Jalopnik How-To: Drag Racing

We know the thought of heading out to a drag strip for the first time can be both daunting and intimidating. This past weekend we did just that when we were invited to the second annual Ford Racing Invitational to try our hand at the straight-line game of drag racing. Having always focused more on the curves and less on the straights, this was your author's first time in front of a Christmas tree. As such, we figured it might be the perfect time to show you the ins and outs of running a car down the quarter-mile. Hey, we came in third place, so we guess we can't be too shabby at it. More »

Ford Racing Invitational: Who Smoked Whom?

We took a run down to Milan Dragway for the Ford Racing Invitational — a Ford-sponsored event this past weekend pitting the automotive media against each other in a little bit of drag racing action. We had the chance to take some runs against the likes of Road & Track,5.0 Mustangs & Super Fords and Autoblog just to name a few. Although we had little in the way of expectations about our chances given our first-time status when it comes to straight-line racing, our chances seemed diminished even more after we got to the track and drew our set of keys from the pot of available Ford product to drag. The keys fit the ignition of a bright orange Ford Mustang GT Convertible with a tough Hurst shifter and a Whipple supercharger. Wonderful. But after a rainy Friday that saw little action, Saturday was clear and sunny: Perfect weather for racing. Also, for ass-kicking. More »