Racing is something that defines us as people; competition and hierarchy are two things we are very keen on, and we love seeing who is the best at certain feats, or which object is the best. Moreover, we love speed, not only because it allows us to move from one point to another faster and save time, but because the adrenaline rush it comes with has no other comparison. People love pushing their limits, and this is one of the things that defines our evolution; thus a form of pushing limits is also motorcycle drag racing, even though it may not have immediate effects on other people’s lives.
The difference between motorcycle drag racing and other motorcycle competitions is that in the first instance, only two participants get to compete at a time. The practice is also called “Sprints”, because the competition is supposed to measure the fastest motorcycle in a limited amount of time and on a short distance. The two participants get aligned at a drag strip; a signaled starting line must be present, and when the starting signal is given, the two participants accelerate their motorcycles as fast as they can. The length of this paved, two-laned, and straight track is usually a quarter of a mile.
The time elapsed until the finishing line, as well as the terminal speed of each competitor is recorded, but the one who reaches the finishing line is the one to win. However, setting or beating records is one of the aspects of the competition as well, even though prizes may not be given for this. The Pro Stock Category is the most famous forms of motorcycle drag racing, but there are others as well, such as the 1,000 horsepower nitromethane engine.
The Pro Stock Bike, or Pro Stock Motorcycle, is today the most widely spread from of motorcycle drag racing; it started in the United States, and since the 1980s it is part of the official competitions, having reached a professional level. Participants who win receive points on each competition, so a form of hierarchy is present; the first such points were given in 1987, and the racer with the most points, undefeated so far, was Dave Schultz, who had gathered 45 points, but who unfortunately died of cancer in 2001.
As for the best motorcycles, it is usually those with inline-4 cylinder Suzuki that won most competitions, but several rule changes have allowed Harley Davidson to introduce a few winners into the competition. There is also a female presence in this form of racing, and there was even a national record set by racer Angelle Sampey in 1996, with 7.8 seconds of elapsed time.
