Windy Hollow Dragway doing well racing this season
Jun. 19—Windy Hollow Dragway has been doing well so far this spring/summer, the first in several years for official points racing for a division.
"This is the first time we're having bracket racing for quite sometime," said Blake Smith, the track announcer at Windy Hollow. The dragway hadn't been open for a full season since 2013.
There were an assortment of cars in different divisions making runs at the IHRA sanctioned Windy Hollow Dragway on a sun splashed Saturday which was very pleasant after the week of searing heat in the region.
That the dragway is going with bracket racing has made for quite a homecoming for Cody Field, who recently won the Joe's Transmission Super Pro division at the track. Field drives a 1978 Malibu.
"I've been driving myself for eight years, I've been involved in drag racing my entire life and I'm 27," Field said. "My granddad raced out here, I was stuck to his leg from the time I was old enough to come out here. I have been waiting and hoping and praying that this place would open again, because I grew up 10 minutes down the road, I grew up here and I never got to make a pass down this track before it closed because I didn't race myself yet. I caught wind of it opening up for a prep bracket program, so I'm going to run here for points this year."
Field has run into people that he knew as a youngster when he'd come to Windy Hollow with his grandfather, Bryan Hodges.
"Since the track opened back up, I have seen a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time," Field said. "It's cool seeing old friends that you haven't seen since you were a kid. Now I can be racing buddies with them too. One thing about this track, the whole scene here, the whole feel is different, everybody here is tight knit, everybody wants the best for everybody else out here. The friendships are awesome."
That sentiment was echoed by Wes Johnson, who was helping his son, Billy, with his Junior Dragster car.
"I can go 79 miles per hour," Billy said. "This is my first year."
The Johnson family lives in Philpot, and Wes has been involved with helping drag racers out for a lot of years.
"I've always been involved with some type of motor sports," Wes said. "Last year we started going to the drag races, he saw the junior dragsters and that was it. We're at 37 passes."
Wes and Billy are trying to help get others involved in the Junior Dragster division.
"When I was younger, a lot of people here at this track remember that there were a lot of them," Wes said of junior drag racing cars. "This is the best sport for sportsmanship, it becomes a family by the end of the year. You've been here every weekend. You're sharing sharing ideas, you're sharing setups. There's nobody that's not willing to help you. We've become friends with some of the big car racers, and they already know him because their kids are saying look at this guy, look at him racing."
Windy Hollow has been having "Friday Night Fun" where people can bring cars, trucks, SUVs, bikes, and ATVs and "take it from the street to the strip" to go racing down the 1/8 mile track. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and racing starts at 6:30. Entry to race is $20 and admission to watch is $10.
IHRA bracket racing has been the draw on Saturday with gates opening at 3 p.m., time trials from 4 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Classes include the Joe's Transmission Super Pro, Pro ET, Sportsman, Trophy, Jr. Dragster, and Motorcycle.
There will be a birthday bash at Windy Hollow Dragway on Saturday July 2 celebrating 64 years combined of Windy Hollow and an older drag race strip that was once in the Veach Road area.
Windy Hollow Speedway will return to racing on Sunday, June 26th. The Speedway was taking a break this Sunday for Father's Day.
