New Pro Door Class for Luskville Dragway (Does it have a hit on it’s hands?)
Having been around Drag Racing most of my life, the first 10 years as a driver and the last 30 years as the operator of Luskville Dragway, I have seen many changes in our sport……
Commentary by Arnie Malcolm
In most cases the changes or evolution of our sport have been good for the sport and its growth however, this has not always been the case as a few of the changes, even though at the time may have seemed to be good for the sport, have not played out that way as the years went by.
When I first went to a drag strip back in 1969 as a spectator many of the cars that where competing looked very much like what I would see on the street at the time, and I could sit there and really associate with what I was looking at on the track. Yes door cars where all you would see in most cases at a local drag strip. When a dragster first came to Luskville Dragway back in the early years it was something that stood out, as it most likely was the only one. As years went by and some 40 years later, dragsters are now not the odd man out, they have pretty much become the way of the sport as most super pro events at a local level have been taken over by rear engine dragsters. 
As this started to happen it was easy to see why, less expensive than a door car, easier to work on, easier to drive, easier to see out of and the list goes on. Add in the fact that the very successful Jr. Dragster program has obviously bread new drag racers and in most cases drag racers who move up to a dragster to compete in and you can see what has happened. So as more and more drag racers started to switch, more and more had to switch to keep up with the evolution of our sport and the ability to compete.
Well from a drag strip operators point of view I have never been sure this was good for our sport, as I still believe that Joe Fan can associate with door cars better than he can with dragster. Now don’t get me wrong and don’t think for a moment that I don’t believe we need dragsters, they are still very much a large part of drag racing and the spectacular show that it gives the fan. But dragsters don’t do burnouts like door cars, dragsters don’t leave the starting line with their wheels 3 feet in the air, many door cars do. So with more and more door car drivers switching to dragsters, I personally believed it was time we did something before the door car at a local race track would only be found in the sportsman, semi pro or street class’s.
So with that in mind we launched the new Door Pro class for 2011 and with it a call to the door car drivers to show that they support it. A class where all electronics are allowed, but a class where only door cars where welcomed to compete. We picked a day, posted a guaranteed purse, with incentives if we reached certain car counts, and we asked the door car drivers to send us their commitment to race at this first ever event.
Well the response has been overwhelming to say the least. Not only did we reach a car count that was beyond our wildest dreams but, as of this press release over 36 door cars have committed to take part in the first ever door pro race at Luskville Dragway. And with 36 cars committed we realize that there is the potential to hit 48 or more cars by the time May 28th rolls around. These numbers would make most small race tracks running regular events plenty happy if they had them for their entire super pro class, but we are talking Door Cars Only.
Yes the drivers who have door cars, and the drivers who want too see the door car live on in Super Pro racing have shown their support like nothing I have seen at a local level. Many race tracks like us have tried different classes to attract more cars, but I believe that many race tracks will look at the success of what is happening at Luskville Dragway and consider changes as well.
As a follow up to the tremendous support by the door car owners we have also agreed to run a split Super Pro Ladder on the Sunday following the Door Pro Saturday May 29th. The Left Steer cars will be put on one side of the ladder and the centre steer cars on the other side of the ladder until the money round where the ladder will be redrawn and everyone mixed. This too is a test to see if it is a more fair way of doing things, and a way of getting more and more cars to the race track, which puts on a better show for the fans. In my 30 years of doing this I have never seen such excitement and such commitment by teams and drivers to make a change which I believe will be good for our sport, good for the fan, and good for the race track.
Yes — I firmly believe that Luskville Dragway has a hit on its hand and with five races this season the door car drivers seem to believe it also – Arnie Malcolm
