Drag Racing and Its influence in America
A strong passion for any particular activity in life leads to great commitment. At first, most people may not like the idea especially if it something new. With persistence, soon an individual starts to find ways of improving how they approach what they like. For instance, drag racing in America began as a passion for young people to become one of the most popular sports in America. Racing began in dry lakebed of California desert as a fan activity. Later in 1930s as innovations advanced, car engines became better than before thus leading to improved cars. Drivers also became braver such that they could drive at speeds of about 100mph. At first, drag racing was not taken seriously; racers did it for fun. After the World War II, individuals with cars decided to take it to the next level. They started racing in different localities; thus, increasing the popularity of their passion.
Popularity of drag racing grew steadily even though the activity still remained underground. Races were not organized into events. People just raced to compete with each other for fun. As people continued to race, the demand for such activities increased. The first major racing event was organized in 1949 in California. The event attracted the attention of most Americans leading to increased popularity. Other people also developed interest in drag racing thus increasing the number of drivers and the level of competition.
Events were not sophisticated in the early days. Since the level of technology was also low, the cars were quite simple. Drivers raced their cars over a short distance without the use of safety belts of other type of safety guard to prevent possible injury. Spectators of the competition did not have proper seating or stand grounds as they cheered the drivers. This type of sacrifice shows how much people had love for the sport. Getting injuries or breaking different parts of their bodies was not an excuse to them; they risked their lives just to succeed in doing what they loved doing most.
Due to lack of protective gear, some people lost their lives in accidents. In most activities that are new to us, there are a number of challenges that are encountered on the way. What matters most is the passion an individual has in that particular activity. Once you believe in something that you like doing most, you find ways of improving it with time. Persistence is a vital quality of achieving in life. Despite the many challenges encountered by the drivers in those early days, they still had the spirit of carrying out the activity.
What may seem to be a humble beginning may lead to great things in life. The drivers who had passion for racing did not race for either fame or money. In fact, they risked their lives. Drivers were only interested in self-satisfaction at first. Competing with each other and winning without necessarily being rewarded meant much to them. They had no idea that the struggles they faced would develop into something that will be loved by most people across America. From such an experience, I also learnt that present challenges should not deter me from pursuing my passion. Once an individual gets committed to what they love doing, they become so fond of the activity that they make a lot of mistakes which later serve as strengths. Once the mistakes done are seen as lessons and rectified as soon as possible, the activity improves.
Within a couple of years, drag racing became organized. Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association that ensured maximum security to drivers. The association also made the competition valuable by showing drivers how they could improve their skills, by attracting a huge fan base, and ensuring that the winners were recognized and awarded appropriately. Due to the association, people developed respect for drag racing. Additionally, safety was improved leading to reduced fatality of injuries. Drivers were also introduced to insurance for their vehicles thus reducing the risks involved. From this experience, it is quite clear that drag racing was improving at a fast rate. Once people see the passion one has for something, they develop interest in it thus attracting others who also want to be part of it. Once people want to be part of a project, they want to ensure that it becomes a success so they look for ways of improving it.
As the sport became more popular, superstars of drag racing emerged. The Drag master and Albertson Olds became the top models hence every driver wanted to beat them. The car models formed a basis on which other improved models were built. The industry was growing strong as an activity of its own. Things became technical in 1960s because the electronic lighting system replaced the traditional race starter. Car designs also changed to streamlined ones that would lead to increased speed. Various organizations came up to support drag racing. Several sponsors also wanted to be part of racing. The drag racing story is an inspiration to many as it shows how passion may lead to great things in life.
