Gone in 7.71 seconds years ago
Staff reporter
A light pole signals the two drivers to the starting line. At the top of the "Christmas tree," the amber pre-staging lights begin to glow as the cars inch forward into place.
Races are won and lost from the starting line. Reaction time is everything.
The adrenaline is pumping through their veins as they rev up their motors in anticipation of the amber countdown lights.
And then it happens. The light turns green and in a blink of an eye and less than eight seconds the race is over.
The parachute opens at the end of the track, reminding the car and driver the end of the asphalt is near.
Months of preparation and anticipation ends, for the time being, in that short window of opportunity.
Stan Williams of Marion, a veteran drag racer, has been experiencing this adrenaline rush every other weekend for the past 20 years.
Williams' car for the past six years is a bright purple, 1986 Z28 Camaro.
He races at tracks in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Wichita, Houston, and San Antonio.
Williams races because he likes the speed and the challenge of making an engine run better.
"That's why I prefer 'heads up' racing," explained Williams.
The winner of a "heads up" race is the first car to cross the finish line. The winner of bracket racing finishes as close as possible to the time the driver posts on his window. The time is determined by time trials.
The racing season began April 3 with a race in Oklahoma City and finishes in October.
Williams won his first race of the season with a time of 7.71 seconds in the quarter mile topping speeds of 178 1/2 mph. He attributes his win to a good reaction time at the starting line.
Winning isn't new to Williams. He has a four-foot trophy in his garage from winning the 2000 MSRA (Midwest Street Race Association) championship.
During the off-season, Williams spends his time perfecting his car — working on the engine to make it faster than the previous season.
"This winter I spent 200 hours building an intake manifold," said Williams. He had the assistance of local machinist George Waner and welder Nick Zogelman to accomplish the task.
"I started with a flat sheet of aluminum," explained Williams, pointing to a perfectly shaped, professional quality, manifold cover. Topping it off are two large dominator carburetors.
"This engine is a product of 20 years," says Williams with a smile. Over time, he has refined the motor to be the best it can possibly be.
Williams does not have a stable of fresh motors in his garage for the races. He has one motor that he has built from the motor mounts up. Typically, if the motor should have problems at a race, it's a burned-up piston that can be replaced.
Williams is optimistic about the motor. "If the motor blows, there's usually something to salvage," he said. Part of the racing technique is keeping the motor tuned and tweaked well enough to avoid the blown motor quandary.
"Most races are Saturday evening events," said Williams. Some races take place on Friday evenings, and some are two-day events.
Two local men, Kevin Steele and Dean Snelling, help Williams in between races with the maintenance and usually go to the races with him to help in the pits.
Sanctioned by the NHRA, National Hot Rod Association, the organization oversees vehicle safety, tracks, and racing times.
Williams races in the Super Street division. The division requirements are a car weight of 3,000 pounds, 10 1/2-inch wide slicks (tires), and mufflers. Tire size and tread separates the classes more than anything, said Williams.
The car uses 118 octane racing fuel with bottles of nitrous oxide riding in the back seat. There are three stages of the nitrous, with each stage providing 300 to 400-horsepower.
"I haven't used the third stage yet," said Williams with a smile. He has topped speeds of 180 mph with the first two stages.
Williams' motor is a 630-cubic inch, all aluminum big block Chevy. It produces 1,220 horsepower before adding nitrous.
A metal roll bar surrounds the cockpit of the car where Williams sits. He knows first hand the importance of the roll cage and other safety features.
"A few years ago, I totaled a 1969 convertible during a race," explained Williams. "The safety bars saved my life." He ended up with two black eyes and a broken finger.
A wheelie bar with two wheels extends from the rear of the car to keep it from flipping over at the start of the race. The bar also is set up to allow the car to go straight while the front wheels are off of the track.
"For the first second or two, all a driver sees is sky," said Williams, referring to the start of the race and the horsepower setting the car back on the rear wheelie bar.
Once the car crosses the finish line, a parachute is deployed. By using the chute and the cars' disc brakes, the speed of the car is rapidly reduced.
"Parachutes are required for all cars that go over 150 mph," said Williams.
The chute and the bag are occasionally replaced.
Generally, there are eight to 16 contenders in Williams' division at a race. For eight competitors, there are two qualifying rounds and three elimination rounds, if a driver makes it to the finals.
The track is prepared with an adhesive compound to make the tires stick.
"The better race tracks are concrete at the starting line and may turn to asphalt half way down," said Williams.
Weather plays a major role in racing. If there is rain, there is no race.
The car does not make as much horsepower in the hot weather as it does in the cool weather.
"The track is slimy in the hot weather and it is difficult to get traction," Williams explained.
During the cold weather, the track is hard which also makes traction a challenge.
"I have to adjust the car to track conditions at each race," said Williams.
Williams is a full-time truck salesman at Williams Service in Florence. Currently he does not have any major sponsors but would consider sponsorships.
"Marion Auto Supply has been very helpful to me, which I really appreciate," Williams said.
Williams is married to Jami and they have three children.
