Two Sundays ago, the racing world was shocked to learn that Ronnie “the King” Davis had died from injuries received from a crash during a drag race at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina.
I admit that I know next to nothing about racing in general, but I know even less when it comes to drag racing. But the first thing that came to my mind was, “why would people drag race if it’s so dangerous?”
First, some background information: Drag racing follows a short, straight course that is usually between an eighth of a mile to a quarter of a mile in length. In North America, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) are the two largest organizations that oversee the majority of drag racing events. Due to high speeds, it is crucial that a driver must have quick reflexes.
The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series is the top competition series of the NHRA. Racers compete in four distinct classes: the Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Points are given according to which place each driver finished in, and after the first 18 races, the top 10 racers in terms of points are locked in to compete in the final six races, where the difference in points is much smaller. In 2015, Antron Brown won the Top Fuel Dragster, Del Worsham won the Funny Car, Erica Enders-Stevens won the Pro Stock, and Andrew Hines won the Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Of course, safety measures are taken. Harnesses help secure the driver in the seat, fire suits are required, and fuel cells help prevent gasoline leaks, and explosions. A head and neck support (HANS) device is also used to help prevent fatal head injuries that have claimed countless victims in crashes.
In drag racing, there were 44 recorded deaths between 2005 and 2009. Those were at NHRA sanctioned events, and does not count the number of deaths on illegal courses or from street races. At least in sanctioned events, a certain number of safety precautions are in place, whereas there are no guarantees with a street race.
The Charlotte Observer reported in 2014 that more than 520 people have been killed in the United States at sanctioned auto racing events in the past 25 years. Two-thirds of those deaths were at short tracks, meaning that there was a higher likelihood of those races having more fatalities than NASCAR races. The high speeds of drag racers are a big factor as to why that is. Depending on the type of car used, speeds can top out around 320 miles per hour, although typical speeds usually tend to hang around 250 mph.
Ultimately, despite all the safety measures that are put into place, a car is only as good as the driver behind the wheel. And Davis was a good driver, too. According to FoxSports, “Davis was a five-time IHRA season champion. Early in his career, he was almost unbeatable at Atlanta Speed Shop Dragway where he earned his nickname by dominating a competition called "King of the Hill."
That just shows how dangerous this sport can be. Despite the safety measures taken and a fantastic driver in the race car, a fatality still occurred. You just can’t reduce the chances of injury to zero in any sport, but especially drag racing.
Despite not knowing much about the sport beforehand, the recent death of Davis challenged me to look into it a little bit more, and I grew to understand the sport and tragedy that sometimes follows. The more knowledge that people have about it, the more likely that safety will continue to be a concern.
