Race fans trade high-speed thrills
with top NHRA drivers
From the Globe Sports Desk
Thirty-five lucky race fans not only got to mingle with top drivers from the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series this past Saturday, but they also supported a great cause at the 4th annual NHRATour de Charity at the Infineon Raceway Karting Center.
The event, which coupled race fans with top NHRA drivers for a day of karting on the threequarter mile, 16-turn kart course, raised $11,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. All proceeds will benefit needy youth organizations in Sonoma County. Approximately 200 people attended the event overall.
Star NHRA drivers Ron Capps (Brut Dodge Funny Car), Cory McClenathan (Carrier Boyz FRAM Boost Top Fuel Dragster) and Gary Scelzi (Mopar/Oakley Dodge Funny Car) swapped paint with the fans over the challenging road course. Capps took bragging rights among the NHRA drivers, turning the best lap over the circuit at 55.718 seconds. He was followed by McClenathan (56.112) and Scelzi (56.565). Capps has been dubbed King of the Track three of the event’s four years, with McClenathan taking the honor in 2004.
“I’ve come to this event three of the four years and it keeps getting better and better,” Capps said. “We’re supporting a great cause with Speedway Children’s Charities, but at the same time we got to kart all day and hang out with the fans. It’s been great.”
Race fan Ken Caplan has attended the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals for 10 straight years in Sonoma, but this was his first at the NHRATour de Charity. This year’s nationals take place July 28-30.
“This was a blast,” said Caplan, from San Jose. “I’m really into NHRAdrag racing and all forms of racing, so to meet these drivers and get a day of karting was more than I could have asked for. It’s really unbelievable just how nice the NHRAdrivers are in person. I’ll be back for this every year.”
The Jim Russell Racing Schools and Infinity Karting provided the karts, racesuits, classroom instruction and on-track pointers for all competitors. NHRA drivers were coupled with race fans during the day of racing, and they also signed autographs and donated memorabilia for a raffle.
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” said Scelzi, who has participated in every NHRATour de Charity since its inception in 2002. “It’s nice blasting around this course in these karts. It’s amazing just how much concentration it takes to get around this course. I know I’ll be back.”
“We couldn’t have asked for a better day, and I had a great time with the fans,” McClenathan said. “These karts are really addicting, too. I had a great time.”
Race fans also had their own private feature race at the end of the day, with Folsom’s Phil Blay taking top honors at 56.953.
