Still geeking out over clutch dust and blower pops after 25 years of watching NHRA

I’ve been an NHRA nut since I was 17, standing behind the chain-link at Gainesville with borrowed earplugs and zero clue what was about to happen. One throttle whack from a Funny Car later, my chest cavity was permanently rewired. Fast forward a couple decades, and yeah, I’m still that guy who will spend an hour explaining clutch dust or why the burnout matters more than half the casual fans realize. It’s not just “go fast, blow up.” It’s watching crews hustle in 35 minutes to rebuild a car you’d swear was dead — changing pistons, redoing the heads, packing fresh clutch discs, resetting the blower overdrive like it’s normal Tuesday shop work. I’ve stood at the ropes and heard the idle of a nitro car literally slap my pant legs. Seen old dudes take out their hearing aids on the starting line so they don’t fry them. Sure, it’s violent. But it’s also delicate. Watching a crew chief dial fuel by hundredths of a gallon, reading spark plugs like tarot cards. It’s art. If you know, you know. If you don’t… come stand with us at the 330 mark and let it hit you. You’ll get religion real quick. #NHRA #DragRacing #TopFuel #Parenting