The history of drag racing includes leather jackets, greasy hair with duck-tails, and hopped-up engines in cars that were never intended for racing. Quiet country roads were often the scene of a drag race between two macho guys, with a grudge to settle as to whose car was the "hottest". Guys loved to show off their cars, and girls loved the excitement of seeing the guys compete for their attention. Winning a drag race was all about attention, and popularity. Not to mention that some guys love speed, and the excitement that it can bring.

One element of human nature is the urge to compete, and in the 1950s, young men with their cars representing their manhood often challenged one another to a drag race. These guys were often thought of as the "wild ones" by their peers. Challenges to a race often began when engines were revved at a stop light, an invitation to speed to the next intersection as a contest, seeing whose car was the hottest.

Since drag racing in the streets was frowned upon by local police departments, these contests were moved to lonely country roads to avoid the police. The distance was usually around a quarter mile, depending on the available roadway. During this time period, drag races was extremely popular with teenagers, and extremely dangerous. Countless young men lost their lives in the process of establishing their reputations of having a really "bad" car.

Thankfully, drag racing is mostly off of the streets now. Quarter mile drag racing tracks are available for these contests of speed. Fast cars, fast girls, and the adulation of their peers will always inspire the next big race, regardless of efforts to curb drag racing, as it once existed. Some things never change!

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