No-Prep Racing vs The Rise of Street Car Classes

As 2019 winds down and 2020 is just a few weeks away, both the NMCA and NMRA racing seasons are on their typical winter break. With that in mind, both the 14th annual NMRA/NMCA Superbowl and 21st annual NMRA All World Finals were quite the events. With everything from big competitors putting up big power to dramatic record-setting passes, contenders and audience members were on the edge of their seats.

CEO of both entities, Steve Wolcott, sat down with us here at The Engine Block to chat about a few of the hottest trends at the track during 2019. (He also gave us some hints as to what we might expect for 2020—which we’ll visit in an upcoming piece here on the blog.) But the first thing he points out that surprised us? “I think the biggest impact right now is the street car movement,” says Wolcott.

“Not so long ago, no-prep was strong, but the street car movement is stronger.”

What is No-Prep Drag Racing?

The first time I heard of no-prep, I immediately thought the same thing most people do: it’s dangerous. But, this isn’t necessarily the case. Though the conditions are different, drivers are still racing in a controlled environment. The main difference is how the vehicle interacts with the track. Sure, this can be more dangerous if the driver doesn’t know what to anticipate or is ill-prepared to make corrections. But even under ordinary track circumstances, drivers face similar issues.

“A no-prep race is like your average drag race except the track isn’t prepared for it,” explains Carbon Motorsports, a Colorado based off-road racing team. “For a normal or traditional drag race there is a procedure that is accomplished before a race begins. However, for no-prep racing this process isn’t taken.”

In traditional drag races, the track is prepped with a few key steps to help give the cars an advantage in terms of stability and traction. The first thing done to any track is a thorough spray of VHT Track Bite or a similar compound to help adhesion. The other key factor is keeping rubber off the track. Rubber left behind by tires can become slippery and will need to be torched and scraped away. Once down to the concrete, the process begins again.

What are the Vehicles Like?

So, why forgo the process with no-prep racing? “The major motivation is that it replicates the conditions found on public roadways,” adds Carbon Motorsports. “There are motorsport followers who prefer no-prep racing over drag racing because it enables the racers to demonstrate that their cars can be competitive on a public roadway without having to race illegally and endanger themselves or anyone else out on the streets.”

For the most part, no-prep drag racing is reserved for cars that are of an extraordinary level. We’re talking vehicles well under the 3,000-lb mark, stuffed with all kinds of power-adding goodies to sling them down the quarter in super low ET’s. But it is much more than simply getting in a hot car and running the quarter mile. An unprepped track presents many obstacles and requires a keen sense of the vehicle in order to drive it properly and perform well in its given environment.

The street car classes Wolcott refers to are traditional drag races in the sense that the track is prepped and the cars are much more attainable to the average driver. In fact, many of the cars are similar to those found on the street and some may even be cars that are driven on the street.

Increased Viewership

No-prep racing really gained momentum with the ever-increasing popularity of the hit series Street Outlaws. And why wouldn’t it? These guys are icons, heroes to many, and to some they may even be seen as competition. Naturally, people will want to put themselves in the ring to share in this type of racing or even to race against these guys.

Exposure to the sport is critical to getting more people to attend. Seeing something on television is one thing, but providing competitors with a great experience is something Wolcott credits to helping his event turnouts.

“There’s always a barrier to break down to get people to come out and to participate. The first time you go out, you say: ‘I don’t want to look like an idiot. What do I need to do?’ says Wolcott. “We do our best to make everything easy. From buying your ticket to parking your car, going through the tech process, what to do when the lane calls, and what to do when you get to the starting line.”

“People start out, they’ve got butterflies in their stomach when they arrive, but they leave the weekend saying ‘Man, that was a ton of fun and everyone was so nice.’ We know what it’s like, we’ve all done something for the first time. If we can break down those barriers and make it a good time, people will tell their friends and more people will come out next year,” adds Wolcott.

Street Car Movement

Now, let’s talk street car classes. Yes, I’m sort of painting a broad stroke and bundling a wide range of classes into one segment here, but consider True Street. In this scenario, you have multiple classes of racers who can all attend an NMCA event and not only compete with cars in their class, but everyone else too.

“We have awards for 15 seconds all the way down to 9 seconds, plus the all-together winner,” explains Wolcott. “Basically, what happens in these street classes is we can enable these people to all race together. They do three passes on Saturday and we average them together. For example, the closest to 9 seconds wins an award. We do that for 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. And then we have an overall fastest and an overall runner up so there’s 9 awards we give away for those street classes.”

In NMCA and NMRA racing events, racers of virtually any stature can come in and put pedal to the metal. Seeing as Street Cars today can fall in under any of these time slots, virtually anyone can get started with a proper organization like these.

Street Car vs No-Prep

So, if no-prep is really all that popular why does it seem that street car classes are on the rise? Well, there are two very important factors to keep in mind. Those are the cars and the risks involved.

“The number of people willing to race a hardcore race car on an unprepped track are limited. Some people won’t even do it for safety concerns,” says Wolcott. That’s not to say the sport is unsafe. As we mentioned, the cars are top-notch in no-prep—equipped with proper safety equipment. And the driving is done in a controlled environment by qualified drivers. However, even in a controlled environment, jumping behind the wheel of a powerful vehicle can be risky and making changes to a track to bring it closer to street-like conditions is something to be aware of, at the very least.

Additionally, traditional drag racing already requires a certain level of experience and proper skills to succeed. Many beginners will be hesitant to enter straight into a form of racing that requires these skills—and more.

Affordability is another driving factor to consider. If the average guy can’t afford a dedicated race car, but can afford a ride that fuels the same enthusiasm for automobiles—say, like an ‘80s Monte that’s been tucked away since high school or maybe a late-model Mustang that can be purchased for a steal—then maybe it’s a great time to show what ya got at the track. We hear Wolcott is saving you a space…

Want to see what YOU can do with your vehicle? Check out the NMCA and NMRA 2020 racing schedules.