2006 Pump Gas Drags

COMP Cams®-Sponsored Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags Draws Biggest Crowd Ever

The closest final round in competition history is a fitting end to this exciting event staged at COMP Cams® headquarters.

For the third year in a row, some of the hottest, street-driven quarter mile drag cars in the country descended on the COMP Cams® headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, for the Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags. Starting at 7 a.m. on Friday, May 12, the first of the field of 33 cars entered the COMP Cams® headquarters parking lot to begin the highly demanding tech-in procedure. Shortly after midnight, the final race was staged at Memphis Motorsports Park and Donahue Hogan in his 1964 Chevy II beat Eddie Miller in his 1973 Plymouth Duster, 8.52 seconds at 154 mph to 8.55 seconds at 159 mph, punctuating an exciting end to a long day of competition.

Of the 33 cars that participated in the third annual running of the Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags, 20 were outfitted with COMP Cam® camshafts and ancillary valve train gear. Many of the Pump Gas Drag participants used other COMP Performance Group™ company parts, including ZEX™ nitrous oxide; FAST™ EFI components, including the patented LSX™ intake manifold; RHS™ cylinder heads and TCI® drivetrain products. It was clearly a COMP Performance Group™ crowd in attendance, as throughout the day tours of the headquarters were nonstop. From the elaborate camshaft grinding area through the RHS™ cylinder head assembly room to the covert Research & Development lab, COMP Cams® played host to enthusiastic groups of racers and spectators who were privy to the inner workings of the camshaft giant. Of course, the free barbecue lunch for all participants hosted by COMP Cams® was a big hit as well.

The COMP Cams®-sponsored Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags is a unique event that requires participants to run 93-octane fuel not only for the racing portion of the competition, but also during the drive from the staging area at COMP Cams® headquarters to the Memphis Motorsports Park, some 25 miles away through rush-hour traffic. Furthermore, each vehicle is checked for total roadworthiness and safety equipment and must have functioning horns, lights and turn signals. Each car was allotted only 10 gallons of Rocket Brand fuel for the competition. Only the final eight competitors (quarter finalists) were given an extra five gallons of fuel on which to finish the event.

The change to the elimination style drag racing event was new for this year; in past years the winner being determined purely on the basis of quickest elapsed time performance over three quarter mile runs. It was evident from the first round that the racing format made for a much more exciting event, with the ability to cut a good light determining the winning racer in many rounds of competition. Clearly the largest crowd ever to watch the event was due in part to the new racing format – and they were not disappointed.

“We were proud to be the title sponsor of the Pump Gas Drags again this year,” stated Chris Douglas, Marketing Director for COMP Cams®. “Not only was the event much more exciting with the real racing style format, we were proud to be involved with such a quality event where so many of the racers are running our products. It was a great chance for us to give back to the racers who support us all year long.”

For more on the 2006 Hot Rod Magazine Pump Gas Drags, sponsored by COMP Cams®, check out the full event report in an upcoming issue of Hot Rod Magazine or visit www.hotrod.com.

Winner- '64 Chevy II, 8.52 sec Final Round