Flashlight Drags 2014 series beginning Sunday
WAYNESBURG – The Greene County Commissioners recently approved the 2014 dates for Flashlight Drags, the series of drag-racing events held at the Greene County Airport in Waynesburg.
Five dates have been selected: four Sundays – May 4, June 1, July 6 and Aug. 3 – and one Saturday, Sept. 13.
Gates are expected to open at 11 a.m. on the day of each race, with races scheduled to run from 2 to 6 p.m. Admission is $6 to watch and $30 to race. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Street-legal cars and trucks are eligible to race, and all drivers must have appropriate paperwork, including a valid driver’s license, current state registration and proof of insurance. Passengers are not allowed. All racers must sign a waiver and attend a mandatory drivers’ meeting prior to the start of the event. Minors must have a waiver notarized to race.
For drivers wishing to race convertible cars, the top must be up, or the driver should wear a helmet. Mufflers and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation-approved tires are required. There will be no refunds.
Newly added for 2014, an Outlaw Hour will be held from 6 to 7 p.m., in lieu of the “Big Dog” class in the drag races. The entry fee is $25, and one winner after each event will receive a portion of the entry purse. Drivers will earn points all season, and the top drivers at the end of the season will share the remaining portion of the purse. All drivers must attend a mandatory meeting at 5 p.m. prior to the start of each Outlaw Hour.
Produced by Altered Gas Performance Events, LLC, Flashlight Drags consists of a 1/8-mile race along the airport runway. Drivers can race as many times as they want and against any of the other racers, all for fun. The format is heads-up, meaning that both vehicles leave the starting line at the same time. The name of the event refers back to the early days of drag racing, when a flashlight was used to signal the start.
Rain dates are planned in the event of inclement weather.
For more information, call the Department of Recreation at 724-852-5323, or visit www.flashlightdrags.com for updates, a complete set of driver rules and to view videos from the races.