Do something exciting this Labor Day; take in some drag racing at one of the dragstrips driving distance from McHenry.

We kicked off the unofficial start of summer Memorial Day with the Indy 500. Isn't it appropriate to acknowledge the unofficial end of summer with auto racing? You can kickback, relax, throw some brats, burgers or steaks on the grill and prepare yourself for the autumn ahead. Then again, maybe you’d like something a little more exciting. Maybe you’re interested in something that will get you heart pounding and your blood flowing.

Have you considered checking out NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) drag racing on the quarter- or eighth-mile track?

At the dragstrip, cars will line up in pairs preparing for high-powered runs down a short straight-away. Their engines will roar at high rpm as racing slicks burn and smoke until the rubber is extra sticky. 

Then the drivers will nose their cars up to the Christmas tree. No, this isn’t the tree Santa puts presents under; this is the staged lighting pole in the lane between the two racers. There are two rows of lights lined up on the tree from top to bottom. Double top lights are for “Pre-Staged” and “Staged.” 

When are car is in the correct position and ready to race, it is ‘Staged’ and the appropriate lights are illuminated. When both vehicles are ‘Staged,’ illumination will rapidly descend down through several orange lights. Then the green light on either side of the tree is illuminated.

This is when the drivers take off, only they have to be careful not to take off too soon. If they do, the illumination will drop one more light to the red light on their side of the tree. This is called “red-lighting” and it means that they took off too soon. Drivers try very hard to take off down the track as soon as possible without ‘red-lighting.’

If you’re of a mind to, you can head down to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park August 28 through Labor Day, September 2, for the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

Drag racing comes in many classes. For instance, there is a Factory Stock class with showroom ready cars. Newer-model Mustangs, Cameros and Challengers may do the eighth-mile track in eight seconds at speeds of 170 mph.

From there you move p to Pro Mod, Top Dragster, Super Street, Super Gas, Super Comp, Stock, Super Stock, Comp, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Top Alcohol Dragster, Pro Stock, Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragster.

By the time you get to the Funny Car and Top Fuel categories, you’re talking about 11,000-horsepower engines that can go down the eighth-mile track, from a standing stop, in 3.7 seconds at 330 mph.

Many of the cars go so fast that they have parachutes that are released when they cross the finish line to help them stop.

Of course, if you don’t want to go all the way down to Indianapolis, you can hop over our northern state line into Wisconsin and go to Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove. On Labor Day, September 2, they have “Open Fun Racing For Everyone.” You can go to watch or you can go to race.

In Byron, if you don’t mind a 65-mile ride out to North-Central Illinois, you have the U.S. Bracket Nationals from August 30 to September 2.