Meltdown #10, Here We Come

For those who might not familiar with the Meltdown Drags, it is a full blown nostalgia event which has the goal of presenting a drag race just as it would have looked in 1966. That means no cars or motorcycles newer than 1966, and not even any wheels, paint jobs, or hood scoops of a style more modern than that target time-period. This year's 10th running of the Meltdown Drags will take place on July 17&18 at Byron Dragway, outside of Byron, Illinois.  The crew that puts on the Meltdown drags does a meticulous job of organizing and running the race. That attention to detail makes the Meltdown drags one of the premier events of its kind, which in turn attracts plenty of potential participants. The number of vehicles accepted for the event is generally limited to about 500.

Proof of the event's popularity with racers is evident in the pre-registration process. The Meltdown Crew opens up for email submissions at midnight of the New Year. The submissions require a picture of the vehicle as it will be raced, because just making the submission doesn't guarantee a spot in the program; members of the Meltdown crew approve each entry. 

The Knuckledragger at the 2017 Meltdown Drags

This year I sent off my email submission at 9:03 am on January first. Just over 3 hours later there was a notice on the Meltdown Facebook page that registration was closed. They already had far more submissions than the race could handle.

On the morning of January 3^rd , I received a notice from the Meltdown Crew that The Knuckledragger was the 257^th entry to be accepted for the race. So now you know what my plans are for July 17&18 (God willing). I won't be piloting the bike this year; I've offered the seat to Scott Dale, a very experienced Harley drag racer. To celebrate, I think I'll spring for a new rear chain for The Knuckledragger.

That doesn't mean I plan to abandon the Iowa hog Drags though. Again, God willing, The Beast will see some action in the midst of the friendly corn fields of Humboldt County on the 4^th of July weekend.