FORKS — Drag racers, start your engines.
West End Thunder will blast off from the starting line this weekend with its one-eighth-mile drag racing series at Forks Municipal Airport.
Racing begins at 10 a.m. today and Sunday.
Additional races will be held July 11-12, Aug. 29-30 and Sept. 19-20.
“It’s pretty much a fun time with nice, fast cars,” said Phil Arbeiter, president of the West End Thunder Club, the nonprofit group that sponsors the races.
The cost of admission is $10. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Cars are separated into classes like street pro and super street pro. New to this summer’s docket are the super shifters, a class of four-speed cars.
“It’s amazing to watch how fast those guys shift their cars,” Arbeiter said.
Since the drag races began at the airport in 2005, attendance has been consistently strong.
A typical race day attracts about 800 to 1,200 spectators, 80 to 85 racing cars and 50 to 60 for the show ‘n’ shine car show, Arbeiter said.
He said 2008 was an average year.
“The weather has a lot to do with it, and it also depends on the date,” Arbeiter said.
“You can’t pick a date when there isn’t something else going on.”
New home
Despite the popular following, the West End Thunder needs a new home.
A Federal Aviation Administration policy prohibits airports with grant obligations to close for non-aviation uses.
The city of Forks, which owns the airport, and the racing club were granted an exception in August 2006. The airport must remain open except for a maximum of 10 FAA-approved days through 2011.
Following that, the drag races must relocate.
The Port of Port Angeles and city of Forks have hired a firm to conduct a feasibility study for a permanent West End motorsports park, Arbeiter said. The Port of Port Angeles will release the study in the coming weeks, he said.
Arbeiter, a former Forks mayor and fire chief, said a big advantage to West End Thunder is keeping illegal drag racing off the streets.
West End Thunder is an alcohol-free event.
“It’s a pretty relaxed atmosphere, not like a big city,” Arbeiter said.
“It’s not high-tense or anything.”
A local Little League staffs a vendor booth with soft drinks and snacks.
Spectators are encouraged to stay behind the ribbon barrier at the return lane so the cars can return to the pits quickly to cool their engines, Arbeiter said.
The show ‘n’ shine costs $15 per car and driver.
The cost for drag racing is $30.
After expenses, the West End Thunder Club breaks about even, Arbeiter said.
“Our expenses pretty well take care of what we generate,” he said. “Insurance is really expensive per day.”
The city takes a 10 percent cut at the gate, and the club pays for use of the airport. Those expenses and others add up to “pretty much what we take in,” Arbeiter said.
For more information on West End Thunder, phone 360-640-4444 or 360-374-6696 or e-mail westend thunder@yahoo.com.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladaily news.com
