At Sebring, 12 hours on a twisting, bumpy, 3.7-mile track |
Gentlemen, and ladies, start their engines across Florida for the March string of races that draw millions of dollars in corporate sponsorships and track crowds of up to 30,000 to 40,000. Daytona’s stock car frenzy last month was only the first lap for motorsports: Muddy fun, dreams of the old drag strip and fantasies of LeMans lie ahead in Naples, Gaines-ville and Sebring.
The oldest, funkiest and darn-sure dirtiest is the Mile O’ Mud in Naples March 7-8 — the smallest, pure-Florida tribute to our own homegrown big wheels. Since 1949, folks have raced wheeled boats, balloon-tired jeeps and all manner of contraptions they used to fish, farm, hunt and subdivide the muck of Collier County before SUVs.
Nowadays, contenders at the Swamp Buggy Races may use V8s to tackle the track of dirt, mud and sippy holes three times a year. The lucky ones hit 75 mph. And everyone hits the mud. Especially the Chesser family: Four members of the family have won more than 30 championships, including Amy, who was also once the race’s beauty pageant queen (who lands in the mud bath, tiara and all, every year).
Gainesville’s Gatornationals event is now in its 40th year and takes the flag for sheer noise and speed. It’s one of the National Hot Rod Association’s fastest tracks, and the 2009 races March 12-15 will draw top drivers like Tony Schumacher, Jeg Coughlin, the Pedregon brothers and Connie Cohen in dragsters, funny cars and motorcycles.
Racing two abreast, flight-suited drivers shake the ground and rocket down the quarter-mile on nitro methane and high alcohol at up to 300 mph. Each time trial takes only a few ear-splitting seconds, leaving many hours to stroll the pits for an up close look and chat with drivers and precision mechanics twirling iron and scanning their computers.
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