Hands On™ Racing
The Hands On™ Racing program helps drive critically ill children to focus on the future rather than the present or the past. Thanks to the generosity of the National Hot Rod Association, children with life-threatening illnesses will receive a day they may never forget and a tool for speeding recovery.
“I had lots of fun at the drag race at Firebird Race Way. I had always dreamed about going into the pits and meeting the drivers...I never expected all those autographs!”
Hands On Racing first hit the road with Team Amick, led by David Amick, a rookie NASCAR driver. David took his passion for critically ill children - spurred by his family's own medical crisis - to the pavement and helped give the Believe In Tomorrow Hands On Adventures program its name. When Team Amick came to an end, several other drivers throughout different racing circuits, including Christi Passmore, took the driver's seat in leading Believe In Tomorrow kids to discover their passion for racing. Most recently, Believe In Tomorrow Hands On Racing has jump-started its relationship with the National Hot Rod Association.
Drag racing, or “hot rod” racing at speeds that sometimes topple 300 miles per hour, found its first supporters in empty plains of the arid West, and a lifetime supporter in Wally Parks, the founder of National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
Fast Facts About Drag Racing and NHRA
- A drag race is an acceleration contest held on a track between two standing vehicles
- Only two vehicles compete at a time in tournament-style eliminations
- Contests are started by an electronic device, commonly called a Christmas Tree because of the descending colors of LED lights
- Light beams are used to position the front wheels of the vehicle exactly on the starting line
- Speed is measured in a 66-foot “speed trap”
- There is an NHRA Junior Drag Racing division for riders 8-17
- 140 member tracks across the nation host NHRA competitions
- NHRA has more than 20 categories of competition
- There is an open-pit policy, so drivers are often found in the pit area signing autographs and chatting with fans
- Nitromethane is produced specifically as a fuel for drag racing
- Wheelie bars are used to prevent excessive front wheel lift