KOI Drag Racing brings the race to the people as part of 2018 Holmes County Fair
While the usual main arena race days pit a number of competitors against one another, KOI Drag Racing is mano-a-mano as two drivers line up and get ready to launch themselves down the track as quickly as possible.
Each year the board of the Holmes County Fair tries to bring in exciting new venues that are both unique and entertaining, and this year the board found a venue that should be fun for everyone because everyone can participate in it.
KOI Drag Racing will roll into the fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge on Friday, Aug. 10 and promote a night of fast-paced drag racing from everything to kids’ four-wheelers to enormous trucks.
What makes this event so unique is that it allows those dreamers who always felt they could get in a vehicle and speed down the track at massive speeds a chance to follow their dreams.
When KOI Drag Racing began six years ago, what its creators wanted to achieve was to make a venue that would be all-inclusive. That meant racing smaller machines like motorcycles and four-wheelers, to cars, pick-up trucks and tractors, to semi-tractors.
“If it drives, you can race it,” said Lewis Cleaver, one of the event coordinators. “We wanted to create an exciting drag racing event that would be open to anyone, and we mean everyone.”
According to Cleaver, the event will be open for registration beginning Friday, Aug. 10 at 5 p.m. Anyone with an itch to go fast — as the starting lights turn from red, to yellow, to green — can register with their vehicle. Each driver will be placed in the appropriate class, where they will participate in a single- or double-elimination format, depending on the number of entries.
Drivers will be allowed to practice from 5-7 p.m. once they register, and then the fun and action will really kick into high gear.
“We have done a ton of county fairs over the years, and this is always an exciting draw that offers a lot of great action and some fantastic races,” Cleaver said. “But what makes this so much fun is that it is open to the average driver in their regular car, their pick-up truck. It’s set up for kids and adults, and people can watch their friends and neighbors participate in the action. It really does give people a chance to do something they have always wanted to do.”
Cleaver said the format will begin with the smaller vehicles first, and they work their way up to the largest racing classes as the night progresses.
With KOI Drag Racing presenting more than 100 events per year, it has perfected the art of entertainment. Cleaver said the tracks are usually right around 200 feet, and the races tend to absorb so much energy from the crowd because they know the people competing.
“It should be a really fun night of racing,” Cleaver said. “What is really fun is watching the excitement in those first-time drivers who are experiencing drag racing for the first time. We’ll get a lot of people who come out and tell us that they have always wanted to do something like this.”
From 4- and 6-cylinder cars, to ATVs, to street diesels and kids’ dirt bikes, to even a senior division, there truly will be something for everyone on this Friday night spectacle.
All riders and drivers must sign a release form before participating in any event. All racers participate at their own risk to themselves and their equipment. Any rider under 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign a release form. ATV and bike riders must wear a full-faced, DOT-approved helmet with the chin strap strapped and no sandals or slippers. All truck drivers aside from street truck drivers must wear a DOT-approved helmet, which can be full-faced or open-faced.
A complete set of rules for racing can be found on their website at www.koidragracing.com by clicking under the appropriate class at the top of the page.