Sports

Nitro-fueled car to debut at Alaska Raceway Park this weekend

Alaska's newest nitromethane-burning dragster will make its debut this weekend at Alaska Raceway Park, where Memorial Day will be celebrated with three days of racing.

Wasilla's John Dixon is the driver of the Trophy Hunter, a fuel-altered car capable of going 270 mph or faster. He is expected to drive the car Sunday and possibly Monday afternoon at the Valley track, located at Mile 10.4 of the Old Glenn Highway.

Both the Trophy Hunter and the Alaskan Grizzly, a fuel-altered hot rod out of Fairbanks that owns the track record, are expected to make runs at the raceway. The Alaskan Grizzly, owned and operated by the Bodenstadt family, set the track record with a 5.44-second quarter-mile run at 279 mph.

Heather McGee Lackey of the Alaska Raceway Park said Dixon and the Trophy Hunter will race sometime after noon Sunday.

"If they run it and break(down) on Sunday, since it's a new car they would only run Monday if they can get it fixed overnight," she said in an email.

Three days of action are on tap at the track, beginning Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. King of the Street, street and pro gamblers' races will be held that day.

Action on Sunday and Monday begins at 10 a.m. each day and will feature racing in the top eliminator, pro-nostalgia and points classes. Monday's schedule also includes the Prockish Memorial, held annually in honor of Tony Prockish.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fans can buy wristbands good for entry all three days -- camping is available -- or they can buy tickets daily ($20 adults, $15 seniors/military, $10 youths 11-15 on Sunday-Monday; $15 adults, $12 seniors/military, $10 youths 11-15 on Saturday; kids under 10 free all three days).

Monday's races are free for active members of the military.

Last weekend at the race track, Craig Otto of Anchorage won the open air class on his 89ci Harley V-ROD, doing 135.33 mph in 9.4855 seconds with a .1452 reaction time. Runner-up was Bucky Warenda of Anchorage, who turned out 154.14 mph in 9.6228 with a .0032 reaction time on his ZX16.

First-time racer Riley Soper of Palmer won the junior dragster class for racers ages 7 to 17. Her dad, Monte Soper, won the modified ET class.

ADVERTISEMENT