Blown Alcohol Thunder at Renegade Raceway in Yakima, Washington

Still Drag Racing The Old Fashioned Way

Words and photos by Brian Losness

Fans line the entire Renegade Raceway track.

From its inception, drag racing has been the sport of the common person. There was no Champagne or caviar to be found at those early events. It was guys showing up with their racecars either being driven to the track or towed behind a station wagon. Those big dollar operations showed up with their racecars on a single axle tilt trailer.

There were no covered bleachers or bleachers all, to speak. People simply showed up, backed up their cars or pickup trucks next to the fence. Pulled out their lawn chairs and coolers, and watched the races.

They watched everything from dragsters to street cars doing battle on the quarter mile. This is how it was done some fifty-odd years ago.

As times change and things evolve, we do not see much of this type of racing and spectating practices anymore. People file into stadium-like settings and watch drag racing as many people watch other stick and ball sports.

There are times when it is nice to go back to how things were done back in the day. How the sport came to be. And you see this happen in 2016 at Renegade Raceway in Yakima, Washington.

Who needs grandstands when you can tailgate trackside.

You don’t find a million-dollar control tower, a $100,000 lighting system, and a $50,000 sound system. What you will find is bleachers with character that hold maybe two hundred people…maybe. Some old school snack shacks that produce your basic track food, and goodies that are not flamboyant but are very tasty.

Since taking over the track operator, Derek Snelson, has made numerous property improvements to the facility while keeping its old school charm. Snelson marches to the beat of his own drum and is a very high energy person, who is a very hands-on operator.