inspection
End date helmets and belts. No, I don't I'm just kidding. Uh, but I mean, I'm not kidding, but I
No, I mean quarter mile
Shoot, um coming from my eighth mile track to a quarter mile track the first couple months prepping the track was driving me insane
I'm like, man, this is taking forever. I gotta go so far. You know
No, it's uh level the work
The the you know, we're in the desert out here. So there's no humidity where there's tons of humidity there
So perhaps just a little different on what you need to do and um
I mean nothing crazy different, you know, everybody's still the same across the board you get down to it
We all love the sport
Whether we have a little accent or we can you know, enunciate and pronounce every word that you say
You know either way, you know, it's a little jab at the east coasters
We've had so much of that lately, man, we gotta keep it we gotta keep it cool, man
There's so much drama. Hey, if you don't have a little fun, what's you know, couldn't wouldn't be america, right?
Well, for those that don't know tell tell um, tell us where western colorado dragway is maybe a little history on the track
How do you get there?
Close to the airport things like that. We are close to the utah border
In colorado, so we're right on the western side of the western slope. They call it
Being a boise person we're 500 miles from boise or 500 miles from vegas
Um
Kind of right off the highway the easy place to get to you know, um
Grand Junction. Yeah, Grand Junction, colorado is is the town. Um
I don't know. It's very windy and very dry here
I uh, I I pulled it up on the google maps a few times and
Say you're in the desert boy. You're in the desert. Oh, yeah
Yeah, our biggest thing that will shut us down is we get a dust
You know dusting of the track and you say dusting of the track and you're like
Yeah, the track just went from black to brown
So you got that like you got that reddish brown
Stuff down there where you're oh, yeah, and so you got to go reprep the whole thing real quick and good to go
But yeah, we need to build a huge wall just for wind, you know
Just to keep the wind off the track. Yep
One of my favorite things about that track is it's on top of a plateau. Yeah
Like you look around and you see it's just
Everywhere you look is just beautiful to look at and uh, a couple of times I've been there and it's rain and it
Makes everything just look
Amazing, so just blossoms. Yeah, it is one of those tracks where
You think of Bristol and you think wow, that's pretty between the mountains and on this but this one you got
360 degree view of just
Beautifulness, I don't
We've got three different mountain ranges that surround us that you can look at plus we overlook the whole city at Grand Junction
So every night, you know when the when the sun goes down you just have a whole city view
It's a it's a pretty neat place, you know trying to tell people it's more of a racecation, you know
Because like our big races, we're a small facility so we can only fit, you know x amount of racers
So it's it's capped car count, you know, so it's a controlled race
It's usually a you know done at a decent time. What not and
But but yeah more of a racecation style because of the views and stuff, you know
And every time I think of that I think of what Luke Bugaki used to say and he's like, you know
You know every time you go to a new place and just look up and take it in for a minute because you might not be here again
You know, um, you know, he was talking about Vegas, which Vegas is such a cool view when you're racing there too
You know what I mean and you know being from wherever you are in the country, you know, it's it's pretty neat
but
I want to get there man. Tell us a little bit about the the program you guys run there
What's your you know kind of weekly program look like? What are some of your major events?
So we have a regular quick 16 program so
Uh fascist 16, you know super stroke super pro style top dragster top sportsman
I would say it's more top comp style because it's all run, you know, whether you're a door car or a dragster
That's right. I'm Troy's Ellie's top. We like we like top comp around here, buddy
It's it's it's a cool deal. Um, I wish we had something like the uh, the series that d6 has. What was that?
What did that used to be called?
Super quick
Yeah, so we kind of do a super quick series style race
Um, there's six of them on the schedule for those guys. Um, otherwise we have 10 points races. Uh, super pro pro
Sorry, um, my super pro is on the eighth mile. Everything else is quarter mile
Um, depending on wind
You know for the day, uh
But we have a dot class like your entry level
Street cars whatever can enter that, you know, they don't get paid as much as the sportsmen guys and then there's sportsmen sled bike
Um pro we have the junior program with three different age categories
um
Usually the juniors run separate from the
Rest of the program, you know, depending on whether unless we're early or late in the season where we only have a
Eight hour window of good weather, you know what I mean?
Um, just kind of makes it easier to separate the two a little safer and whatnot with the facility being so small
Um, but you know pretty normal
Uh program, I guess I would say I did start a new program this year
We're doing like a no prep street race. So flashlight start backside
Everything, um, this track's so long. We're still able to race towards the sand trap
um, all the you know, so still
You know all the safety amenities of of an nha track, but the true street race feel flashlight start
You know backside no prep. It's all bare, you know, we're doing three of those a year
Um, the first one pretty cool pretty good turnout. I think I think it's gonna be a good thing for this place
Have you already had one of those this year then? Yeah, we did. Those are our first race that we did
Yeah, a bracket racer trying to put on a no prep flashlight start race. Yeah, so I'm like, oh, yeah, okay
I guess these guys don't like time runs. We'll change that for next time my bad guys
You don't gotta worry man. They don't know about rules and how it's supposed to go. Anyway, you know
You just provide the forum. What's your uh, what's your marquee event like or events?
You got a couple big ones that you do each year?
Yeah, so our one that we're known for is the shootout is what it's called. Um, that's been going since I believe
Like 2016 is when they started that up here
So I can't take credit for anything any of any of that event. Um
We've kind of refined it a little bit, but it's a it's a two day
Main event with three races and then we have a shootout on Friday
And a test in tune. So if you wanted to race friday, it's a two grander on friday for top $1,000 to win for bottom
And then uh, the rest of the weekend, it's a five ten five
So on saturday, we'll run a $5,000 main event
In the day when that gets over you'll get one time run and then we'll do a $10,000 main event that night
And then sunday is a $5,000 main event and then send you home. Uh, so it's a it's a pretty fun event
Kind of jam packs a lot of racing
Into the minimal days and then you know, it's uh
May 22nd through 24th. So then you got the drive day on monday because of the holiday
Yeah
So it's it's a it's a fun deal
72 cars
Top bulb
48 cars bottom bulb and there are still entries available if anybody's you know interested you can buy
Those on the folk
um
But no, it should be a good time. He's allowed
We have not opened it up to doubles just yet
um, that may be opened up here in may soon, but
We're gonna try to see if it fills up and then uh, I guess what I meant by that was you could run the same car in pro
And in super pro. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I mean i'm a racer, right? So
I like to use common sense rules, right? So
Take your delay box out if you race it in pro
Put it, you know, like my car's built on a on a switch where you can
Unplug the delay box take it out racing pro plug a vacay and race in top fold
Um, you know, if you want to do that you can race both classes. That's no problem at all. Um, we just don't allow
Doubles in the same class yet
We we try to let it fill up on singles and
If for whatever reason it doesn't later on we'll uh, we'll open it up for doubles in in the same class, but
I don't think you'll have an issue filling it up
Especially once it gets a little closer to the to the end, but uh, man, i'm hoping not
And I think that's super cool, man
Like just um, I mean we open ours up to double the summer showdown
But we're trying to just push the count push the purse so that so that um, you know, we can race for bigger money and
And um, you know, you know how it is out on the west like bringing in a lot of cars is tough because people live far away, you know
And so if you can if you can swing it and and sell out a race like that single entry old school style
I know there's a lot of people who prefer it that way
And um, you know, if you've got the crowd that can support it and and fill it up single entry
I think that's pretty sweet, man
But we're we're also my my program is a common sense double program is if you want to double you got to be able to double
I'm not gonna wait for you. Yeah the thing right back in the lanes
I see it on the flyer. I think I gotta be the only car the only guy that's not presented by jna service
So I gotta get on the phone
Or something because I see jna, man. That's cool that they're supporting out there
They're they're so great to us. Um, you know, they're they're a local family here to the track
And yeah, they're they're the headliners of our track
So this is the shootout presented by jna service. And then we also have our other marquee event, which is late september
Um, and that's called the fall bracket fest kind of the same
Idea of what we do for the shootout just more of it, right?
So we do five races in three days with a shootout and test and tune on thursday
Um, and we have a little fun with it. So one of our shootouts door cars versus dragsters
So every single pair going down the track the whole race will be a door car versus a dragster
Um, it ends up coming out to a door car dragster final round kind of you know
Who's better door cars or the or the engines stand with wheels, you know what I mean? What's cooler, you know
We know the answer to that questions
Parker Parker even sold his Parker Parker got so sick of he sold his
Yeah, no, it's uh, that's because he became a real man. You got a door car started having fun
You know the all these people going keep dragsters. I'm telling them. I'm like man
You know
750 dragsters gonna feel like your 850 door car, but the 850 door car is more fun. It's cooler, you know
I don't want to hate too much because I like dragsters, too
I'd like to have one someday and if any of my buddies out there want to put me in the seat
Hey, dragsters are cool with me. I don't argue with dragsters. They're a great tool about a lot of success for the dragster, but
The argument still stands door cars are cooler. So if you have the option
You know
I asked tanner, uh, so he started driving the ta with me a little bit and uh
I asked him if he feels a little more masculine now that he's driving a door car
Now he's got out of that pink dragster, you know
Anywho, uh, so september you got another big race is this another pre-entry deal
Yeah, it'll be pre-inter just like this. We do all of our big races pre-inter style just because of the limited parking
Um, you know if we open the gates and somehow got 200 entries. I mean shoot promoter style
I would love it right it'd be really cool, but you'd be parking on my neighbor's property. So
Uh, I'm sure they might about be too mad, but then again, they might be so we we've limited to you know inside our
framerills
Speaking of the promoter side, um
What's your favorite part of of operating a racetrack?
Uh, let's see the the no sleep, um too many hours a week. Oh wait my favorite part, uh
No favorite, I don't know probably seeing the next generation move through the ranks and kind of grow up, you know
Because I mean that's that's where I started that's where you started, you know
I mean and and as a kid with those same dreams getting to see those same kids kind of
Grow up at the track and have fun. That's a huge reward to us
You know here
We try to make it a little fun for them like if it's hot out
We'll get free popsicles or whatever after their time runs or after first round that way we make sure to get to every kid
You know one one weekend me and uh when when division seven was here
We got them all crazy socks so every kid that came and got in the race, you know
Went home with the set of crazy socks or whatnot, you know just trying to make it fun. Um
I mean you you try to think of the place like you would as a kid like what would you like, you know
We all grew up doing this our whole lives. So we got a pretty good idea of what
We liked at whatever age that was, you know and whatever ranks of it that that it may have been
And so I don't know we're just we're just trying to make it better, you know
Oh, well, and it's um, you know, you can tell by the flyers
You've been you've been taking little pieces of of what you've learned from different tracks and different places
and and bringing along the stuff you like and leaving behind the things that you didn't like and
Um, you know, you talked a little bit about seeing it from the other side
Uh, I I firmly believe that every racer
Should go spend two back-to-back weekends in the tower
Um, I know that it changed my perspective immensely just on the announcing side
Just being in there and then now as I've entered into the promotional realm
Um, just
Man, you'll never hear me complain anymore because I've been in there, you know and
And you get enough people there and it doesn't matter what decision you make
There's certain people that you know aren't going to be happy with it and and and it sucks, right?
And and it kills you but but you've got to make decisions and
And you got to you got to try to please the most people and and and and not only like make people happy, right?
But but maintain your integrity of of yourself the facility the race the sport, etc
Um, I know one thing for me
The last two years both times like when we get to the day before the race. I'm like, I'm never doing it again
And you know because it takes all year just to plan one race. I can't imagine doing it every single weekend
but
On saturday when you're down in the winter circle sunday when you're down in the winter circle
And you see people are happy. They're walking around the pits, man
There's there's no feeling like that knowing that you were able to put on something
And you got 300 people out there running around having the time of their lives, man. There's nothing better
Yeah, no the coolest thing is to see someone post that they had a great time. You know what I mean?
That's the biggest win. That's that's what gives me butterflies. You know what I mean?
It's a very hard job to to want to come back for you know, because like you said every week's criticism
You know the biggest the biggest thing in our sport is the entitlement in our sport
And I can say that because I used to be the biggest culprit, you know me and you know my family
We were the you know, well, we can do it better. Well, whatever, you know, this is how it should have been
Whatever, you know, it wasn't so much our leisure like it is for me now. Now I go to the track. I'm like shoot, man
Oil down that sucks. I guess I'll go get some lunch
Yeah
Where before it used to make me mad or whatever and I'm like, well, this is what it is
You know, I I get what it takes to clean that up and you know, you know
I really feel for the track now or what not, you know, and
You know, it gives you a different perspective on the sport, you know
And there's always like that 10% that's always going to be mad
Then there's always that 10% that I think probably you and I fall into now that doesn't give a shit
I'm just going to have a good time no matter what happens this weekend
You know, a lot of people tell me they're like, Chris, you don't look at the weather forecast when you go racing
I'm like, no, dude. I'm going anyways. It doesn't matter. I'll sit in the rain with my friends if that's what it takes
I don't care. That's my vacation for the year. So, you know
where
that kind of leads me into into another question and uh
in this comes from
You've been on both sides of the racer and the promoter. Is there is there things that us racers can do better?
To help the tracks move along or help the sanctions move along or promoters move along
What can we do as racers to be better?
um
I don't know about so much to be better, but like
Like I said, you know with with what I said earlier the entitlement of the sport, you know, like, you know, everybody's
You know open to their own opinion. It's america. Do your thing, you know what I mean, but
Just kind of stay out of the way, you know
Don't so much cry to try to get into the program to
To give you two cents while it's going on, you know
I mean like if you really have some ideas that you want to throw at us
Hit us up a month before the race or something, you know, I mean if you're truly serious about wanting to
Change it or do something better of it, you know what I mean?
I don't know
That would that would help out a lot
You know chris, it's it's interesting too to play devil's advocate a little bit, right?
There's a balance you got a strike as an operator and as a promoter because
They are paying money, right and and you've advertised the product
And and you charge them money coming in the gate and and they spend a lot of money to have their equipment, right?
And it's not it's not completely unfair for the racers to have a certain level of expectation for the product
you know that you're going to deliver and and um
And you got to do your best to deliver it, right and and I think
I think um
Just racers knowing that even if a race
Or a or a track doesn't deliver
The product that they expected or or as was advertised
I would say there's very very few occasions that it's because they didn't try
right, it's like
Sometimes it just don't work out. Um, but but it's not for lack of trying and um, you know
Like I said, it's a it's a it's a delicate balance
You got to walk because these folks are investing money into their operations. They're paying through the gate
You told them they were going to get a certain thing
And and you got to do the best to deliver and and hopefully when when you're not able to
Right folks have enough um patience and and understanding to know that you're doing your best
And that's all you can do, you know at the end of the day and I think for the most part, right?
We talk about
There's certain people out there that are chirping but man for the most part everybody gets it
Oh, yeah, you know, it is a race and family and and and you know, you go to enough races
You see enough things and and you start to kind of know how it goes
Yeah, no, I mean that is the best thing about our sport is
The racing family aspect of it, you know, like I mean shoot me and parker been friends for years, you know
To mean from when we were teenage years, you know, even you know
Shoot parker's the first person I ever beat for a big check
You should let him tell you that story about him messing that run up
He's just happy because he whooped me in the final of a 10 grander
Yeah, uh whoop. Do you remember the numbers? I do it's man. You gave you gave that one to me
You just didn't want the money. I uh, I think I was three and you were I don't know
40 40
Three thou behind at the finish line. I'm 40
Drop like three thou at the finish line on some panic drop because I know I'm just screwed
Parkers over here eating me alive
Gives it back to me three 10 thou
Good old quarter mile west coast racing right there at the good old arm our man. I love that trick
That was that was the last year they had the uh
Summer send off the send off. Yeah, because they closed the next year
The did you break him off a knife a nice split at least you you give him a little something
Parker was headstrong. He wouldn't split much
So I did pretty good my favorite. Oh, you called you called flyer and then lost
He called just a thousand less than flyer and then they gave it back to me. He felt bad
Hey, it was bad. He's like man. I was uh, man. I was pretty tough in that in that, you know split there
I'll just give it to him
Man, if it were it's one of them ones if it works out you're you're just a badass, right?
Just an all star hero for life, but uh, if it don't work out you look like a real dummy
Well, what the funny thing about that is
The three rounds previous
I was 003. I think four rounds in a row
But what nobody knows is one run. I rip it 003 one run
I bump four times to be 003 the next run
I bump it two times to be 003 and then the final I don't I don't even remember
I I know I was just double three
Well, if it makes you feel any better
I was really good all day until the final and I appreciate being so fortunate to me
You were good enough in the final too. So that's all that takes man. That's all it takes
You you you talk about your your first big check you've cashed a few
What was the what was the most memorable? What's the one that sticks with you means the most to you?
Oh, I mean, I always love beating race kid. That's always a good time
Doesn't happen very often
No, I mean no, I mean not for many other people. I mean unless your name's
funny car chris
Time pulling up against my junk
Now he's he's a good dude
Um
Now, uh, most memorable is obviously my fling win
I won I got to win Friday night
In the wild one Friday night, and then I run it up Saturday night to none other than Sean Schaefer, but
That was my most memorable win because uh, you know, I got to be in the winter circle with Kyle
So that was that was pretty neat right there. Um
That'll stick with with me for a long time be probably probably one of my most
I mean probably the most special win I've ever had
You know, you always try to go get another fling win or whatever, but I think that one will probably always be the best
You'd have to win a pretty big one to top that for sure
Uh, you you mentioned kyle cyple and uh, we kind of have a tradition and it's not a
Like we forced it upon the show or anything, but do you have any
PG kyle cyple stories you could share?
Uh, um
So you can say now
There's a couple they're just not as fun as the non PG ones
um
no, uh one year we're in Tucson and
We're all playing bags at the uh, like the racer appreciation party because
Borsight for the rent out this pretty cool bar
Not too far from the track. So we'd all travel over there and
I don't know. It was a pretty wild night. There was like two fights that went on and all of a sudden, you know
Like we're all chilling outside playing bags and me and race kid are shooting and I'm not that good at cornhole
But race was lights out, you know, so we're playing someone from texas or new mexico
We don't remember but they were you know, big money, whatever they're late. Let's play a hundred dollars a game
Whatever so kyle starts throwing money and he's like, oh dude, I got you and race keeps winning
So we just keep taking their money and kyle keeps throwing it in and shoot
I think we made kyle like 500 bucks that night. It was a good time
They they gave us a ride to the to the track and everything now
It was a good time and no because because that ride back to the track was worth more than anything because I mean shoot
We got kyle's cycle and peter beyondo giving me and race a ride for
You know 30 minutes or whatever just shooting the shit like
Yeah, man
That's some of the coolest shit you could ever be a part of right there
It's just getting to listen to those two and and their stories, you know, like
Those are two of the legends, you know what I mean? Like that's like sitting there with john force, you know what I mean and
Which on that i'm gonna same note a cool thing about western colorado dragway is local to our track is none other than
Kenny Bernstein king of beers. That's right
So if you come out here on a friday night, you just may run into Kenny Bernstein
nice nice
I think you need to get your old man talked into a Kenny Bernstein
Exhibition race
In in tennessee. Oh, yeah
Never happened
Um, we got a world champ in the chat, uh, and and I want to I want to get he asked the question
Steve kelly's out there. Um
He's talking about speeding up the burnout and staging procedures
I know when towards the tail end of of final call promotions hodge had introduced the the shot clock
Steve asked do you think there's such thing as too long of a procedure?
Uh from burnout and staging from a from a promoter standpoint. How do you feel about people who take their sweet ass time?
I mean, I think it's all situational
You know, if we're dealing with weather or the tracks out of oil down or it's the fling and there's 700 cars here
You know, maybe not be a dickhead and stage your car. You know what I mean?
But I mean like like on the other aspect. I've been in that situation where we're going to have a little staging tool, you know
Um, and that's been around since the early days of the sport and I just feel like that's
Kind of a part of the sport and that's where the racer comes out in me in the promoter side
You know, like there's still some games in the sport that I don't think should be thrown away
You know, you still still want to have a little fun with it, but within reason, right? And that's why we have a starter that has
You know control over the situation, you know, if it's if it's
700 cars man, that starter better be walking his ass over to your window pointing you forward
And then starting some sort of clock, you know what I mean?
But if like our big race here if you want to you want to have a little staging tool when we have a controlled car count
Make a little fun if you want to you know, there's rules in place
There's the timing system with set rules and and times that are automated with auto start, you know
Everybody knows it and if you don't educate yourself, you know what I mean?
I'm all about a stage in battle man
I don't care if it's for a million dollars or if it's first round of time hits
If people want to if people want to have a staging tool, man
I'm I'm for it as long as people get in the pre-stage. I don't care how long the rest of it takes in and I love it
So I know, you know, you mentioned Luke earlier. I've been a member of elite forever
And he's he's not one for staging battles and starting line games
And and he's pretty vocal about it, but I'm someone who's like I'm just like praying for a staging battle
I mean if they did it every pair. I don't care. I love it man
Yeah, I mean I dig it too. I've been a part of it, you know
Me and Gabe Torres had a long one before we staged and whatever round it was that I beat him in the fling
The night I won but like, you know, it's just it's a good time. But like I said, it should be situational, you know, you should be
Respectful enough of the sport and your competitor to and especially the program like be respectful of
whatever program you're at in the situation like if you can do it do it if it's
Been raining and we're behind and it's 2 a.m. Like, all right, come on, dude
Get on with it. You know, there's no respect for us your way at that point
There was a short time where I'd say, you know, when when the when the wheel flicker
Was was really prompt like there was a stretch of time where it was it was getting a little ridiculous
Because you had nothing but you watch any race and all you saw was this
You know every pair everybody mess with each other trying to lock each other in and stuff
One of the most fun dragsters I've ever driven was a johnny easel chassis
Because the dude builds them to do that, man
I stayed in at the million back east and you could shallow stage to the pre-stage and flicker the bulb
I was like, this is the coolest thing ever
Half the cars you drive you really have to work at it, you know, but I was like, man, this is easy. This is cool
Well, I made sense of why I only had 1070 in the box in a 470 dragster, but that's funny
Well, johnny was the kind of the master of that, you know, I mean he that was kind of that was kind of his deal still is
And now, you know, maybe people aren't doing the wheel thing as much but
But flickering the bulb is like, I mean, that's the thing now if you ain't flickering the bulb, you ain't doing it right
Hey, my favorite thing to see is is someone play the games and then get caught in their own game
So, you know, the games are only so good until you can't do them anymore
I got caught this year at the fling waiting and waiting and waiting to stage and then I let go 50
You know, I'm like, well, man, I used to be better than this
Yeah, I got got it. I got got at the east first west thing
I uh, I attempted the wheel turn and bumped the trans brake with the
With the enhancer
I rolled the beams
Got I got myself, but
It's funny we've talked staging duels and and that
But how about for you two promoters?
When are we going to get some burnout contests involved again?
Burnout contests are the greatest thing in drag racing. We need more of them
People want to do it, man. I like I'm all for fun stuff, man
We tried to give away some prizes last year at the showdown based on
Best first round or second round burnouts and shout out to jake swagger because he was game and he's got like a pro
Mod anyway, so you got to do big smoky burnouts
Anyway, but I you know, that's one difference between east and west coast, right?
The I'd go to Luke's doorcar race and they'll line up for the burnout and the wheelie contest like ready to
Ready to total that thing like they don't care
full loose
50 pounds in the trunk. Let's go
And out here, man
People don't people don't want to do it. Uh, well, I mean hold hold your tongue a little bit
Maybe you people just don't come to Idaho very much
That's the one place man. The air show Halloween classic, man. Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, I tell you those Idaho races
I've taken Idaho racer against the world. I mean, obviously, you know, Sean Schaefer
Steve stewart steve stewart plans on caving in his transmission
Is a legend every october. I love that guy steve steve is the best him and his family lauren. They're great people, man
He's ready to total that thing every halloween, man
How about a legend there at firebird because of it? Oh, yeah, he last two two years ago when I went out there
He's like, ah, I'm not
Not this time not this time
Yeah, he just does that for dramatic
Two hours later. He's on one tire dragging the corner of the bumper heading over the center line into the other lane
You know sparks everywhere taking chunks out of the track is the best man
Oh, yeah, I'm a firm believer that Idaho
Uh, breeds wheel standards because the one and the only ed the outlaw jones home track is
Oh, yeah
Well, yeah, man fun fact ed jones home track was pocatello, Idaho ed jones used to own a track for a good 20 years plus
I think
Um, it was down in pocatello
So ed jones one of the og track promoters of Idaho
I think there's still I don't know if it runs, but I think there's still like a really nice track out in eastern Idaho
Some there's one. I think it's called sage in Idaho balls. Yeah
Yeah, it's a nice little spar from a little little away from pocatello, but yeah, that's a nice spot. I've got one over there
Uh, I've got pictures of ed out at firebird in the in the stagecoach before he had any sponsors
It was just red. No jolly rancher. No jelly belly. No nothing. You're real old then
Oh, yeah, but I mean I got old old pictures of hemi under glass out there from the 60s
Um old back when it was the night fire 500
Which was only for two years. I think I mean, I wasn't even alive then but my dad was out there every weekend
Um, and yeah, I got some really cool pictures of ed
You know having that stage coach stood up back when he was just doing it himself
No sponsors. There's just a red stage coach, man
Ed was a legend to me, you know me and my family were more of a low budget team
But we always were out there every weekend doing what we could and
Sure, every time ed was out there. I'd be bugging him to let me steer the car to the lane
So, you know every time that he did come out and he didn't have help with them
I'd put on a shirt and I'd get to steer it down until I became too fat to fit through the stagecoach window
And that's kind of what ended my steering for ed jones career, you know
We were lucky coming where we came from, you know, you talk about ed jones mutual childhood heroes of ours
Dale was one of my heroes, man
I remember the woolly bully car and Idaho thunder
Well, the woolly bully car was the same car that I drove. Yeah
And, you know, I got I've got an old cloth diaper that don garlitz signed
I was a baby. It's the only thing I had on I was naked except for cloth diaper
So he signed my cloth diaper john force signed it, you know, john force used to come to firebird raceway don garlitz used to come to firebird raceway
Roland leong used to come to firebird raceway, you know, it's uh
Such a such a historic and special place for for so many of us and and feel
Super super fortunate to have even just been a fan there would have been even cooler to have been a racer all those years but
What a what a special place for us from from going anywhere in the country and even running tracks myself. I still tell people
Firebird's the coolest track in the country
Yeah, man
It's the most fun you can have, you know
The amenities the food the bathrooms the pits the the lanes in front of the stands the track
I mean, it's all topped here
Like it's it really is, you know
They they do a good job and you know, like you said earlier, you know, where I try to take ideas from successful tracks
That's just like any good company, you know
Look around yourself and kind of do what works and get rid of the weird stuff and make it make sense
You know, that's I say that too many times, but
Come in
That's that's what it's all about
Well, Chris, we're sneaking up on that one hour mark. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about anybody you'd like to thank?
and
We'll close the show out
Uh, yeah, um a shoot. I gotta thank the kid family for keeping me racing still to this day kid performers the dyno
um
I gotta thank weston nickles again for helping me on everything track prep wise, you know
All the volunteers that help out here at western colorado dragway
If you want to look at any more of our info, you can find us on facebook instagram or website
Wcdra.com
You can find all of our info there or you can
Hit me up on on social media too and I can answer any questions you need
What whether that's really better one last question
Where will we find funding car chris racing next himself?
I'll be at the night fire nationals in boise
at at fire
What are you gonna be what are you gonna be racing? What are you driving one of mark's cars?
No, no, I'm taking my car mark mark got me hooked up. I got a 406, uh kid performance small block chevy
Uh, I've been I put it in my car last november took it to bagus a couple times and
Go ride it ride it like 638 to 6 low 640s in the eighth
So I'll be taking that last year. I got to take uh
One of the legal addiction cars, which was pretty cool. I took dale's nova made it the furthest
I've ever made it right grew up at firebird racer every year religiously at night fire
And last year I made it to the semi-finals man. I thought it was my year until sean hart said no, it's not your year
So so I gotta go back, you know, we're gonna try again this year
But parker chris told me he's like, hey man come out. I'll put you in the ride. It's got a kid 406 and
You know second gen camaro. He's like, you know 640s and I'm like boy a second gen camaro that runs 640s is right up
I'm familiar with that game
because mine runs about the same it's a little heavier up front but
But that's super sick, man, and I've always wanted a kid motor someday. I might get me one
I talk to mark fairly often and and uh, you know, I I keep having to remind me how much
It would be if I got one and I keep checking the wall and just a little short
But one of these days I'm gonna get me one. Um, I got one final question
That maybe you can help me answer as a kid one of my favorite cars growing up. There was a I believe a 55 or 56
Chevy it was called classical gas. I think was the name
Of the car do you on the quarter panel? Do you remember?
You know whose car that was?
A 55 56 Chevy it said classical gas classical gas. I think on the rear quarter panel
Was what class did it run? Oh, it would have been a super pro car. I think
Not ringing bells
I do not know anybody in the chat if you know who has the classical gas car
The best bet would be like reach out to mark kid or or someone like that on that
He knows all the old cars, man. He knows all the especially if it was a 55 Chevy. That was his tea
And that's you know, he's yeah, I'll hit him up and ask him
I'll hit him up and ask him chris really appreciate you making some time for us, man
Uh, we had to bring the week
Before we finish one more. Thank you, uh, bandamere speedway. They've been great to us
Another good supporter larry chrisp. He helps me this way to get my glue
Fantastic people
Sorry, just want to throw that in there. No, no, man. You're good. Good. Thank you. Uh,
One of the reasons we had to get you on here is we we continue to claim
Chris witfield as a west coaster colorado guy himself
We had to bring you on kind of close the loop between colorado
In the west coast. So now it's official. We got you. We got witfield colorado is definitely
On the west coast. Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean shoot get the box and ring out east coast west coast
Let's go any day. That's right, man. I'm I'm hey. I'm putting in Sean
That's the the thing about it
You know, they they get all the accolades because they can race every weekend, you know
We got to travel a thousand miles to go whoop up on someone. So that's the only difference between east coast west coast
Yeah, man in good form. We all wish we had it that good
You know, you got which 10 grand are you gonna go to tonight because you got five of them within two hours and
You know, those guys, you know credit to the east coast if it wasn't for them
The sport probably wouldn't be where it's at today. They're they're
Keeping things alive as much or more than than anybody else because they turn a lot of laps out there
So I got no shade for the east coast man. Nothing but love me neither
I will say though
Just take take you a little bit of time go on vacation
And try to visit as many tracks as you can where you're there
And then come back and tell me the experience that you have at such facilities
some of them
Are just wild brother
I'm like, uh
First track I've ever rack raised at that was only prep to the 60 foot and then there was no tar no black after that
Just no prep. I'm like, well, this is cool. That guy's going 520s. I was like, well, here we go
That's what's cool out there, man. If they got 600 feet of pavement, they'll put they'll call it a drag strip, man
Oh, yeah, and I love that every county's got something and uh, and it's cool and it's always funny because people are like, oh, you're gonna
Come down to tucson or come this on my guys. I got to drive to vegas
Which is 14 hours and I got to drive nine more hours
You know, like it's just nothing's close around here and and it seems like it should be but
You know, you can drive 10 hours in oregon and still be in oregon
and
You know 10 hours on I used to work out on the east coast and live in mississippi
And it's like you drive 10 hours and hit six states and like stop a couple times
You know, so just a different ball game out out there
But uh, but pretty cool scene looking forward to getting out to st
Louis next week for the tb race and and kind of going on that run with those guys this year
Uh, gonna be a lot of fun
But chris really appreciate you brother appreciate what you're doing for the sport and and the racers of colorado
You're welcome on the show anytime and it's been good to to sit down and chat with you man. Really appreciate it
Thanks for having me guys. Thanks for not bringing up too many stories. I didn't have to
You know leave names out of or anything. I appreciate that. Yeah, I know man protect our own around here
Up next on bracket breakdown and after hours, we'll uh bring you back on
We'll wait till you're not on the show and you have to
After hours required a six pack or some shit
Yeah, we'll wait till you're not on here. You can't defend yourself
All right, we'll see you guys
There it is funny car chris man
We uh, we were pretty nice to him had a couple stories that I probably should have brought on but uh
We'll let him off easy this time
I like it man appreciate him coming on and you know cool to cool to follow his journey
You know from from a guy who just was turning lapses a local bracket racer
obviously from a fairly prominent racing family and
Has been able to parlay that into doing something that he loves, you know, I think we all
wish um at least at times uh that we could
Just make a living from doing this and then this could just be our life
And uh and you know shout out to chris and props to him for for figuring out how to make the right moves
Uh to be able to do that man something. I think we all
envy just just a little bit even though we all know the kind of work that's involved so
Good to good to chat with him man
Absolutely and and I couldn't have said that any better
um
Wanting drag racing to be my my life
um
I don't think that the track operation side is
Where I want to be so I'm super grateful for all those people who spend long hours
um from safety to promotion side and track operators and
and everything in between it's uh
Something that I think that I take for granted and I need to do a better job at at thinking those people
That do put in all their time and effort into this. Yeah, man. Come on
You know, you're almost insufferable with your entitlement and ungratefulness
I'm I'm one of those ones, huh? I'm just no I'm just
But you did sell the super comp car before I ever um
You know gotta got it on so I I was gonna say y'all the old motorsports hoodie
I it's available for like five bucks. I'll wash it and send it to you
I thought we were I got this and the t-shirt
I thought I meant I was on the team and then I see you know, I see the cars headed to jersey now
Um, so I mean, I don't know. I guess I'm going stock eliminator racing. So that's fine. I guess
Come rip the bottom. I'm not used to driving that slow
You're not you're not used to tracing box in my
Stock eliminator car. Yeah, you're yeah your box your box bracket card. No, I'm just I mean, I don't know
I'm not I'm not used to running 11's. I would have to bring a sandwich or something. I could eat on the way down the track
It's uh, I mean if you get that 17 second car in the lane next to you got 17 seconds of pure joy
That brings me up to another topic
The slower your car goes
The more you get to race
So this is true, man. It's yerry's just doing it right. He gets to race way more than all of us
No, no lucy has got to figure it out and you know, I saw I saw a meme today a similar one about golf where it's like
Why spend 100 and 100 bucks to go hit the ball 72 times when you can spend 100 bucks to go hit the ball 120 times
You know, that's why I never want to get good at golf because I get more for my money
I get to hit that thing more times than than the people that are good at it. So
Lot more golf to be played that's right
Well, it's good to see you brother. Um, oh, yeah, I will catch you next week
We'll talk and see what we can have in store for the folks. Appreciate everybody who joined us. Shout out to walt walker the most dependable
viewer of the most handsome podcast in all of drag racing
Don't forget redding riches this weekend. Um in redding, uh, please go if you're close. I know it's going to be a good race
Um chat axford always does a good job with promotion. Um, don't forget
Share the show like subscribe follow
And uh, one of you people who shares the show. I'll send this brand new hat. There it is
Catch you next week guys. We'll see it
About this episode
Chris Northrup’s path runs from local bracket racer and funny car driver to track manager at Western Colorado Dragway, with plenty of stories from Firebird, Getaway Drivers, and his family’s move into track ownership at Gleason. The conversation digs into track prep, race promotion, staging battles, burnout contests, and the realities of running events in the West. He also previews Western Colorado’s big-money shootout and fall bracket fest, while sharing memories of racing legends like Kyle Seipel, Kenny Bernstein, and Ed Jones.
This week's Bracket Breakdown guest, Christopher Northup, also known as Funny Car Chris, will be joining us this evening. As a multifaceted individual with experience as a movie star, track manager, high-stakes bracket racer, and professional part-time Funny Car driver, Chris will provide valuable insights into the sport.
