RAPID RAT: Grant Rivers in action in the River Rat IV funnycar at Meremere. He'll be up against some tough opposition from son Adrian in an Outlaw class supercharged dragster. PHOTO/POPEYE PICS
YOUNG GUN: Adrian Rivers will be piloting this dragster along Taupo Quay tomorrow after success at Taupo last weekend.
Drag racing
Tearing strips off a 200m stretch of a Wanganui inner-city street has been happening for 26 years and tomorrow some seriously powerful vehicles will be doing it all over again at the Wanganui Road Rodders annual street drags.
The club is closing off a section of Taupo Quay for the 27th annual running of the drags, using the road between from the Suzuki NZ headquarters on the corner of Taupo Quay and Heads Rd for a distance of 200m.
The speed machines will be doing their thing from 9am to 3pm.
One of the attractions at the Penrite Oil-sponsored drags will be the battle for speed between father and son, Grant and Adrian Rivers.
Father Grant will be driving the Rivers-Rowan Pontiac funnycar "River Rat IV". With more than 2500hp on tap, it can cover the standing quarter mile of a dragstrip in a touch over 6 seconds, reaching a speed in excess of 320km/h. While River Rat will push out incredible noise and power, there will be some stern opposition coming from Adrian Rivers, who is piloting the Blu's Brothers dragster.
The young Rivers is fresh from victory at the Taupo dragstrip last weekend, taking out the premier supercharged Outlaws class.
He advanced through a strong field to win the final in 7.3s, reaching a top speed of 300km/h.
Organisers of the street drags have attracted some of the fastest hot rods, muscle cars, imports and bikes to the city for tomorrow's event.
They include Dean Scott's supercharged Holden ute, Raj Patel's XW Falcon and Aaron Jackson's Holden Torana with its new 8 litre Chevy engine.
Entry cost $10 for adults, $5 for children and $25 for a family pass. Children under 5 are free.
Spectators are well catered for but parents are reminded to bring ear protection for the kids.
