Spider Michaels

An NHRA Drag Race can take up a lot of ground.  So much so, that many people feel the need to use a cart of some sort to get around.

And speaking from a person who has walked around a track and also ridden around a track… the riding is much more fun.

What follows is an article about all of the vehicles you see around an NHRA National Event.

This first cart is very stylish and can carry 4 people. It has a collapsible front windshield.

It also has a roof for sun shade and in case it rains.  I bet this cart has the plastic side walls that would keep everyone dry in a downpour.

This cart can carry 4 but no roof.  It’s got good seats and a high suspension for rough terrain.  It especially has the Dale Earnhardt #3 on it.

This is a companies cart, not sure which.  I see Good Year, Chevy and VP Fuels.

Here’s a nice one for Performance Parts.

No missing who this cart is for.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. and at a drag race.

Check out this fake engine on this cart.  Pretty funny.  Look at the back fin.  It’s an older model Chevy.  Maybe ’57.

This is a cool cart.  We were in Gainesville, Home of the Gators.

High suspension, roof, flames, 4 seater.  Nice ride.

You rarely see a one front wheel cart.  This is a throwback.

Here’s a Plain Jane cart for Summit.  No frills.

At least Fram painted their cart in their Trademarked Orange color.

Notice the motorcycle matches the cart’s flames.

This is a racers cart.  It looks like Ball Racing.

This cart had some loud speakers on it.  Only a 2 seater.  Boo.

Notice the surfboard.  This was a high dollar cart when it first came out.

The maintenance guys have to get around too.

This was a cart set up that PowerADE did when it was the Primary Sponsor of the series.

They would load up fans and give them headphones for the noise.

Then drive them right up to the starting line and give them a front row seat.

Cool thing for the fans to see and experience.

Some dudes just ride their hunting ATV around.

Food service had a nice little truck.

With enough room to carry some things.

I missed them passing by me, but they had a nice cart.  A 6 seater and a roof.

Nice paint scheme, only a 2 seater, but they crammed 3 in the one seat and I don’t like the pitch of the roof.  Too low in front.

This was a cool cart.

Two guys from the Widow Maker racing team.  Wonder how their wives feel about that name?

You saw this cart earlier and now these 3 guys are cruising the track.

I like the effort on the paint job, but the flames suck out loud.

Gator Boys!!

Here’s that 6 seat cart I missed earlier.  This might be the nicest ride in this article.  Check out the chrome rims and oversized tires, along with the Brush Guard in front.  Great paint, great seats.  Good Job.

Fram’s cart was really special also.

Great seats and colors.

I’m guessing really expensive.

And some guys ride alone, lol.

Now for the Kid Conveyances.

That baby can’t even be 1 year old yet.  Start ’em young, I say.

A Radio Flyer with a twist.  Nice job.

Now this kid had a set up.  Simpson Racing seat, Ear Protection, Steering Wheel, Gauges, Stick shift and Racing Decals.  Pretty cool.  Sippin’ his Sunny Delight, rollin’.

This next photo wins for cuteness.

He even go a pic with a model.

This kid rode around like a king.  Now that’s having it ‘made in the shade’, lol.

Everybody knows somebody that’s gone to an event and gotten so drunk they got arrested.

These next pix are of the PoPo, 5-0, Gmen, Coppers, Pigs, the Blue Force, you get the point.

Here’s a mobile Command Center.

Florida State Trooper.

Sheriff.

Sheriff.

Sheriff.

Police.

Sheriff.

Sheriff.

Police.

Police.

Motorcycle Cops.

I’ve thought motorcycle cops were coolest ever since CHiPS, the TV Show from the 70’s.

These are big, powerful motorcycles, capable of high speeds.  Look at how big this next cop is.  He dwarfs that big bike.

And look at how far he’d have to duck to get under the front windshield.  He’s got to be 6’6” or taller.

This is a cool cart.  Great logo’s and flags.  Great pic.

Now this truck has seen its’ best days.

Now for some Firemen.  At a drag race, you ALWAYS need Fire & Safety present.  It’s a ‘Life and Death’ sport.

Probably a Captain’s car.

Ambulances are very necessary to have on hand.

I like how they took the time to paint the rims.  It looks nice.

Now for the bigger vehicles.

Anybody remember the show from the 70’s called ‘Emergency 51’?  With Gage and DeSoto as the paramedics in the field.

Everybody admires a good Fire Truck.

Ready in case of an emergency.

These next guys were nice enough to pose for me.

Cool design on their shirts.

This guy reminds me of Scruffy from Futurama, the animated series.

Big truck, big smile.

An EMT, emergency medical technician.

More EMT’s.

Chillin’ ’til ‘Go-Time’.

And Cookie, who used to clean the track after an oil down.

Now for some crazy rides.

I photographed a truck just like this one at Sturgis one year.

It’s too wide for a car lane, so they must take the tires off to transport it from place to place.

Pretty huge truck.

Remember the first Bigfoot Truck from the 70’s?  I think it was blue.  It made quite a splash and started a worldwide phenomenon… Monster Trucks.

So this is the new Bigfoot.

What if you rode to school in this bus?

All aboard… and buckle yo ass up!!

“Yes, yes, They’ll be to school on time.  Early in fact.”

This made me laugh.  A Cadillac race car, complete with sponsor decals.

Now this is no laughing matter.

That is a work of art.

And lastly, someone actually rides this little shit around.  Well, I hope you enjoyed this trip to the drag strip and the pics you saw.

That completes this NHRA 101 Course.  Give yourself 3 Credits towards Graduation.  Congratulations on your Quest for a Degree from The Universite de Arachnida.

To see other course requirements for your degree, see next link.

Motorsports Degree Requirements

Any questions and/or comments may be directed to the following:

Dr. Spider Michaels, Phd.

https://SpiderMichaels.com

Spider@SpiderMichaels.com