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First impressions of the Carolina drag racing palace

Here are some initial impressions out on the Web about the NHRA’s incursion into the heart of NASCAR country  –  the zMAX Dragway at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

• zMAX fever hits Concord, according to the Cabarrus County visitor’s bureau blog (which ironically is named “Welcome to NASCAR Country.”)
• Local residents said they didn’t notice that much noise, since special sound barriers were included during construction.
• Owner Bruton Smith “wishes he’d built more seats.”
• John Force was so thrilled, he said he’d lay a big smooch on Smith after admiring the biggest facility on the POWERade circuit.
• The Charlotte Observer’s longtime motorsports writer David Poole (normally a NASCAR guy) is covering the race on his blog Life in the Turn Lane.
• Observer sports columnist Tom Sorensen gives his first impressions about drag racing at zMAX Dragway, noting that,

“The crowd is – and I hate this word because of the way it’s been twisted – diverse. There is a greater percentage of black fans than I have ever seen at a NASCAR race. It’s not close.”

I’ve been to both NASCAR and NHRA events and I couldn’t agree more with that assessment.  Drag racing, so much more than stock-car racing, is gearhead color-blind (and gender-blind as well — Chrissy Wallace running ARCA and a few truck races isn’t cutting the motorsports mustard, NASCAR.)

Are there any bloggers at the Dragway today or tomorrow who normally cover NASCAR but are now blogging this NHRA event?  Please leave a link to your blog in the comments below….

A report on Carolinas qualifying will post later this evening.

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