DIALED IN: Huntsville Dragway's Jones Family Works Hard to Make Racing Fun|
Alabama's Huntsville Dragway is legendary for offering a jam-packed roster of events throughout any race flavour and 2015 has certainly been no exception. The NHRA sanctioned, eighth-mile facility located in the town of Harvest, most 20 minutes north of Huntsville, typically begins racing as early as February, with test-n-melody and grudge racing running wide open by March and continuing well into November.
Huntsville has even become a hot bed for big-money bracket races in recent history with several Saturday/Dominicus events paying $10K to win each day in the Pro course, as well equally $ii,500 awarded daily for the Footbrake category. Perhaps virtually surprising of all, withal, is Huntsville's payout to their youngsters racing in the Junior Dragster category, with a hefty purse of $1,000 up for grabs on Saturday as well as Sunday during the two-mean solar day big coin events held several times throughout the year.
"We completely guarantee our purses too, and so people can feel good nigh making the trip to race with us," says William "T.T." Jones, who along with married woman, Angelia, bought the lease to Huntsville Dragway five years ago. Jones has poured his middle and soul into operating the track where he grew up, as did their children. To the Jones family this drag strip represents so much more than than just another place to race; it'due south a family tradition that they take much pride in operating. "I've been racing for over 30 years and for me information technology all started right hither at Huntsville," he explains.
The Jones family is big into motorcycle racing, with practically every fellow member of the family—including Angelia—either riding or turning wrenches on a race bike at some time or other. "I finally had to remind Angelia that we've got five kids at present and she actually needed to hang up her helmet!" laughs T.T. Realizing it was sound advice, Angelia wholeheartedly agreed and now keeps busy by helping operate the family elevate strip.
When T.T. and Angelia bought the Huntsville lease in 2010, they had their piece of work cutting out for them with regards to improving every detail of the track. "Things had kinda' gone downhill here at Huntsville and nosotros're trying hard to bring it back and I tin can certainly say that we've been real encouraged by the progress thus far," T.T. says. Amidst the first projects tackled when the Jones's starting time took over were grinding and smoothing the runway, and lengthening the shutdown area. Currently, they're in the process of edifice new bathrooms. "We've used a whole lot of pigment, too," T.T. declares, laughing.
In add-on to the big-money bracket events, Huntsville Dragway likewise offers a regular points bracket series sponsored by local business, Huntsville Engines. Fans of Pro Modified racing have likewise been profoundly entertained this season past such events as Mike Loma'south Hitman Nationals, which included several other classes of contest, too. The Rocket City Nationals is another attraction that visited Huntsville this twelvemonth and offered Pro Modern, grudge, index classes and X275 throughout a three-solar day long event. The Rocket City Nationals typically is held 3 times a twelvemonth, but this year the first two events experienced rain, while the third was a huge success.
Among the well-nigh celebrated events that come to Huntsville, though, are the legendary Radial Fest gatherings each spring and fall. Huntsville has well-documented elevate radial roots that were instrumental in the launch of the ORSCA series in the mid-2000s, as well equally other facets of the small-tire movement, and crowds notwithstanding gather in masses for such events.
It also should come every bit no surprise that the Jones family schedules ane of the largest bicycle races in the country, known as Lucky vii-11 and typically on the last weekend of July at Huntsville, with attendance of upwardly to 15,000 people through the gate.
"At that place is so much going on here at Huntsville that I always tell people to keep checking our website for the latest news and events schedule," T.T. says, adding that his family is focused on constantly trying to ameliorate every aspect of their operation, while offering a quality bear witness for fans and participants across many levels of competition.
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