ROCKINGHAM — There is no pretense to roll racing. It is simply what it says it is: drag racing that employs a rolling start instead of the traditional standing start and, as contested in the Street Car Takeover series that returns this week (Oct. 1-2) to Rockingham Dragway, it is one of the sport’s fastest-growing segments.
Cars compete in Modified Street, Mild Street, Daily Street and in the very tongue-in-cheek King of the Bakery class. Roll racers will run Friday on a quarter mile surface prepped for the event by traction kid-wizard Samuel Peterson before yielding on Saturday to traditional drag racing combined with a car show and a burnout contest.
Adult admission is $20 per day if tickets are purchased online. At the gate, admission will be $25. Kids 12 and under are free and parking is free in Rockingham’s main lot although VIP parking is available for only $10.
In roll racing, cars cross the starting line at speeds of near 40 mph and then try to get to the finish line first without exceeding set speed limits of 130 mph in Daily Street, 140 mph in Mild Street and 150 mph in Modified Street. However, there is no speed limit in King of the Bakery although participating vehicles must be street legal.
Saturday’s program includes car show judging from noon until 4 p.m., a burnout contest sponsored by Nitto Tires at 2:30 p.m. and drag racing eliminations in a host of categories starting at 4 p.m.
Drag race classes are Small Tire, the only category contested at the eighth-mile distance, Street Racer, Stick Shift, Heavyweight, Front Wheel Drive, Truck/SUV, Extreme Street (10.0 target), Daily Driver Extreme (11.0 target) and Daily Driver Mild (12.0 target).
Guaranteed payouts of $3,000 in the Small Tire and Street Racer classes, $1,500 in Stick Shift and $1,000 in Heavyweight and Truck/SUV.
