The New Year 2013 begins with cars flexing their motor muscles!

Mike Hayden

Mike and his Pit Crew

A New Year's Day tradition that started as a small event hosted by Mike Hayden and The Shafters Car Club kicked off today at 10:00 am.  Over the past several years this event has quadrupled in attendance and the enthusiasm just keeps growing.  Mike builds race motors and he just happens to have a 600 ft drag strip at his house.  This is what you call a hard core car guy!  This event has grown to include a pit crew, an announcer and DJ, and lots of great food cooked outdoors on site.  In addition, the passion that many in the community have for our military men and women has been included in this event as a fund raiser for the Wounded Warriors.  Today $1,700+ was raised to support these courageous men and women.  Last but not least, people bring their cars to flex motor muscles on the drag strip.  This results in lots of smoke, lots of noise and lots of cheers too.  Several guys brought their drag cars, but no nitrous was used this year so we didn't have any wheels coming up off the strip.  A number of people smoked the tires of their family car and that always results in a good laugh too.

MOPAR Danny

There is nothing as rejuvenating as pretending that you're a kid again.  Many of the drag car drivers today are in their 60's, but they have no intention of slowing down yet.  That spark and spirit is what truly keeps people feeling and acting younger than their biological years.  And acting like a kid again helps to ease chronic pain and boost the spirits of those people with chronic illness.  The looming fiscal cliff and all the past year's worries and concerns of a sluggish economy have taken it's toll on people.  People all over the world are feeling a financial crunch, because we are globally connected to one another.  There is only one
solution when the stress becomes too great and that's to get out and play.  Get together with good friends and new friends, some good food and music, and just play.  You may be more exhausted as a result, but you will feel so much better overall and those memories will last you a life time.

I have taken some short videos to share with you.  My camera doesn't have the most sensitive mic so for those of you that have loud noise sensitivity, the noise on the videos isn't too loud . . . just be glad you weren't there today.  So, Happy, Happy New Year to you all, health, wellness and happiness wishes, and enjoy these drag cars smokin' some tires!

Danny's MOPAR - a 1963 Dodge Polara equipped with nitrous for the strip.  This car has a 500 cu wedge motor and makes a whopping 1,100 horses.





Danny's car again - Isn't she pretty when she jumps
up and goes??!



















Tom's car - a 1969 Camaro with 600 cu motor.  That
results in a whole lot of horses too!!

Shawn's car - a 1963 Nova with 406 cu small block.  This sleeper really smokes 'em too!










           Happy New Year 2013!