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| Volume 11, No. 49 |
September 1-7, 2010 |
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| | EL PASO ABOUT TO GET SUPERCHARGED | | By Steve Escajeda | |  The 2010 version of the Southwest Superchargers racing series kicks off at the El Paso Motorplex on Sunday.
The championship series, which consists of 10 races throughout the region, has grown from four racers in its inception in 1996 to 62 racers today.
“There is such a need for local racers to have a place to do what they love, and we’ve supplied them with a place to do it,” said event co-founder Donnie Powell. “We have a brand new facility and we’re working on it every day to build a beautiful place for drivers to show their stuff.”
The gates of the El Paso Motorplex, located at 13101 Gateway West off I-10 West (exit 42, Clint), will open at 8 a.m. Time trials will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the eliminating round begins at 4 p.m.
“The enthusiasm El Paso has for the sport of drag racing is great, and we expect attendance to be around 5,000-6,000 for the event,” Powell said. “I expect 25-30 cars to show up for the event. The winner will get cash bonuses along with some sponsor product.”
And there will be a diverse range of drivers participating at the event.
“There’s an 81-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl entered that are scheduled to go upwards of 200 mph,” Powell said.
But participating drivers will not be the only winners this weekend.
“A portion of every ticket sale at the race will benefit the John Wayne Cancer Foundation,” Powell said. “This is a great opportunity for fans to enjoy an exciting day of racing and contribute to a worthy cause at the same time.”
The drag racing is just one part of the action fans can enjoy.
The event will include motorcycle racing and a motorcycle exhibition. Merchandise booths will be set up along with car displays, food, drink and music. Spectators will have the opportunity to go down to the pits and visit with the racers to see the cars up close.
This will not be the only time the Southwest Superchargers make their way to El Paso.
“We will return to El Paso for the ninth race of the season on Sept. 5,” Powell said. “There’s no guarantee, but if things go really well here, we could be back sooner than that.”
Fans won’t have to wait until race day to get a close-up look at the cars scheduled to compete.
Many of the vehicles and drivers will be on hand at the Wal-Mart on 7555 N. Mesa on Saturday (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) and again on Sunday (9 a.m.-noon). Fans will be able to sit in the cars and buy tickets for the event.
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 at Yearwood Speed and Custom, Hot Rod Connection and Pacific Audio. The regular ticket price is $15 for adults, $10 for Military, $4 for kids ages 6-12, and children 5 and under get in free.
Comments or questions about this story? E-mail Secret@whatsuppub.com
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