Drag Boat Racing Sports - Research Paper Example

Drag Boat Racing An opportunity by Crossroads Dragway, located in Vigo County, to students to participate in witnessing motorboat drag racing on a Friday night is one of a kind. The opportunity offered includes getting the experience from the seat of the driver or as a spectator. Whichever ones position, the opportunity is still amazing. Unlike other motorsports like car and motorcycle racing, this game is thrilling and learning it is equally simple. The game happens in water between two competitors’ vehicles to racing their, aiming at the lowest elapsed time on a course well defined, over a defined length. The lengths commonly used include 1320 feet, 1000 feet and 660 feet (Beyer: 34). In this regard, the origin of the game can be traced back in the 1930s on the south of California on dry lakebeds. However, it later moved to the airfields that were abandoned. In addition, during those years of commencement, rules lacked. Thus, the game more disorganized. In fact, the regulators of the game were merely two bodies, The National Hot Rod Association (N.H.R.A) and the American Hot Rod Association (A.H.R.A) (Beyer: 38). Nonetheless, a great improvement is seen in present day games. The aim of this paper is giving a reflection of the Friday night opportunity offered to the students to participate in the motorboat drag race. Actually, this was my best day given that motorboat racing is my favorite among all the other motorsport races. Here is a brief enlightenment on how the game is conducted, which makes it more interesting. From what has been seen already, unlike the other motor sports, the race takes place in water. The race consists of various professional categories. The category depends on the type of fuel, configuration of the engine, propulsion type, and hull design. When doing drag racing on land, there is a standing start (Beyer: 39). Nevertheless, when it comes to drag boat racing, the process involves a short rolling start up to a point that cannot be passed before the green light is illuminated. The first category of the drag boat race is the Top Fuel Hydroplane, and it uses water. In the race are a series of each two-vehicle races known as eliminations. To get a finalist, the winners of each two-vehicle races keep advancing until only one remains. Races of two types are offered by the NHRA (Beyer: 41). These are the handicap and heads-up races. In the heads-up, the two vehicles leave the starting point at the same time. This makes it very easy to comprehend. The winner, therefore, is the one that crosses the finish line first. On the other hand, in the handicap challenge, the aim is to find out who gets to the completion line in the shortest period imaginable. In addition, that individual is meant to run as close as possible to the number, avoiding going quicker, or breaking out. Otherwise, cars of different speeds are allowed in handicap races because slower ones get a head start (Beyer: 46). The sport is an interesting one; especially watching racers move in the water at lightning speed is both thrilling and frightening. Consequently, the mixture of emotions makes one glued to the cars. However, the rate of completion could be several few seconds, which makes it a bit hard to enjoy watching the race, due to the blurry effect. From my experience that Friday night both as a spectator and as a racer, I would prefer being a racer than a mere spectator. The reason behind it is the joy one gets from driving in water at such high speeds. Another primary reason is that the racers are paid for every win. However, I also learned that most of the earnings by the boat racers is through donations. For a sport, that one enjoys and also makes an income out of it; this is very excellent and encouraging. Being in the driver’s seat also allows one to interact with other racers. As a result, one does not only become better but you can also be a role model to those starting the sport. Another benefit of being a racer is the ability to try different vehicles and water bodies, thus getting the feel of each one of them. The best part about it is that one cannot buy a boat designed to win. One has to work on their own boat so that they can win. If a vehicle is not well designed or set up, it can be disastrous. Drag boat racing is similar, as well as different from other motor sports races. The first difference is that this, unlike the others, is done on water rather than the land. Still, in drag boat racing, there can only be one person in the vessel at a time, compared to the car races on land where another passenger can be accommodated. Again, other motorsport races could involve many people on the road. The good thing about drag boat racing is that only two individuals are allowed at a time, thus minimizing on the collisions and accidents that are common on land. On the other hand, there are similarities that exist between drag boat racing and other motorsport games. Just like sports cars, the drag boats are categorized into classes depending on the fuel type powering. Another similarity is that the racers who win are paid for their efforts. In the races, the winners are determined by the last person to get to the finish line and sometimes the one who gets to the finish line in the shortest time possible. During my experience at Crossroads Driveway that Friday, I was able to make some observations on the races. Indeed, as much as the game is thrilling and exciting, the games are high risk. For instance, there was a crash during the race. Although crushing is what makes the game more fun, this one resulted in a delay of the match, making a part of the night dull. However, this was quickly corrected enabling the game to proceed normally. The other thing that I failed to like was the fact that most women were not well represented in the races. This is a form of gender discrimination. However, the one thing that impressed me is the psyche that was exhibited by the spectators. In addition, the racers were highly motivated and made the game fun and enjoyable. The management of the activity is also supportive and very welcoming as they received us very well. In this regard, those who were interested in trying out the race boats were allowed to do so with utmost understanding. Due to this, I was able to gain some skills and even got to register for training. Vigo County is very busy, with people involving themselves in various activities. Due to this, people are very busy, thus unable to attend these matches. For spectator crowd to be increased, the time for the races should be adjusted to suit the itinerary of all people who have the passion. For example, the races should be scheduled for weekends and holidays so that people can attend. Consequently, the prices should be reduced so that even students with the passion of the game can attend the races. In addition, more media coverage should be given to the race to reach more people. Finally, the night was well spent at Crossroads Driveways and the students learned a lot. From above, it is clear that drag boat racing is a thrilling game but requires one to have the interest and talent to avoid accidents that can be experienced. Works Cited Beyer, Mark. Speed Boat. New York: Children's, 2001. Print. Read More