Drag racers share stories at annual reunion

JACKSON, Tenn. — A different type of reunion comes to the Hub City, as hundreds of drag racers reunite and mingle to reminisce on their glory days.

Walking the halls of VFW Post 1848, turned into a trip down memory lane for Eric Wood.

“Drag racing  has been in my blood for many, many years,” he said.

It’s a motor-sport fired by passion for dozens of drag racers from the 1960’s through the 80’s.

Sunday they came out for an engine-roaring reunion.
“We did this because most of us are going to live a whole lot longer, so we just wanted to get together and share memories,” Wood said.

Even if they’ve never met, Wood says they all share a love of competition.

“We are fierce competitors, but at the same time you won’t find a larger family,” he said.

Most of the racers are familiar with Madison County’s own drag-strip, built 50 years ago by one of their own.

“We would go out to a drag-strip on the weekends and see the crowds there, and we said, ‘Hey why don’t we build us a drag strip?’

Even though it’s a thrill that can’t be beat, some say it can be dangerous.

Tracey Askew lost her dad to a car wreck when she was three years old.

“I never really met anybody that he raced with, and I know he loved it,” Askew said. “So I’ve heard several stories since I’ve been here.”

But Askew says hearing stories about her dad and his love for racing, makes her proud.

“Everybody tells me he died doing what he loves to do, so we should all be so lucky,” she said.

Organizers say around 150 racers came from as far as Memphis to get together.

They say they plan to hold another reunion next year.