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Lee’s Summit doc takes his hot rod out in Drag...
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Lee’s Summit doc takes his hot rod out in Drag Week
Nov, 19, 2011
By Mary Pechar
features@lstribune.net
“Yeah we’re runnin’ a little bit hot tonight. I can barely see the road from the heat comin’ off ... ” – Van Halen
Sometime in the past two decades you may have seen a hot 1968 Camaro cruising around Lee’s Summit, hanging out at the Dairy Queen or anywhere else classic cars gather. Once you see it, you will probably remember it, especially if Doc decides to lay a bit of rubber on his way.
Dr. James McEntire is a pediatrician. He’s a 1982 graduate of Lee’s Summit High School.
He’s a dad. He’s also a drag car racer.
He purchased a red, ’68 Camaro when he was 15. It wasn’t quite as hot back then – a six cylinder two speed. But a high school power mechanics class started the transformation, replacing the motor with a 350. McEntire kept making street legal enhancements over the years.
The need for speed and the need to challenge himself, Doc, as he is known at the track, was drawn to drag racing. Early on, he developed an unbeatable reputation, and competitors and friends alike named his car “seered” based on the emotion many feel as he leaves them behind on the street or the track.
This September drew Doc to the track once again as he competed in his 4th Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week. Drag week is a fascinating time, challenging driver, pit crews and cars alike. Drivers take their vehicle 1,000 plus miles in five days while racing at four different drag strips along the way. At the end of trip, one is named HOT ROD’s Fastest Street Car in America. That’s right – drive, no trailers.
This year’s event started at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan. Registration was Sunday, Sept 11, and racing began the following morning. Then it was on to SRCA Dragstrip in Great Bend, Kan. Wednesday was Amarillo Dragway Texas, and Thursday found them in Tulsa Raceway Park in Oklahama. Then it was back to Heartland Park in Topeka for the final day of racing. One hundred seventy-seven cars in 11 categories started in Topeka. Around 135 returned to Topeka five days later.
In order to drive the circuit, you have to be street legal, and when you register you must provide your current license, registration and proof of insurance. Drivers must pass an inspection. Vehicles in competition must have functional headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, horn and a rearview mirror. Headlights must be of OE-type design. In Doc’s category, Pro Street, the cars may be regularly driven on the street. But in many of the categories, their street days are long past. Drag Week presents an even greater challenge.
Vehicles in competition may not be led or followed at any distance by support vehicles of any kind. A support vehicle is used to supply any rescue efforts or to carry anything for a competitor, including luggage, tools, fuel, repair parts or spares, and helpers or crew. Support vehicles towing just-in-case trailers are not allowed. Motorhomes are not allowed. All vehicles must be driven under their own power during the entire Drag Week™ competition and may not be towed, trailered, pushed or hauled at any time.
McEntire runs on E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. His car has no big headers, but a refined fuel injection system that is computerized. He pulls a small trailer and carried his E85 with him from home.
Speed and endurance are really the bottom line in Drag Week. In some cases, it’s speed vs. endurance. McEntire was confident that he was going to break the 9-second mark and get a time in the 8-second range. But with the weather working against them once he took the lead in his category day 4 at the Tulsa Raceway, he opted to focus on the win rather than the time. Rather than continuing to race for a lower time, he chose to focus on his car enduring to finish back in Topeka and stop while ahead.
This was Doc’s second win, so he now has a 50 percent win record. He also has competitors who go all out just to beat him off the line. One challenger has built three engines just for the purpose of beating
seered. He didn’t make it back to Topeka.
Keep your eyes open for SEE-RED, you may see McEntire driving to his office at Preferred Pediatrics ... or just out cruising.
Visit Hot Rod Magazine (http://www.hotrod.com/dragweek/2011) to read more about Drag Week and view some of the incredible videos from race videographer Kyle Loftus, owner of 1320video.com.
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