Speed, smiles and quarter miles Published June 15, 2010 By Laurie A. Arellano Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- At the Magic City International Dragway, local motor heads and speed freaks have a safe outlet to hone their hobby, gain International Hotrod Association points or just enjoy an opportunity to go fast and compete with little investment or time commitment. "Drag racing is the safest form of motorsports in the world," said Dave Morgan, track manager at Magic City International Dragway. The dragway is an IHRA-sanctioned drag strip, the only one of its kind in the state. "We provide a safe environment for base personnel to race at," Morgan said. "MCID is a good place to begin because the conditions are controlled and very safe." Before racing, a safety inspection is completed on every car and motorcycle. At the starting line, drivers are checked for safety gear, including helmets, seat belts and riding gear. The vehicles are again checked before the countdown is started. MCID crew members have the authority to stop a race at any time for safety reasons. Once racers are given a green light, drag racing becomes an exciting combination of performance sport and academic challenge. Drag racing is a sport in which drivers learn their abilities and their vehicle and predict how long it will take them to make the one-eighth-mile run. Factoring reaction times, track conditions, weather conditions and vehicle performance, the driver must finish as close as possible to their predicted time. The winner of a race isn't necessarily the fastest car, but the smartest driver. Motorsports and the Air Force have a history together. General Curtis LeMay, founder of Strategic Air Command, was an avid racer. His love for racing was so strong he mandated every SAC base to have a motorsports program to develop character, intelligence and discipline. All traits he believed were ideal qualities in Air Force members. Jim Grote, a track owner and retired Air Force Master Sergeant, said his passion for giving amateurs a place to experience speed is a result of a tragedy he experienced as a teenager while racing with friends on public streets. "We killed somebody," said Grote. "He was a father of five on Christmas Eve. We were going too fast on a highway and lost control." "I watched him die," he said. He said he hopes providing people a safe outlet for racing will prevent such an accident and keep someone from going through what he did. Grote said he believes people should have an outlet for this very popular hobby, and he makes the track a very family-friendly environment, including for the junior dragsters-racers ages 8 to 16. Morgan said experiencing the adrenaline rush of legally driving at full speed is a way to develop the emotional capacity to remain focused and learn how to make split-second decisions. For first-time racers and amateurs, Friday test and tune sessions are the place to be. "Many people have an older muscle car or a performance car, and just want to see how fast it will go," said Morgan. "This is the place to find out." The 2010 track season runs through Sept. 12. The track is located on the east side of the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. During the season, the track is open most Fridays for test and tune. Qualifying and racing, along with test and tunes as available, are run most Saturdays and Sundays. For a complete schedule and for entry fee information, log on to the Magic City International Dragway website at www.magiccityinternationaldragway.com Let's race!