Every year, members of Mopars Unlimited of Idaho journey to Firebird Raceway for the Club Challenge to do battle against other local car clubs for the right to claim title to having the baddest group of cars around. Unfortunately, even though Mopar Club members win more than their fair share of races every year, we seem to fall victim to one or two other clubs that just have more cars racing out at Firebird than we do.

This year, we want things to be different. This year we want Mopars Unlimited of Idaho to be the outfit that takes all the other clubs down. How are we going to do it? We take our cars out from under our tarps and out of our driveways and take them out to Firebird in such numbers that we bury all the other clubs. This means we need you!  Experienced, inexperienced, college students, housewives, even lawyers are welcome. Like the idea of being part of a winning team but not sure how it all works?

Here's some Q & A to put you at ease:

Q: I've never drag raced before. Wont the regular drag racers will beat me bad?

A: Nope. You race against others with the same level of experience so you are a competitive player right off the bat. There are 4 classes for Club Challenge racing:

#1 is for cars with slicks (the really fast cars)
#2 is for "experienced" drivers that have raced before.
#3 is for novice or beginners going faster than about 15.25 seconds.
#4 is for novice or beginners going slower than about 15.25 seconds.

Q: I have a '66 Dodge Dart that barely outruns the neighbor's riding lawn mower. How can I expect to beat Vette's, Camaro's, and all those other quicker cars?

A: Easy. In competition, every racer has to "predict" how quick their car is going to run in the quarter mile so everybody gets a couple of practice runs to try and figure this out. Say you "predict" your car will run 18.00 seconds and your opponent "predicts" his car will run 16.00 seconds, you then get a 2 second head start. The racer that gets to the finish line first wins unless (here's the kicker) one of you runs quicker than what you predicted. If that happens, the person that runs too quick automatically loses. The key is to run exactly what you predicted or slightly slower.

Q: I don't understand what the all the starting line lights mean, or why reaction times are important, etc.

A: No problem. “Experienced” Mopar Club members racing at the Club Challenge will serve as coaches for new racers. The "coaches" will explain the basics of how Club Challenge drag racing works, what the rules are, what the starting lights mean, the do's and don'ts, etc. The "coaches" will also provide feedback after each round of racing so that you can quickly begin taking down our competitors.

Q: Can I just bring the family out to Firebird and watch?

A: Yes!! Everybody is welcome to come out and support the team. The Mopar Club will have food and festivities for all club members that come out to the Club Challenge whether you race or not.

Q: I don't really want to race my Mopar.  Can I race something else?

A: Mopars are preferred, but not necessary. Chevy's, Fords, minivans, pick up trucks are all fine. (No Pinto's, Mustang II's or Vega's unless V8 powered  - :-)

Q: Do I have to attend every race?

A. No. But we'd like to have racers attend at least three races. Last year we had one race where only 4 cars showed up and another where 27 cars showed up. Our club receives points for every round win so more cars usually mean more points.

Q: What do I get if I win my class?

A: Last year the winner of each class at each race received a 3 foot high trophy that looks great anywhere your neighbors can see it. Second place is a 1 1/2 foot high trophy and third place receives a trophy as well. At the end of the racing year, there is a big Club Challenge race where the members of each club race each other to determine who represents the club in a special race where the winner will get a new car trailer.  Each club winner also gets a limited edition Club Champion sweater from Firebird.

Q: Can I get some practice in before a Club Challenge race?

A: Definitely. Firebird has set aside some "Test and Tune" days just for those that want to experiment with their cars, or just practice running down the drag strip. The first practice day is generally in April, plenty of time before the first Club Challenge.

Q: Where can I get more info?