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Sept. 23-24
Woodburn Dragstrip
Fall Classic
Woodburn, OR

 


 

A Busy and Spectacular July for Warped Speed!hecked my wall calendar, (yes, I still use those instead of looking at my trusty flip phone) and noticed
There were 31 days in July. To me it seemed like only five! Wow...that month disappeared in a heart beat! They say time flies when your having fun and well - I had a blast!! Literally! I was strapped to a jet engine every weekend in July. Of course we started the month with the Foxhunt at Sacramento, and then a mini Nitro Jam in Spokane. Several of the Nostalgia Nitro Cars were on their way to Edmonton for the IHRA Nitro Jam tour. Spokane hasn't sounded that sweet since the 80's!! The Warped Speed and Warhawk battled it out after the Nitro sessions. Always a good battle!

The next weekend I drove for Brad and Heather Janishewski in Edmonton. My first IHRA Nitro Jam. As the Canadian's would say -what a hoot!! The rain plagued the event, but the IHRA staff would not be defeated by Mother Nature. Those people never quit drying the track, and they finished the event!

The following weekend, July 23rd, was a mass collection of jet cars at Rocky Mountain Raceways. Ron Kraft has a way of attracting jet cars from all over the country. 14 of them converged on Salt Lake. And talk about entertaining - it was a dual event weekend as the circle track was racing too. So when cars weren't going straight down the dragstrip, they were going around in circles on the asphalt oval! I was like the chipmunk in the middle of the road running back and forth! We took the Incinerator and propelled it to a 5.68 @ 281 MPH. Pretty good for a hot night at altitude.

And then we closed out the month with the Woodburn Night Race. This is a once a year event that just keeps growing. Saturday was the largest one day attendance in the history of the Dragstrip. Congratulations to Jay, Joey, and Cherie!!! The Warped Speed and Warhawk lit up the dark western skies, hence Nite Of Fire!

 

It's Fox Hunt Time in Boise and Sacramento!

Not sure what happened over the winter - do we really know what race cars do when nobody is in the shop? Well I don’t know if selling two cars scared the remaining two straight, but the Warped Speed and the Incinerator are attacking the 2016 season with a whole new attitude!

The Foxhunt at Firebird Raceway in Boise is always a spectacular race to witness, and this year was no exception! We had an awesome time and even set a track record - 6.01 @ 266 MPH!! If I had known we were so close to the 5’s, I wouldn’t have eaten lunch that day so we would be just a little lighter!

I unloaded the “superstar” funny car at the shop and put the Incinerator in the trailer and off we went to the Foxhunt in Sacramento. Driving over the Lake Shasta bridge and noticing the thermometer at 90 degrees makes you think for a moment - a cool lake on a hot day or a track temperature that’s probably 30 degrees higher? Well I decided that since the dragster doesn’t float, I had better continue on to my original destination. The blown nostalgia cars at the track put water skiing a distant second place! What a show and the history of the event. And the Incinerator was not about to be outdone by its shop mate, so it went out and ran a 5.46 @ 292 MPH in the heat!

I’m going to let both cars sit in the shop for a couple of days and let them do whatever they do then we’re off to Spokane.

Hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. See ya at the races!

 

It's Nice to be Back After an Extra Long Winter!

Late fall - wintertime - early spring, subjects of well written songs and cozy books. For me it’s a long drawn out time to go without blazing down the quarter mile! Late spring finally came around this year but it was like having a birthday party and nobody showed up. Our first race, the Woodburn season opener got rained out.....really???? you kidding me???? I have been itching to get behind the wheel for what seems like an eternity. Yancey had the Warped Speed Funny Car in the staging lanes and I was in my favorite suit, when mother nature decided it was time for all of us to go home.

The very next weekend was the annual Dee Adams Memorial Race at Yakima. I was fortunate to be able to call Dee a friend. He was the founder of Renegade Raceways, and we talked many years before I was able to talk him into hosting a jet show. That race paid dividends as I was introduced to his family. He was a very fortunate man. Fellow jet car racer Derek Snelson has taken over the reins at Renegade, so the Warhawk and the Warped Speed lit up that peaceful valley. The Warped Speed went 272 MPH! I think she wanted out of the barn as badly as i did!!

We leave in a couple days for the Foxhunt at Boise. Thank you summer! What took ya so long to get here?

- Richard Smith

 

Warped Speed Racing is back for 2016!

The Warped Speed Racing Team is back by popular demand...literally! After what was to be the final event ever for the Warped Speed Team in Las Vegas, team owner Darin Bay began liquidating what was once one of the biggest jet car teams in the country. After selling two of the dragsters and the semi-truck he was down to the last two jet cars, the Warped Speed Funny Car and the popular Incinerator Dragster. Darin then began to have thoughts of what life would be like away from the exciting world of jet car racing.

Instead of selling the Warped Speed and the Incinerator there was a change of heart as Darin realized what was missing the last few years was the smaller more manageable team he once had without so many cars and distractions. So, Darin got the team back together including the primary driver Richard Smith. This was welcome news for each of the team members, track promoters and the fans who look forward to seeing the fire and thunder from the grandstands every summer.

This year the Warped Speed Team have events scheduled in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah and California. To see the complete schedule go here

 

Jets Conclude Fall Races in Sacramento and Woodburn

We just returned from running two spectacular races – the 46th annual Governor’s Cup at Sacramento Raceway Park and the Fall Classic at Woodburn.
Good fortune in scheduling this year allowed us to participate in the Governor’s Cup. This race holds a lot of great memories for me – talking racing and planes with my pilot cohorts, Dave Smith and Darin Bay – to the overnight road trip. You see, many years ago, this event and the Woodburn Fall Classic were held on the same weekend and we attended both events. This involved racing Saturday night in Sacramento – loading up the cars and driving straight through to run Woodburn Sunday afternoon. The road trip was a crazy time with lots of interesting conversation, microwave burritos, cat naps and watching the sun rise.

This year’s “CUP” had everything this drag junky could ask for – Nitro and Funny Cars!! I was having so much fun watching the races that I almost forgot we were there to perform! Our good friend Derek Snelson did a superb job of kicking my tail as he herded the Incinerator twice to victory over me and the Devastator. Boy, that car has a really cool afterburner flame (I watched it go by twice)!!

The Fall Classic in Woodburn, Oregon, featured a great line-up of cars – Fuel Altereds, Funny Cars, Dragsters, Pro Mods and the 10.5 Outlaws! Two days of perfect weather and good friends. And now we’re off to our final race of 2015 – the 15th Annual NHRA Toyota Nationals, October 29 to November 1.

Hope to see ya at the races!
Richard Smith

 

Jets Put on a Good Show Including Behind the Scenes Excitement at Night Fire Nationals


44 years ago, Bill New put Firebird Raceway in the racing history books with the inaugural Nightfire Nationals. Little did he know in 2015, his sons would still be carrying on the tradition. We all know what goes on behind the scenes of any major production can be hectic and is usually not seen from a spectators viewpoint. The New crew presented a flawless, exciting, nitro methane filled Nightfire Nationals! We at WSR are so fortunate to be a part of such an event. It is the race I personally look forward to each year.

The line up of Nitro cars, Alcohol Cars and an extremely full field of sportsman cars makes it a 3 day racing junkies’ dream come true! Derek Snelson and I were jumping from car to car as we would start the finale with Jet Funny Cars and close the show after Ed Jones' wheelstander show with the Devastator and Incinerator. Talk about what goes on behind the scenes - you should see Derek and I exit the Warhawk and Warped Speed down at the “big end”, jump into an SUV that is waiting to hustle us up to the staging lanes and get poured into the dragsters.

Ed Jones is putting on his fantastic wheel standing show while all of this is going on and if we need more time, he is more than willing to play a little longer. I must admit, the longer he goes the more the air smells like Jelly Belly cinnamon and I am a sucker for cinnamon! When we get the cars started in the burnout box, Darin Bay becomes the orchestra conductor of a band of fire breathers. He raises his arms and the fire flows from the afterburners and when he wants to hear thunder, he motions like a drummer and the glass shattering burner bangs begin. Its a lot of fun as a driver and it’s real easy to get carried away, so Darin has to pull in the reins a bit and make us calm down to go to the starting line where we shoot ourselves into the Idaho darkness.

Well the 44th annual Nightfire Nationals is in the books......can’t wait for the 45th!

Our next race is The Governors Cup at Sacramento Raceway September 12th.

Hope to see ya at the races!
Richard Smith

 

Hot Summer Weather Leads to Hot Jet Car Racing in Boise and Yakima

Our last two races had some things in common.....HOT temperatures! The Foxhunt at Boise had temps of 103 degrees and nonstop heated racing - Pro Mods, Funny Cars, Altereds, Ed Jones, and of course, JETS. The Warhawk and the Warped Speed funny cars were supposed to square off Saturday night, but the Warped Speed had a case of stage fright, so we unloaded the Black Rat and went out to play! It is always a pleasure to race with Derek Snelson and crew.

The next weekend was Nitro Nights Under the Lights at Yakima. The temperature at Boise seemed like a cool spring evening compared to Yakima...108 degrees!! With your body temperature being 98.6 degrees, why does another 10 degrees seem so dang hot?? The classic Warped Speed vs Warhawk match race was soon to be played out and I have had the honor of being in EVERY Warped Speed vs Warhawk match. As the former owner of the Warhawk, I went to battle with Darin Bay in the Warped Speed funny car. Now I am driving the Warped Speed for Darin so I’m in the other lane. Derek had his car on a rail, and when we left the track, the score was 1 to 1.

Even with the unusual hot weather strangling the Northwest this year, the crowd at Boise and Yakima were big! One reason may be that the Warped Speed funny car got on the front page of the Yakima Herald sports section!

Our next race is the Night of Fire at Woodburn. Hope to see ya there!!

Richard Smith

 

Spring Time Brings out the Warped Speed Jet Cars in Full Force!

Ahhh...summer time! Outdoor cooking, beaches, sun tans and another racing season! We are still a few weeks from the official start of summer and WSR already has five events under our belts. We stretched our legs in Vegas at the NHRA National Event, performed before a standing room only crowd at “Kool April Nights” in Redding, lit up the western sky at Medford and saw a lot of old friends at the Woodburn Season Opener.

This past weekend we ran at the Rocky Mountain Raceways, “Spring Jet Nationals” and I have to say, Saturday night at RMR was one of my all time favorite jet car events! We had two cars booked into the show and were asked to run a third. As I was the only driver, this seemed like a insurmountable feat, but the WSR crew took it as a challenge! With a little help from our friends Greg and Lynn and other jet racers stretching out their shows, Duane and Yancey got me to the starting line in record time. We were able to make six runs in three different cars that night. It leaves me wondering...can we do four? We’re headed back to Woodburn June 6 & 7 - see you at the races!!

Richard Smith

 

Warped Speed Kicks off Season in Las Vegas

This past fall, the WSR team struck gold in the silver state of Nevada at the NHRA National event in Las Vegas. Friday night's run between the Incinerator and Devastator received major air time on ESPN. Everyone was a TV star for a few minutes and the race cars were feeling their stardom too. They performed like rock stars showing off with a spectacular 290 MPH side by side pass.

Fast forward to this year and the WSR team has been invited back to put on another exhibition to close the show out on Friday and Saturday night at the Summit Racing Nationals! It's going to be an exciting year and it all starts off in Vegas April 10th -12th!

Following Vegas, it's California stars as we head for Reading and Cool April nights on April 24-25. Then we travel home to Portland, Oregon before performing at the Woodburn Dragstrip Season Opener, May 16-17. We then return to the Southwest where race at Rocky Mountain Jet Car Spring Nationals.


It's "Oh Canada" at Mission Raceway!

When I think of Canada, I picture white capped mountains, lush green valleys, wildlife galore, and peaceful tranquility. That was not the story over the weekend in Mission, B.C. Between the jet cars and the nitro burning machines, peaceful tranquility had to leave town!! I love racing at Mission. The town welcomes the racers and the race track. No noise abatements, just pure high horsepower racing action!

Once again I had the opportunity to race with my good friend Derek Snelson. The Warhawk and Warped Speed Funny Cars battled it out first, then Derek and I would get strapped to a pair of dragsters and go at it again! Derek drove the Black Rat for us and I kept my seat warm in the Devastator. The overflow capacity crowd Saturday night really gets me pumped up to put on the best show possible and the WSR team did just that! My thanks to Derek for herding the "Rat" down the quarter mile, and to the folks at Mission for making us feel so welcome.

We have the next two weekends off the track, (that translates as shop time) and then to the Season Closer at Woodburn. And if anybody just happens to be wandering around Louisiana the first weekend of October, come on out to State Capital Raceway in Baton Rouge and say howdy. Darin's good friend Roger Gustin invited us out for his Cajun jet show.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend, and we'll see ya at the races!

- Richard Smith

 

 

Spokane Treats Fans to Jet Car Finals

The Jet Car Finals held at Spokane County Raceway were a roaring success as a full field of red hot jet cars gave the fans their money's worth and more!

I say more because the track generously served up not two but three rounds of sensory overload as jet cars lit up the sky for hours. There were cars like the "Secret Weapon" tank, a "Tow Mater" replica (if you can believe that), the always spectacular "War Hawk" and of course the Warped Speed cars that rocked drag racing's concrete palace in Eastern Washington.

At this event, the Warped Speed funny car, the Incinerator and the Devastator jet dragster were pulled from Darin Bay's stable and were selected as the cars of choice for this special event. Both dragsters raced each other but the Warped Speed funny car took on Derek Snelson's War Hawk in the night cap and flew to a decisive victory. It was a can't miss event that only happens in Spokane! Next up is Mission!

 

WOW!! Describes Night Fire Nationals!

WOW!!!! A three letter word that conveys the excitement of the 43rd annual Nightfire Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Boise. Nitro hanging heavy in the air, pro mods, and of course JETS. The New family have perfected this event over the years, and it just keeps getting better.

With the family patriarch gone, it is obvious Bill New taught his sons well, and they paid attention. 3 days of nitro funny cars and dragsters will only tease the addiction! The WSR team closed the show every night, so, we had the best seats in the house. The Incinerator and Devastator were welded together as we blew down the quarter mile. The cars were on cruise control with the consistency of a well tuned bracket car. Get the light, get the stripe! I

just spent a couple days in our new shop, the race cars are serviced and loaded, so off to Spokane. See ya at the races!

-Richard Smith

 

 

Warped Speed Breaks the 300 MPH Mark!

If you weren't at Woodburn last weekend, all I can say is you should have been! The 4th annual "Night of Fire" was once again a great time and the stands were packed! There is just something spectacular about racing Woodburn under the lights. We race in the dark most of the time, but when Jay and Joey rent those light towers and convert the track from a daytime race to allowing us to light up the western skies at night, for me it is truly a big thrill.

Friday night, the WSR team found the elusive 300 MPH mark again! WSR has not had a 300 MPH time slip since Darin's run in Indy in 2011 (303 MPH). Something in the air just felt right. You kinda get a premonition that you are going to make a good run. When Yancey was towing me back to the pits and I got within ear shot of the announcer enthusiastically talking about the 301 MPH run we just made, I experienced surprise, emotion, jubilation, loss of voice from hootin and hollerin and when I saw Darin's huge grin - I jumped out of the car and we shared a moment. Then, I probably looked like Ricky Bobby on Talledega Nights running around like I was on fire!!! The Woodburn crowd was sharing the moment with us!! Lots of high 5's and hand slapping! As our team shirts say "We're back in 2014" See ya at the races.

- Richard Smith

 

Fox Hunt a Barn Burner in Spokane

The Fox Hunt Drags in Spokane was a highly successful barn burning event for Spokane County Raceway. The jet cars headlined the show which also included wheelstanders, the Blown Alcohol Thunder Pro Comp Series and even a pair of Top Fuel Dragsters piloted by track operator Craig Smith and his Eastern Washington foe Gary Omlin.

The six jet cars ran three times in front of the packed house that begged for more. The Warped Speed team took the Devastator dragster and the Warped Speed Funny Car out of it's stable of jets to the delight of thousands of happy fans. Richard and Scott were on their game and made very spectacular fire breathing runs in the heat of the hot summer night.

 

Warped Speed Races Back-to-Back in Woodburn and Medford

With the Warped Speed jet cars based in Portland, Oregon, the two remaining quarter mile tracks left in the state of Oregon were sure to host them for their Fourth of July festivities. After all, besides fireworks and an ice cold Coke-a-Cola, what goes better with the 4th of July than jet cars with their fire, smoke and sonic noise?

July 3rd was the big one as the Warped Speed jet car team raced all four of their cars at the "Jet Car Nationals" at Woodburn Dragstrip. Since the team has four cars and two drivers, Scott and Richard mixed it up and ran pairs of jets between rounds of alcohol cars, brackets and Junior Dragsters. It was a big day and a lot of work making the rounds. It was also lots of pre-fourth excitement for the fans at Oregon's premier track.

The team enjoyed some of the festivities on the 4th and then was on the road heading south to Champion Raceway in Southern Oregon for their "Night of Fire" event on the 5th. Besides the headlining jets, the race featured fuel alterds, funny cars and dragsters. The always out of control fuel alterds were the talk of the night as two of them crashed, one spectacularly but fortunately everyone was alright and the cars will be rebuilt. Sadly, the incidents limited the remainder of the show but fortunately the jets saved the day. Both Scott and Richard put on a great show to the delight of the crowd.

 


Drag Racing Excitement Galore is Yakima

Once again I had the pleasure of racing two old friends - Derek Snelson and the Warhawk Jet Funny Car but this time at Renegade Raceways in Yakima, Washington.

The weather was perfect for drag racing, except for a little bit of cross wind. I don't know if Derek is as big a Nascar fan as me, but we came real close to "Rubbin-Racin". As we pulled the chutes Friday night, both cars decided to do a cross wind shuffle. I talked the Warped Speed Funny Car back to her side of the track as Derek was getting a real close look at her lettering. With the wind still blowing Saturday night, we decided to click them off early.

The Blown Alcohol Thunder Drag Racing Series consisting of BB funny cars, altered and dragsters all put on a great show for the crowd. I love Yakima racing fans and can't wait to come back!

Next event is July 3 at Woodburn then Medford on the 5th. See ya at the races!

-Richard Smith

 

 

Fox Hunt Fun with the Warhawk in Boise!

The 37th Annual Foxhunt at Firebird Raceway is a race that I have always looked forward to as the crowds are large and enthusiastic and you get to meet a lot of great people. The Pro Mods, BB Funny Cars and our jets kept the crowd howling! As for me, I got to go side by side with my old car, the Warhawk, presently owned and driven by Derek Snelson. Derek and I met in the 80's in Kansas City and have always remained friends, so it was an honor and pleasure to race against him. It dawned on me that 1998 was the first year for the classic Warped Speed vs Warhawk battle.

The Warped Speed at that time was driven by a new acquaintance Darin Bay. The more things change, the more they remain the same... Warped Speed and Warhawk still put on the best show in the country, and that new acquaintance formed a die hard friendship and team effort.

The altitude and heat at Boise did not produce any stellar times for the Warped Speed or Warhawk, but nevertheless it was a great race! Next up - Yakima, Saturday, June 28. See you at the races!

-Richard Smith

 

 


Hot Action Shots from the Rose Festival Drags Taken by Larry and Andi McFarland




Click on the photo above to see a three piece photo collection taken this past weekend by Larry and Andi McFarland, the best father and daughter photography team on the entire planet!

 

 

Jets Get Big Exposure at Starlight Parade

The Starlight Parade is a tradition at the famed Portland Rose Festival. This year the Woodburn Dragstrip invited two cars from the Warped Speed stable to be on their parade float. Darin Bay, Richard Smith and friends had been practicing their parade waves for weeks, (elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist or something like that). I must say in retrospect, this is probably the largest crowd the Devastator and Incinerator have ever been in front of but certainly the slowest they have ever gone!

 

 

Jet Cars Win Over the Rain in Salt Lake City

The spring jet car event at Rocky Mountain Raceways was looking like a losing tug of war with mother nature. She dominated the morning and early afternoon with rain and then from out of the clear blue sky (no pun intended) the sun made a welcome entrance and the pre-race rituals began. Cars were unloaded and crews scurried around doing their jobs.

With 10 jet cars on hand, there was a lot of excitement for the race fans. In round one, the Incinerator and Devastator were locked together the entire quarter mile. The Incinerator ran 5.70@280.46MPH and the Devastator 5.69@ 282.84. The second round was not so thrilling as the Devastator seemed afraid of the dark and decided not to leave the starting line but Scott took the Incinerator for a nice ride 5.66@282.39 MPH! The next race will be the Rose Festival Drags, June 14-15 at Woodburn. ee ya at the races!!!

- Richard Smith

 

 

Warped Speed Jets Heat Up the Season at the Woodburn Dragstrip Season Opener


With mother nature being as unpredictable as aces in a card game, Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day for racing at Woodburn Dragstrip's Season Opener. The Incinerator and Devastator made one run on Saturday.

Scott Arriaga did not stick around the starting line very long and left Richard Smith sitting there enjoying a beautiful day. When Richard decided it was time to go, Scott had a half a car length on him and the Devastator could not reel him in! Incinerator ran 5.403 @ 287.63MPH, and the Devastator ran 5.453 @295.37 MPH.

On Sunday, the weatherman got his forecast right and it felt more like springtime in the Pacific Northwest. Rain rain rain.....so unfortunately the event was canceled. Next, the big blue rig heads for Salt Lake City!!

 

 

Jets Rock Redding's Cool April Nights Event

The Warped Speed Jet team opened the season in Redding, California in front of a packed house at the Cool April Nights Event. First, The Incinerator Jet dragster was on display downtown before taking on the Beast jet dragster at Redding Dragstrip on Saturday evening.

 

 

There's No Off Season for WSR's Richard Smith

It’s called the off-season. It is defined as that time of year that race teams are off the track. Racecars, however, are a year-round sport; half the year on the track and the other half in the race shop. With our busy schedule this coming season, and four cars to maintain, some of the winter projects are put off until spring… It’s the earliest we are able to get to them!

Since the last race in Las Vegas, NV, all of the cars have had exhaustive work performed on them: engine improvements/replacements, after-burner design changes, wiring checked, welds checked, wheel-bearings packed, and brakes checked… to name a few! In mid-February, Gary Eikmann came to our race shop to perform the task of pouring the form-fitting seats in all four cars. This is a new rule implemented by NHRA and the Jet Advisory Board, of which both Darin and Richard are members. The seats now have zero voids and no room for movement in the event of a crash; thus reducing the risk of injury. The process could have been a huge mess; like a small volcanic eruption of goo! Because of Gary’s expertise, it went as smooth as silk! It’s not a simple task to begin with, and then multiplying it by four… Thanks Gary for doing a great job!

In January, Richard had his “arm twisted” and spent 10 days in New Zealand, where it was a balmy 85 degrees. He called it a “working vacation”… right! A friend of his, Steve Zahorodny in Auckland, bought a (less-than-perfect) jet funny-car. When Richard arrived, Steve and his family & crew attacked that car with one goal…get it running to do a fire show in just 5 days! New Zealand is a beautiful country and the people love their motor-sports, but it’s like living on Gilligan’s Island; trying to make parts out of banana peels and coconut shells! Most of the parts on the car did not work or were hooked up incorrectly. After many scenarios of “1 step forward 2 steps back”, the team was able to perform at the Fire Show; making two shake-down runs on Sunday. Richard was honored with the Kiwi flag recognizing his degree in “Kiwi Ingenuity”. As soon as he returned home to the states, he sent a “care package” of parts that had to be replaced. The moral of this story…buyer beware!

Darin is planning on a lot of testing in March, both on the tie-down and on the track. His tune-up wizardry will assure respectable performances from all the cars! The end of the “off-season” is almost here, so it’s time to …Git’er done!

 

 

Warped Speed Jets Displayed at Winter Speed Show

It was old vs. new as the new state of the art Devastator Jet Dragster lined up against the McCurdy and Sons nostalgia dragster. Of course this would likely never happen on the dragstrip but at the Winter Rod and Speed Show - anything is possible. Also on hand was the Warped Speed Jet Funny Car and their famous truck and trailer greeted car show fans at the front of the building.

The annual car show not only serves as the grand premier of winter car shows and the upcoming hot rodding season but also benefits the local Food Bank and the Children's Cancer Association. A mix of locals and the who's who of the northwest automotive world show up in droves. This year over 920 pounds of food was donated to the Linn Benton Food Bank and the Children's Cancer Association also benefited greatly. Prior to the show jet pilot Richard Smith was on the Lars Larson Show promoting the event.


 

Warped Speed Jets Thrill NHRA Crowd in Vegased Speed Jet Dragsters wowed the crowd in Las Vegas during the NHRA Toyota Nationals held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The Devastator and the Incinerator closed the show during qualifying both Friday and Saturday nights with great side-by-side runs. Each night the crowd stayed around to watch the jets roll snake eyes down the strip of Las Vegas with spectacular high speed entertainment and lots of fire and thunder at the starting line.

But it was Saturday night that caught all of the attention of the large crowd as the jet dragsters blew the house down with identical 5.55 ET's! The Devastator got there first with a speed of 289 MPH to the Incinerator's 285 MPH to end what has been a very good year. The car also ran identical ET's two other times this season!

 

 

Warped Speed Dazzle Full House In Salt Lake City

Mountain Raceway's Night of Fire and NHRA Divisional event were two races in one and turned out to be a big success as the event attracted a full house of race fans. The Night of Fire portion of the race featured Canada vs America as there were four cars all the way from Canada and four USA cars made up the rest of the stout eight car field.

The Americans won the race and the Warped Speed jet cars were in the thick of it with some spectacular performances. The Incinerator posted a 281 MPH pass while the Devastator wowed the crowed with a thrilling 285 MPH blast.

As the season winds down, the cars now head to Las Vegas for the final show of the year where they will thrill NHRA fans at the close of the Las Vegas Nationals October 25-26.

 

 

 

Jets Complete Medford Race Before Rain Sets In

With jet pilot Scott Arriaga spending quality time at the San Francisco airport as he was unable to catch a flight to Medford, Oregon, the Warped Speed Racing Team came up with Plan B. At the Hot Rod Nationals at Champion Raceway, Richard Smith made two solo runs with the Funny Car. His first pass was a 6.03 @ 264 MPH and on the second run, the afterburner bangs wreaked havoc on Champion Raceway's timing equipment so no ET or MPH was recorded.

For the third run of the night, the team unloaded the Devastator jet dragster for a pre-Salt Lake City shakedown run. Richard Smith clicked it off early to a 5.92 @ 268 MPH run. This time, the afterburner bangs wreaked havoc on the rain clouds as the skies opened up and started raining hard as the crew was returning to the pits.

Stay tuned for our next event this coming weekend in Salt Lake City.

 

 

 

Jets Close Out The Woodburn Season at Fall Classic

Sunny weather on Saturday and then cooler gloomy weather on Sunday made the Fall Classic a mixed bag for spectator turnout. Still, the rain stayed away long enough to make the Fall Classic a big success. Along with the Warped Speed jet cars was an NHRA Regional event for Top Alcohol Dragsters and Funny Cars that attracted some of the top cars in the country. Also, the Pro Nostalgia cars were in the house making their last hurrah of the season at the famed Woodburn facility.

On Saturday, the Devastator ran a 5.47 @ 289 MPH and the Incinerator recorded a 5.89 @ 271 MPH. Then on Sunday, the jet cars put on an exceptional side by side exhibition for the Woodburn fans. Both the Devastator and the Incinerator ran identical 5.71 ET's in a close and thrilling first round race. In the second stanza the Devastator recorded a 5.529 @ 287 MPH and the Incinerator dipped into the 40's with a 5.45 @ 290 MPH. If you looked close you could see a heat wave traveling above the cars as they reached the finish line! It was a thrilling end to a great season this year at Woodburn.




Warped Speed FC Races the Warhawk Jet in Canada


On Saturday night and Sunday, August 24-25, the Warped Speed Jet cars were in Mission Canada, for the "Night of Fire". As always, the big draw were the fire breathing jets under the lights! The Warped Speed cars didn't disappoint the large crowd as they put on a great show for the Canadian fans.
Richard Smith drove the Warped Speed Funny Car, racing against Derek Snelson and the popular WarHawk. Then, both Snelson and Smith raced each other in the Devastator and Incinerator jet dragsters.

Next, the jet cars travel home for a short break and then they are off to Woodburn for the Fall Classic September 14-15.

 

 

 

All Four Jet Cars Thrill Crowd in Spokane

The Nitro Night of Fire and Jet Car Finals held at Spokane County Raceway was a huge success, featuring ten jet cars, a half dozen nitro funny cars, two wheelstanders and a pit full of blown alcohol cars. Four of the jets that were in the show included the Warped Speed team. It was a busy night as both Richard Smith and Scott Arriaga drove all four cars throughout the evening.

In the first round, both Richard and Scott raced each other in the Warped Speed Funny car and Black Rat respectively. Then they came back to the pit and switched cars driving both the Incinerator and Devastator.

After a break in the jet car action where the other exhibition cars were raced, all four Warped Speed cars raced again to the delight of the large crowd that packed the Spokane facility. This time it was dark which made the show very spectacular as the fire from the jets lit up the track!

After the jets raced and Ed Jones thrilled the crowd with his Jelly Belly wheelstander, the two Top Fuel Dragsters capped off the night with an incredible fire show of their own. Much like the jets, both cars made respectable side by side runs giving the crowd a perfect ending to a spectacular evening.

 

 

Richard Smith Performs Double Duty at Night Fire Nationals in Boise, Idaho

Richard Smith performed double duty at Idaho’s marquee drag racing event, the Pepsi Night Fire Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Boise. The Warped Speed driver was subbing for Scott Arriaga who had a recent spill on his motorcycle. Because of the accident, Scott was unable to drive in Boise leaving all the driving chores to Richard. Obviously, Richard couldn’t drive both cars at once so Ed Jones driver of the Jelly Belly Wheelstander came to the rescue!

Ed didn’t drive the jet car but what he did do made it possible for both jet cars to make a pass for the Idaho fans. First, Richard drove the Warped Speed Funny Car, then Ed Jones came out and put on an incredible fire and wheelstanding show with his Jelly Belly Fire truck. This gave Richard enough time to high tail it back to the staging lanes from the end of the track and get belted into the second car, the Devastator, for the last pass of the night. The Devastator made consecutive runs to close out the show on all three nights.

The Warped Speed team’s next event is in Spokane, August 17 where they will have ten jet dragsters along with nitro funny cars, alcohol funny cars and dragsters. The team wishes Scott a quick recovery so he can get back behind the wheel soon.

 

 

Warped Speed Wows Big Crowd at Night of Fire

The Night of Fire Benefit Car Show in Salem, Oregon was a huge success. The event raised funds for the Children’s Cancer Association and the local food bank. Over two thousand people crowded the “ring of fire” to see Ed “The Outlaw” Jones do a fire show in his Jelly Belly Wheelstander followed by Richard Smith in the Warped Speed Funny Car. The two exhibitions capped off the night with an incredible display of fire.

The crowd cheered at the Warped Speed Funny Car’s firey conclusion and many will surely tell their co-workers around the water cooler about the spectacular site they had witnessed on Friday night when they return to work. The show also included the event’s co-organizer Rich Bailey who fired up his Capitol Rocketeer Dragster and Ken Logan’s Bonneville streamliner. In addition there were over 150 customized hot rods. The car show is one of the only events in the country to feature an actual jet car fire up which is why it draws so many people.

Prior to the show, Richard Smith was interviewed on the Lars Larson radio show that reaches most of the state of Oregon. The pair hit it off which gave Richard a little bit of extra air time to promote the event. Our next event is the Pepsi Night Fire Nationals in Boise ID, August 9-11

 

 

Night of Fire Drag Race a Slice of Americana

Waiting in line at the old corn dog stand on a hot summer night in Woodburn, Oregon, might have sent you back in time at least for a brief moment. High school kids were cooking and serving up corn dogs while the sound of "Call me Maybe" coming from a portable radio in the background tried to compete with the noise from roaring funny cars on the track.

The moment made you feel like you were back in the 1970's all over again. The corn dog stand was all part of the Night of Fire drag race experience held each year at Woodburn Dragstrip. Behind the concession stand was a fading sunset and a beautiful blue nighttime sky and a dark silhouette of the coast range in the distance. Stars were becoming more and more visible by the minute. It was one of those perfect nights found only in America.

The race had something for everyone including the Nitro Funny cars of Twig Zeigler and Mr. Explosive, Mark Sanders. Tim Boychuck was in the driver's seat for Twig Zeigler and laid down a 5.85 which was close to Darin Bay's record breaking 5.78 pass which he recorded while driving for Twig at the same event two seasons ago. Also in the house where alcohol funny cars, dragsters and even Ed the Outlaw Jones' Jelly Belly wheelstander that also put on a spectacular show.

The stars of the Night of Fire were once again the Warped Speed Jet cars. And as always the packed house at this barn burner event were yelling for more after every run. On Friday, both cars posted a side-by-side 297 MPH blast with Richard Smith in the Devastator just barely winning with a 5.40 vs 5.33. On Saturday, Scott Arriaga in the Incinerator beat Richard Smith in the Devastator with a super quick 5.45 at 287 MPH. During the first run, the Devastator hiccuped so the team brought out the Warped Speed Funny car to run the the final race against the Incinerator. The team had to hurry as the 10:00 PM curfew was looming.

As the clock ticked down, the jets got off the starting line in time with the Incinerator taking the win with a 5.33 at 295 MPH. The Warped Speed was a close second posting a 5.89 at 269 MPH. At 9:59 PM the chutes from the jet cars blossomed out to an approving applause from the stands and the event was over. The fans began filing out to the parking lot and into the night still talking about what they just saw. It was a spectacular night and a slice of Americana that will have to wait another year to be lived again.

 

 

Jet Dragsters Have Identical ET's in Close Side-by-Side Race

Eight fire breathing jets were the main feature at the Fox Hunt Drags in Spokane on July 13th. Leading the way were all four of the Warped Speed jet cars which put on a top notch show for the Spokane County Raceway fans who packed the stands for non-stop jet car action.

In round one, the Black Rat dragster got past the Warped Speed Funny car with a sizzling 5.71 at 278 MPH to the funny car's 6.22 at 257 MPH. Then the Devastator stormed past the Incinerator right at the finish line in a close side-by-side race. The Devastator posted a sizzling 5.59 at 284 MPH to the Incinerator's 5.62 at 283 MPH.

In the second round, the Black Rat was forced to sit out due to a minor technical glitch that gave the funny car a 6.14 at 261 MPH single run. The Black Rat was sent back to the pits where the crew went to work preparing for round three.

Next, was the race of the night, as both the Incinerator and the Devastator battled it out all the way to the finish line as the cars had identical ET's! The Devastator was able to get the win light with a 5.55 at 288 MPH to the Incinerator's valiant 5.55 at 286 MPH. The crowd went crazy and many in the stands sent tweets to their friends about the incredible side-by-side pass!

In the final round, the Black Rat was back with a vengeance as it faced the funny car once again. The Black Rat won as it bit the funny car with a 5.63 at 283 MPH to the Warped Speed's 6.12 at 261 MPH. In the other match up, the Devastator took care of the Incinerator with a 5.50 at 290 MPH. The Incinerator in the left lane stopped the clock with a 5.63 at 287 MPH but it wasn't enough to catch the Devastator.

Next up: Woodburn - July 26 & 27 for the Night of Fire drags.



Jet Dragsters Put on a Wild Show in Medford

The Night of Fire held at Champion Raceway was a big success and was well attended by local fans from Medford, Central Point and nearby White City. The event began Friday night with a special car display at the popular Texas Roadhouse which served as a preview for fans and a kick off party for the racers. The Devastator and Incinerator jet dragsters were a big hit at the event as well as the dozen or so nitro funny cars that were also in attendance.

On race day, both the Incinerator and the Devastator were the stars of the show as traction was a hard to find commodity for the nitro burning floppers which also challenged Champion's quarter mile. The jet dragsters made some wild passes to the delight of a great Champion Raceway crowd.

 

 

Warped Speed Jet Funny Car Races in Yakima

The Warped Speed Funny Car put on a spectacular show at Renegade Raceway in Yakima. The event, known as "Nitro Nights Under the Lights" is one of the track's biggest races of the season. Richard Smith raced Derek Snelson, the promoter of Renegade, in the Warhawk funny car. Both Richard and Derek made runs on both Friday and Saturday nights to the delight of a large crowd. Next up on the schedule is the "Night of Fire" at Champion Raceway in Medford Saturday July 6.


Warped Speed Jets, Funny Cars and Wheelstander Pack Fox Hunt

The Warped Speed jet car team had a successful outing at the 35th annual Foxhunt at Firebird Raceway, just outside of Boise. The weather was beautiful and the facility was packed with Idaho’s best racing fans as all ladies got in free! A lot of those fans stopped by the team’s transporter for autographed pictures or to ask questions about the car. Some of them even posed next to the jet for pictures.

The Warped Speed funny car took on the Alaska based Warhawk with Derrek Snelson behind the wheel. Warped Speed came out on top with a 6.20 elapsed time at 257 MPH. In the second round, the Warped Speed came out on top again with a 6.12 elapsed time at 261 MPH.

The next stop for jet car action is Yakima, Washington where the Warped Speed will once again face off with the Warhawk at “Nitro Nights Under the Lights”, June 28 and 29.




Great Weather Attracts Fans to See Warped Speed Cars at the Rose Festival Drags

Perfect weather and of course the jet cars set the tone for a great race which attracted a good crowd on both Saturday and Sunday for the Rose Festival Drags at Woodburn Dragstrip. While the local racers made run after run down the famous Woodburn Quarter mile, the jet cars offered a special treat of smoke and fire as well as the sonic thunder from the afterburner pops that had the crowd asking for more.

The new jet dragsters, the "Incinerator" and the “Devastator" ran well all weekend at Woodburn. On Saturday, The Devastator almost broke the 300 MPH barrier as driver and crew chief Richard Smith tripped the finish line beams at 299.7 MPH. On Sunday, the Warped Speed team mixed it up for the fans as they pulled out the Warped Speed Funny Car to race the Incinerator in the second round.

One of the many fans filling the stands on Saturday was Bobby Landsberg from Lake Oswego, Oregon. Bobby visited Woodburn for the first time in five years to see the jet dragsters. After meeting Warped Speed pilot Richard Smith, Bobby came away with an autographed pilot chute. Richard's kind gesture will leave a lasting impression with Bobby for years to come. While at the race, Bobby got to sit in the Rocketeer dragster during a fire up and Richard stood back and watched, smiling the entire time.

 

 

Warped Speed Team Races in Salt Lake City

All four of the Warped Speed jet cars thrilled the fans at the Jet Car Spring Nationals in Salt Lake City. "The hot temperature and high altitude made the race cars seem like they were on a nice Sunday drive", said driver and crew chief Richard Smith. All of the new Warped Speed crew members were present which made running all four cars a breeze.

This weekend Scott Arriaga drove both the Incinerator and the popular Black Rat. Richard was also doing double duty driving the Warped Speed Funny car and the new Devastator. In the first round the Black Rat scored low ET for the first round as he recorded a 5.76 @ 275 MPH. The Incinerator posted a 5.83 @ 272 MPH, the Devastator ran a 5.96 @ 268 MPH, and the Warped Speed set off some car alarms with a 6.41 @ 250 MPH.

In round two, the Incinerator sizzled the crowd with a 5.71 @ 277 MPH, the Devastator made a nice 5.84 pass @ 276 MPH and the Warped Speed rounded out the night with a 6.33 @ 254 MPH. The Black Rat decided to sit this one out as it was the superstar in the first round.

Stay tuned for more upcoming action in Woodburn, June 8 & 9.

 

 

Jets Thrill Fans at Woodburn Season Opener

Woodburn Dragstrip’s Season Opener was a success even though it was rained out on Saturday. On Sunday, the main attractions were the jet cars. The Warped Speed Team didn’t disappoint as the Devastator, driven by Richard Smith and the Incinerator, piloted by Scott Arriaga, went three rounds of wheel-to-wheel combat.

In the first race, Scott Arriaga‘s 5.32 at 295 MPH topped Richard Smith’s 5.51 at 288 MPH blast. In round two, Richard took a hole shot win with a 5.42 at 292 MPH to Scott’s quicker 5.35 at 288 MPH. In round three, Scott won the tie breaker when he made a single run as Richard and the Devastator didn't make it off the starting line. Scott closed the show with a 5.92 at 297 MPH to delight the fans.

It was great seeing the hometown crowd after a long winter and now the Warped Speed team moves on to the Jet Car Spring Nationals in Salt Lake City, May 25

 


Two 300 MPH Blasts Made in Baton Rouge!

Darin Bay's Warped Speed jet team had a successful outing at the Mardi Gras Night of Fire at State Capitol Raceway, May 3-5 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The highlight of the event was when the team made two crowd-pleasing 300 MPH runs. Next up is the Season Opener this weekend at Woodburn Dragstrip.



Warped Speed Team Returns to Las Vegas Nationals

The Warped Speed Team started the season off in style by performing at Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas.

The Incinerator and Devastator put on a great fire show for the fans Friday night. The Incinerator ran a 285 MPH, but should have run closer to 300, said Darin Bay. The NHRA has mandated a new device that if not engaged, prevents the burner from lighting which slowed us down considerably. The Devastator was not able to make its pass due to a minor malfunction. After a few adjustments, both cars were ready to go on Saturday but a crash closed the track so the jets were unable to make their final pass of the evening.



Final Test Session Scores Big Numbers!

The Warped Speed team had a remarkable test session at Woodburn Dragstrip on March 24. The Devastator posted a 305 MPH run while stopping the clock in 5.34 seconds. The run was made by Richard Smith on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Scott Arriaga made a 300 MPH in 5.21 seconds for his first run of the season!

Team owner Darin Bay said that both runs were with a soft tune-up and he's expecting a lot more. He predicts the cars will make a 310 MPH passes this season! Now that the team has had a very successful testing session, they are ready for the Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, April 5-7.

Test Session 1

The Warped Speed Racing Team held a private test session at Woodburn Dragstrip on Monday. The sunny and cool weather conditions were optimal for the cars to post some impressive times.

The test session marked the debut of the long awaited Devastator jet dragster which made a 1000 foot blast and still posted a 5.60 ET at 281 MPH on its maiden voyage. Other great performances included a 5.29 ET at 295 MPH for the Incinerator jet dragster and the Warped Speed Funny car started the year off right with a 5.81 ET at 275.65 MPH.

 

 

Warped Speed Racing Expands!

Darin Bay's Warped Speed Racing Team has expanded to a four car team for the 2013 season. Their latest jet dragster, appropriately named the "Devastator" is the newest addition to the stable of jets and is currently in the paint shop. In addition to the Devastator, the team will be racing the Incinerator and the Black Rat jet dragsters and the Warped Speed jet funny car.

Darin and his team are excited to open the season in Las Vegas where they will be featured at the Summit Racing.com Nationals, April 5-7. Following Vegas, the team will be traveling cross country to State Capitol Raceway in Port Allen, LA for Roger Gustin's Mardi Gras Night of Fire event, May 3-5.

 

 

Jets Close the Show in Las Vegas

The Incinerator, Black Rat and the Warped Speed jet cars were invited to make exhibition runs this past weekend at the 12th annual Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas. A nearly sold out crowd was on hand to see the jet cars light up the "Strip at Las Vegas" sign behind the starting line. On Friday, the jet dragsters, including the Black Rat and Incinerator challenged the Strip at Las Vegas track and on Saturday, the Incinerator blasted to a 5.552 @ 281.19 MPH to top the Warped Speed funny car's 5.992 @ 269.40 MPH.

The Las Vegas event wraps up the season for the Warped Speed Racing team. We want to thank you for visiting our site and hope that you will check back frequently throughout the winter as new information about next year develops.

 


Jets Race in Salt Lake

The Black Rat, the Incinerator and the Warped Speed raced at one of the largest jet car events in the nation, known as the Night of Fire drag races at Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City on September 29. A full house saw a giant field of 17 jet cars put on a spectacular show. All of Darin Bay's jet cars made great runs and It was another grand slam event for Bay's team!

Next, the Warped Speed team will be making exhibition runs in Las Vegas at the NHRA Big O Tires Nationals, October 25-28. The event will be televised on ESPN.

The jets were ready to go at the Jet Fire Thunder race in Medford, Sept. 21.



Jets Heat Up the Fall in Woodburn


After a warm-up pass on Saturday, the jet dragsters and funny car competed in the annual Fall Classic drag race at Woodburn Dragstrip. In the first round, the Black Rat ran 5.504 @ 287.44 to the Warped Speed's 5.823 @ 275.81. In the second race, the Incinerator's 5.449 @ 289.48 barely won over the Black Rat's 5.491 @ 286.35. The last race was incredibly close, and drew a big reaction from the crowd.

 

 

Warped Speed Jets Return to Indy

Darin Bay's Warped Speed Jets made their big return to Indianapolis for the NHRA Mac Tools US Nationals. Catch the cars on ESPN over the big Labor Day weekend. Check TV listings below.


09/02/2012 Qualifying 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM ET/8:00 AM - 11:00 AM PT (ESPN2)
09/02/2012 Qualifying 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM ET/2:00 PM - 4:00 PM PT (ESPN2)
09/03/2012 Eliminations 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM ET/9:00 AM - 3:00 PM PT (ESPN2)



Warped Speed Jets Off to Canada


Both of the Warped Speed Jet Dragsters and the Warped Speed Funny Car entertained fans in Mission BC last weekend. While the Warped Speed and Black Rat dragsters faced off, the enthusiastic crowd also got to see the Warped Speed funny car race the Warhawk.



Jet Funny Car Back in Action in Seattle

The Warped Speed Jet funny car was back in action this time racing their old friends, the Warhawk Racing Team in Seattle at the NHRA Division event on Saturday, August 18.

In the first round the Warped Speed took care of the Warhawk with a 5.85 at 273 MPH to the Warhawk's 6.29 @ 257 MPH.

Later in the night, both cars returned as the Warped Speed jet once again beat the Warhawk with a sizzling 5.83 @ 274 MPH to the Warhawk's valiant 6.15 @ 259 MPH.

 

Warped Speed Returns to Night Fire

The Warped Speed Jet Dragsters put on a great show for both new and returning fans at the Night Fire Nationals in Boise, Idaho, this past weekend. A large crowd was on hand for the largest event ever staged in the state of Idaho. As always the jets were a fan favorite.


Warped Speed Puts on a Show in Sacramento

The Incinerator and Warped Speed funny car raced in Sacramento last weekend and performed not only a great race-fire show but won both rounds against Jeff Atamian! This weekend they are racing in Boise, Idaho at the big Night Fire race taking place at Firebird Raceway.

 

Jets Thrill Large Crowd at Woodburn

A large crowd was on hand both Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28 for the Night of Fire Drags at Woodburn Dragstrip. This race was once again a real barn burner as the Black Rat and the Incinerator closed the big show each night.

The Incinerator posted a 5.39 at 294 MPH to beat the Black Rat's 5.46 at 286 MPH in the final run of the night on Saturday.

Both cars put on a spectacular display of thrust, smoke and fire for the Woodburn crowd. The event also attracted a lot of young fans as the picture above demonstrates!

Warped Speed Funny Car Takes on the War Hawk in Boise

The Warped Speed team was back in action racing at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho at their famous Fox Hunt race. Once again, the race was against the War Hawk Jet Funny car.

With density altitude hovering around the 5000 ft mark, it was tough for humans to breathe let alone engines!

Next, the Warped Speed team will be in Yakima, June 29-30 for Nitro Nights Under the Lights followed by a match race in Medford, July 6-7!

 

Warped Speed Returns to NHRA Nationals

For the second year in a row, Warped Speed Racing has been invited to participate at the 2012 NHRA National events. We are pleased to announce that we will be racing at the Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis August 29 - September 3 and also the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas, October 25-27. Stay tuned for these exciting televised competitions. Our next event is the Night of Fire Drags at Woodburn Dragstrip!


Warped Speed Jet Takes on a Nitro Funny Car

The Warped Speed Team, featuring Richard Smith driving the new jet funny car, took on Wally Giavia in the G-Men nitro funny car in Medford, Oregon this past weekend. They made three spectacular runs and the experience was off the hook as the crowd loved each pass. Smith won each of the three runs posting a 5.886 at 271.79 mph to the G-Men's 7.066 at 138 mph, despite the adjusted altitude of 5200 feet. Although the races were not too close, it was still the highlight of the event.


 

Warped Speed Funny Car Beats the War Hawk

The weather in Sacramento during the Funny Car Fever drags was nearly as hot as the jet cars as the temperature soared to 105 degrees. That didn't stop the fans from coming out to see some great drag racing action including the Warped Speed Funny Car and the War Hawk.

In round one the Warped Speed posted a 5.953 @ 268.66 mph to the Hawk's 6.311 @ 242.97. In round two it was Warped Speed again taking the win with a 5.907 @ 269.90 mph to the Hawk's valiant 6.377 @ 231.74.

This Saturday night the Warped Speed team is racing in Boise Idaho.
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Warped Speed Racing Open Season at Salt Lake City

The Warped Speed Racing team opened the season this past weekend in Salt Lake City. The team match raced the Black Rat against their brand new Warped Speed Funny Car. The outing was a good start to the season as both cars made spectacular side by side runs! Up next for Warped Speed is the Season Opener at Woodburn Drag strip, May 19 and 20. Both cars will run each day.



Warped Speed Racing Welcomes New Jet Car Driver Scott Arriaga

Warped Speed Racing has announced the appointment of Scott Arriaga as the new driver for their four car jet racing team based in Portland, Oregon. Arriaga is a highly experienced driver and perhaps the youngest person to ever drive a jet car having made a pass at the young age of 15 in Mexico. Arriaga began driving jets full time in 1992.

Arriaga went on to drive about every kind of jet powered vehicle in his 20 years of experience including jet funny cars, a jet truck and even a jet powered school bus and has thrilled racing fans all over North America. Additionally, he has made numerous 300 MPH runs in his storied career including the first side-by-side 300 MPH run next to Warped Speed Racing’s “Incinerator” jet dragster in Spokane.

This past weekend Arriaga tested the team’s “Black Rat” jet dragster in Woodburn, Oregon with great results. “We are very fortunate to have a new driver with the experience and driver instincts that Scott has. He is a very good driver and will do a great job for our team” said team owner Darin Bay.

Warped Speed Racing to Debutes New Funny Car

It's finally here! The long awaited Warped Speed Jet Funny Car. This newly completed jet car will make its debut at the Horsepower race in Salt Lake City, May 12 along with the Black Rat and Incinerator Jet Dragsters. Stay tuned for a season of new jets and amazing fire shows.


Warped Speed Racing Gearing up for 2012

While Darin Bay continues to recover from his accident at Indianapolis, his team, led by newly appointed crew chief, Richard Smith, continues to make progress in getting the Warped Speed Jet team ready to go in 2012. Smith already has the Black Rat jet dragster completed and is working on other important projects at their Portland based shop. Meanwhile, the Devastator and the Incinerator Jet Dragsters are being constructed and will be ready in time for the 2012 season.

Bay's recovery and speedy return to jet car racing has been accelerated thanks to the help of jet funny car pioneer Roger Gustin, whose optimistic day-to-day support has been key in Darin's recovery and his will to keep racing. "Roger loves jet car racing as much as I do and his dedication and encouragement has kept me focused in getting well and moving ahead from the crash", Bay said.

Besides the Incinerator and Devastator, the team will also debut their long awaited Warped Speed Jet Funny car this season. "We are the only team on the West Coast with both jet dragsters and a jet funny car and I'm optimistic that the funny car will run 5.50's at 290 MPH", Bay said.

One area of competition that Bay had to sacrifice is driving Twig Zeigler's nitro funny car in 2012. The reasons he took himself out of the driver seat is because his business, Dacon Industries, is demanding more of his time and because Bay needs to concentrate more on his stable of jet cars. As a result, he regrettably cannot commit to driving Zeigler's popular funny car and will truly miss racing with Ziegler on the Nostalgia funny car circuit. "We had a lot of fun and recorded some very quick ET's", Bay said.

The team already has multiple events scheduled for 2012 including Woodburn, Salt Lake, Sacramento, Mission, Denver and Boise with more to come. With new cars on the way and races being booked, the immediate future looks bright for Darin Bay and the Warped Speed team.



US Nationals Update – Indianapolis, IN


Darin Bay is resting comfortably after an accident at the Mac Tools US Nationals Friday night.

Following the fuel cars qualifying round, Darin Bay, driving the Incinerator and Barry Richter driving the Black Rat ended the night with the first jet car race at the US Nationals in years.

After passing through the lights, Bay hit both retaining walls, sending the Incinerator over the guard rail.

While Richter walked away from the Black Rat, which sustained only minimal damage, Darin Bay was air lifted to the hospital for observation. Fortunately, Bay sustained only a minor concussion and has no additional injuries caused by the accident. Both the NHRA and Warped Speed Racing are assessing the cause of the accident.

Stay tuned at www.warpedspeedracing.com as the Black Rat will be returning to active duty soon, along with the new Warped Speed Jet funny car.


News From Las Vegas

Warped Speed Racing victorious at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Barry Richter piloted the Incinerator to a win over Scott Ariaga’s Blew By You. Incinerator ran a 5.49 @ 291.32 MPH to Blew By You’s 5.51 @ 287.23 MPH. Richard Smith in the Black Rat was also victorious over Terminal Velocity, with the Black Rat running a 5.776 @ 272.5 MPH.

Warped Speed Racing is now on their way to Indy for the NHRA US Nationals.


Spokane Update

The initial test run for the new Devastator jet dragster got off to a great start Friday night, with driver Darin Bay leaving the starting line with a .05-second reaction time. The car made a great run, topping speeds in excess of 280 mph. “The base of the car felt great up until the 1,000 foot mark,” said Bay, “but then something let go causing the car to hit the wall, rolling 4-6 times before coming to a stop.”

Bay was taken to the Sacred Heart Medical Center for observation. Fortunately he escaped any serious injuries and will be back driving in Las Vegas this upcoming weekend.

Saturday night the Incinerator and Black Rat entertained the crowd with speeds of 294 mph.

Warped Speed Racing would like to thank Cindy Gibbs, track manager and the safety crew at Spokane County Raceway for their quick response time and the full-length concrete walls that kept the car contained on the track. Bay stated: “at our high speeds, these walls and safety measures are very important for what we do.“


40th Annual Night of Fire Results from Boise

A capacity crowd was on hand Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at Boise’s Firebird Raceway to enjoy the fire show from the Warped Speed Jet Dragsters. The Incinerator, piloted by Barry Richter, ran 291 MPH in 5.40 seconds, defeating his rival, the Black Rat, piloted by veteran Richard Smith, who ran a 276 in 5.60 seconds, despite an adjusted altitude of 5400 feet.

In addition to the jets, Darin Bay was once again behind the wheel of Twig Zeigler’s Satellite nitro funny car. In the first qualifying round on Friday, they posted a 6.20 to qualify for the number 9 spot. They sat out the second qualifying session and were unable to run the third qualifying round due to an oil leak.

This didn’t stop the team as they went into Sunday as the number 15th qualifier. In round one of elimination, Darin and the Twig Zeigler car ran against the Mert Littlefield Tribute car piloted by Jason Rupert. Jason was number 1 in points and the number 2 qualifier overall but Darin Bay was the big upset of the day by beating Rupert and getting the win light, running a 6.35. Unfortunately they blew the engine during this run and were unable to recover in time to go against John Hale in the second round.

 

Night of Fire Results from Woodburn
A capacity crowd was on hand Saturday evening to witness Woodburn Dragstrip's first night race in over 25 years. The race was a success as nitro funny cars including Darin Bay in Twig Zeigler's Satellite and "Mr Explosive " Mark Sanders thrilled the crowd with close races and side-by-side header flames.

In the first stanza, Darin scored the win with a 5.87 at 241 MPH over Sanders' 6.07 at 206 MPH. In round two, Sanders stepped it up with a 5.84 at 230 MPH to take the stripe over Darin's respectable 5.96 at 215 MPH.

On Sunday, the "Incinerator" and the "Black Rat" jet dragsters were what the crowd came to see and they delivered with a spectacular show. The Black Rat with Richard Smith behind the wheel stopped the clock with a 5.77 at 280 MPH. Meanwhile, Barry Richter recorded a 5.40 at 297 MPH in the Incinerator.


Zeigler and Bay Go to the Final Round at Canadian National Open's 32 Funny Car Extravaganza!

Darin Bay behind the wheel of Twig Zeigler's funny car scored a runner up finish at the Canadian National Open. The race also billed as "32 funny cars" was their first final round since the pair teamed up in 2010. In the finals Bay took on Canada's Tim Boychuk. Darin ran a 5.87 at a blistering 246 MPH, barely losing to Boychuk, who ran 5.81 at 244 MPH. It was a great weekend for the Twig Zeigler nitro funny car.

Bay Breaks 300 MPH Barrier!
Darin Bay became the first driver to break 300 MPH in Medford at Champion Raceway! The record was broke at the Night of Fire event on July 2.
First run - Both cars ran well but were tuning up for round two

Second run - at the starting line, the parachutes for the Incinerator accidentally deployed and Darin had to shut down the car. Richard made a single pass in the Black Rat and after restarting, the Incinerator made its pass.

Third run - Great run for both cars - side by side, with the Incinerator winning and breaking a track records with a 5.32 at 301 MPH! The record was broke at corrected altitude of 4800 feet. The Black Rat, driven by veteran Richard Smith ran an impressive 280 mph, 5.61.


Warped Speed to Make Runs in Indy and Vegas
For the first time in years, jet dragsters will be making an exhibition run at selected NHRA National Events in 2011. Invited to both the 57th annual Mac Tools US Nationals in Indianapolis and the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals in Vegas, will be the Warped Speed Jet car team.

The US Nationals is considered to be the most prestigious drag racing event in the world and is held over the Labor Day Weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This race is a pivotal race for NHRA's Countdown to the Championship. "We are excited to be selected to make exhibition runs at Indy, long considered one of the greatest races in the world and Las Vegas where we will see a lot of our west coast fans" said Darin Bay, team owner of Warped Speed Racing LLC.

Warped Speed Team Returns to Woodburn!
The Warped Speed jet team returned to Woodburn Dragstrip for the Rose Festival Drags. Darin Bay drove the Incinerator and Richard Smith drove the Black Rat on both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, the Incinerator ran a 5.17 at 309 mph. The Black Rat ran a close 5.34 at 297. The next race will be in Boise, June 25.

Warped Speed Team Makes Best Pass Ever!

Barry Richter drove the incinerator Jet dragster to a 5.13 at 309 MPH. The big time blast happened at the Season Opener at Woodburn Dragstrip on May 21.

Bay Blasts to 305 MPH in Sacramento
Darin Bay blasted to 5.17 at 305 MPH at Sacramento Raceway on May 14! Bay's 60 foot time was a .95!

Warped Speed Racing Releases 2011 Schedule
Click on the link below to see where on the west coast the Warped Speed jet car team is going to be this summer. Click Here




 

(Las Vegas