Indiana: Racing for New Experiences

You know those moments you wish you could talk cars with your dad? Yeah, me either. If you’re anything like me, cars is my weakest topic of conversation… But after this experience, I think I have a good enough sense of knowledge for (funny) cars. 

For labor day weekend, I did something I thought I’d never have the opportunity to do. But here I was at the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) race. The event was the 65th Annual Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals and if you want to go in depth to the weekend, click here. 

My family and I came to support JR Todd, a widely known and young racecar driver. He drives their funny car, which I didn’t believe that could be a thing either. TRUST ME. But he actually does a pretty great job at maneuvering it. 

DHL supports the journey as a whole, which is pretty cool. They’re the most international company in the world and if you can’t tell, both the funny car and drag racing cars are designed to fit the DHL design. If you don’t know what DHL is, click here for more info!

Here’s some behind the scenes: 

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We were recommended to buy earmuffs, which DEFINITELY came in handy. They adjust to your head size, silence the noise in the background and mess up your hair a little. I got the black ones to match my outfits but if you want to be a little more adventurous, they have various colors too.

BACK TO THE GOOD STUFF

We drove from Naperville to Indianapolis, took about three hours and a half ish (similar to a ride from Miami to Orlando). The weekend was Friday to Monday, long days of racing all day but SO cool. 

Catch us on the bleachers!

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Do you know the feeling when you’re driving over a deep hole in the floor or going down a hill and your tummy went up from your body for a milisecond? (I don’t know if I explained that properly but just imagine it). So that’s exactly what a moment on the ground, where the cars were, felt like. Everything in your body just shifts up and it’s just a sensation I can’t explain. 

More like a “you had to be there” moment. I would 10/10 recommend going to at least one drag race in your life. Watching it from your tv doesn’t give it justice. AT ALL. 

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Can you tell my face was hurting from smiling so much? This experience with my family, DHL, JR Todd, Bob (from Kalitta Motorsports) and everyone was AMAZING.

Racecar driving isn’t just a sport. It’s an experience. 

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Fun facts:

• Founded in 1951, the NHRA sets rules in drag racing and hosts events all through North America. 
• DID YOU KNOW? The NHRA is a non-profit organization.
• The term “Funny Car” originated in the 1960’s. It’s less than half as long as a Top Fuel dragster and definitely much more difficult to drive.
• JR Todd made history in 2018 as the first African-American driver to win the NHRA Funny Car Championship. Here’s his WHOLE story!

If you prefer looking at the professional shots, here ya go! These are only a few of my faves: 

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So honestly, the experience was so grand. I loved everything about it and it was just so exciting to take part in this. Thank you a million to my uncle, who brought us into this world of drag racing. 

A huge thanks to JR Todd, because I now have a newfound love for funny cars. Have you been to a race?