25 Reasons to Be Excited About Drag Racing: No. 12 – Radial Outlaws Adds Big Money, Championship Stakes to Radial vs. The World
Donald “Duck” Long and his Duck X Productions brand built up the drag radial racing category over more than a decade of his marquee events, Lights Out in the spring and No Mercy in the fall, both at South Georgia Motorsports Park. In an effort to continue growing the radial classes, especially the headlining Radial vs. the World division, Long and a team of drag radial stakeholders introduced the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series for the 2022 season. Since then, the group has added big payouts and pro-level structure to help carry drag radial racing into the future.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #190, the State of Drag Issue, in September/ October of 2024.]
Though multiple radial classes have had the ability to race for a season championship through various series, namely John Sears’ Radial Tire Racing Association (RTRA), the Radial Outlaws program added a championship element for Radial vs. the World, which saw increasing performance levels and corresponding costs that sent it into dangerous, Pro Extreme-esque territory. Through the Radial Outlaws series, Long is working to rebuild the class.
In the inaugural Radial Outlaws season in 2022, just six RVW drivers ran the full six-race season, while dozens of racers in other classes earned points in the class when they’d buy a tech card just to get a few more passes down the track. The 2023 points standings include just dedicated RVW drivers, a list that went up to eight full-time competitors.
The RVW effort reached a new level earlier this year when Long announced an increased $50,100-to-win winner’s prize, as well as a $50,000 prize for the season champion. The incentive seems to be helping, as eight drivers have run the first four of six scheduled races, while the other five drivers in the points standings have run two or three events.
“Our goal over the past year was to elevate RVW back to the pinnacle of drag racing excitement and competition,” Long said in an interview earlier this year. “Thanks to the incredible support from our sponsors and the hard work of everyone behind the scenes, we’re on track to achieve just that. This boost in prize money is not just about rewarding the winners; it’s about encouraging competition, attracting more teams, including those from the Pro Mod ranks, and ultimately, growing the sport we all love.”
The other classes in the series – Pro 275, Limited Drag Radial, X275, and Ultra Street – have all seen strong season-long participation as well. Overall, the Radial Outlaws program has provided its participants with more places to race for more money, while also giving fans more opportunities to watch their favorite drivers compete, all with the yearlong intrigue of championship battles.
This story was originally published on November 8, 2024.
The post 25 Reasons to Be Excited About Drag Racing: No. 12 – Radial Outlaws Adds Big Money, Championship Stakes to Radial vs. The World first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
