A view from the driver’s lane
“There are no nerves on the line, it’s pure adrenaline.”
With more than a decade of drag racing experience, Kariega resident Cheston Pilcher says the only thing on his mind during the 12 seconds it takes him to complete a run is the task at hand.
“Pulling to the line is simple. “You have a little bit of nerves standing in the queue [to race] but once you start the car and pull up to the line, it’s tunnel vision.
“Half of the time I don’t even remember what I did or how I did it, I just see the end line.
“And crossing that line as fast as you can is the only thing that matters.”
But before then, Pilcher says it is vitally important to warm up the full-slick racing tyres.
And even more so is the first 60 feet of the race.
“Once you pull up, you’re thinking you need to get that 60-foot to the tee, you need to make sure your shifting is on point and then ensure you run this thing [car] flat foot until you pass that 400m mark.
“When I cross that end line, I get to breathe. I don’t even think I really breathe in those couple of seconds.”
He says it is this feeling that keeps him pulling up to the start line.
“Adrenaline takes over. Any sort of ache or pain, anything, you will forget about it.
“It’s an intense adrenaline rush that takes over you.
“It’s you, the car and the track — nothing else matters in that moment, not even your opponent, who might be in anything from a Tazz to a twin turbo V8.”
Pilcher says since he started drag racing, the sport has changed for the better, particularly with regard to the move from illegal street racing to timed drags at a track.
“That’s the thing about MSA [Motorsport SA] drags, the time is to do with yourself.
“It is to do with what you are doing in your lane going from point A to point B and improving yourself as a driver.
“Back in the day, the guys used to prefer the street feel, and illegal parts of it are always risky and we obviously don’t condone it.
“We have since taken it to a much safer environment on the track ...
“Over the last 10 years we have seen a lot of growth.”
Pilcher says to build up your own race car, you would need between R30,000 and R50,000 to get a decent car to do a basic time.
“Generally, any engine can go fast but probably you will go as fast as your pocket allows,” he joked.