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Michigan-based Frank wryly notes the “voodoo economics” of sand drag racing -- it costs him about $2000 in towing fuel to go out to the West coast to race – when the purse pays $1500 if he wins every dollar he can. Clearly, this economic “logic” would defy even our federal government’s manipulations. Plus, it isn’t that expensive overall to race sand drags. According to Frank, he can race out West and it will cost him about $200 plus $40 gate fees for his crew, which is very economical. He estimates he can race for under $40--$50K per year, which is about what’s in the semi hauler’s paint job for a national touring series effort. Of course, I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.
How’d Frank find his way into this kind of racing? He started out in a dune buggy and says, “the first hill me and my wife went up, it blew the head gasket.” Learning his lesson (sure), he then bought a turbo’d buggy for “around $12K, and then another $50K later had the buggy I wanted.” Frank’s mechanical fearlessness manifested itself next in a billet aluminum 188 CID V4 (?!), which he sand dragged. This powerplant had 2nd harmonics so vicious that the poor unit would according to Frank, “eat itself, and break 3/8-inch bolts on the flex plate. It made one outstanding pass, and then blew up.” The next step was going to be to incorporate balance shafts into the V4, but his wife Shari declared, “we’re done” recalls Frank.
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