DRAG RACING IN THE RAIN

TOM McCARTHY

Yes, you read that headline correctly, there are people drag racing in the rain and having a ball doing so. After all, when your high speed fix is achieved with the throttle to the stops and you are skimming across a pond at extreme speed, who cares if it’s raining? When your snowmobile is

screaming with the rpms in the red-line, really, no one cares if it’s raining out so long as the rooster tails are tall and the front end is 45 or better!

That’s right my friends snowmobiles. No snow, no

problem, put the water treads on and have at it. On Sunday, 25 July, 2021, the Northeast Water X Championship series https://www. northeastwaterx.com/2021-schedule, held is first points race of 2021 at Union, CT. The racers and fans were rabid to see the action with good reason: this is balls-out racing, handlebar-tohandlebar competition, on the water and it’s FUN! Better yet, it’s family fun. Picnic baskets, lounge chairs, bring your best and your kids too; just relax and enjoy the action. the smell of Klotz & racing gas, the madness of motorsports competition, this sport is for you. Few of the formalities of serious racing exist here. Yes of course there are registration formalities, rules and regulations to be adhered to for safe, sane, (sane?) orderly competition. But that’s just

a formality. This is racing at the pond level and it’s meant to be fun and exciting all at the same time. No one is spending a million bucks to do this, so enjoy it while it’s still fun.

Watercross, pond skimming has been growing in popularity for years and now it’s really catching on with racers and the general public. Snowmobiles that used to be silent from April

through October are now year- long toys to be played with and enjoyed to the max. This is a boon to the motorcycle/snowmobile sales and service industry across the board, not just New England. OEM manufacturers and the aftermarket are growing in the wake of the sport, as this can only boost sales for all involved. As this sport grows in popularity, there is no telling how big this will get.

The event at Union CT, on Sunday, July 25th, was well attended with close to 50 different teams set up, on the property. In time this will double and triple easily. Competition for the drag racing portion of the program was very straightforward. Racers were called to the ready line by a mobile announcer – DJ trailer with PA system. Once on the ready line, a flag-man, as seen on ice or dirt racing, holds the green start flag and points to each racer to confirm the ready-ready status. Then its flag time and they are off at full throttle!

As the machines dash from the shoreline into the pond, they sometimes wheelie, or tread-stand if you prefer and this is a good/bad scenario. The fans LOVE to see them stand up! But if a drag sled gets too vertical, too quickly, only the very base of the tread comes in contact with the water and the high speed RPMS churn into the water as opposed to on the water and a sled will suddenly sink just after start. For racers, learning the throttle technique of feathering the start with the acceleration is both art and science. Once at speed, the machines vault like a drag bike with the front end up and body English is what primarily steers the drag sleds. In drag racing competition, they race from launch to a fixed buoy in the water as a finish line, and officials record 1st, 2nd, 3rd for the racers during a particular “heat” of competition.

After screaming across the finish line, racers go completely across the pond to the opposite shore, to turn around and then reverse direction to get back to the starting area shoreline and return to their pit areas.

There are more events than just drag racing sprints. There are Oval competitions as well. Racers can enter more than one class and more than one type of racing. Please see the rules page at https://www.northeastwaterx.com/rules, for details.

These events are 100% fun for family and friends. A 5$ entry fee per-person is not going to break the bank. Camping at Nottingham is normally $50/person, no hook ups are available, check the website for the latest rules and regulations before

reserving a campsite.

The next event is slated for August 28-29 in Nottigham, NH, the home of Northeast Water X. Further information can be had by contacting: Steve Reynolds, President, 603-969-9961 or Info@ NortheastWaterX.Com.

A racing staple “Flag Man” starts the race and controls the starting line. All photos: Tom McCarthy Photography There are three, sometimes four racers lined up or more, depending on the class in competition. But the action is handle bar to handlebar, side-by-side and the fans LOVE it!

When a racer’s machine sinks, which is not an uncommon sight, he is held afloat by a mandatory flotation vest. His machine has a float tether for finding a sunken machine.

When a snowmobile sinks, there are two specially made watercraft which are equipped to hoist out the sunken machines and in short order the racers are race ready again.

Four racers explode off the starting line at Union, CT. The machine doing the big vertical climb in the middle of this pack sank moments after this photo. Too much climb too soon is a bad thing.