Jerry “The King” Ruth

So when he has his “Nitro Nights Under the Lights” the only fuel car on the grounds is a cackle car, and the professional show is made up of alcohol Pro Comp cars. However, this does not make any difference to the fans who come to the event. The crowd comes for the show. At our visit, the cackle car belonged to the very quiet, sedate and understated Jerry “The King” Ruth. (For those who know Ruth my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.) There will be an interview with “The King” published in a few days here on DRO.

Yes, at Renegade it is done old school. Pickup trucks are backed up to the boundary fence, fans break out their coolers and lawn chairs. Some decide to file into the grandstands, but the majority of the fans prefer their drive-in movie set up. Fans line up from starting line to finish line at the quarter mile mark.

What the fans came to see was the Blown Alcohol Thunder Pro Comp Series. These are cars from around the Northwestern United States and Canada. This class is open to dragsters, funny cars, and altereds; the cars must run a supercharger and pass an NHRA safety inspection. The series runs eighth-mile races on a 4.25-second index. All cars run two rounds and the two cars closest to the 4.25 index run in the finals. The winner is determined by first across the finish line closest to the index without being under the index.

Thirteen cars made the trip over to Yakima to perform in front of a very nice crowd both in size and appreciation of the show they got on the track.

Alvan Behar (near lane) and Frank Miller.