Yahoo Autos The Masters meets NHRA: Inside the room of the Champion’s Dinner
Matt Hagan is a self-described ‘tough guy’ who drives an NHRA Funny Car at over 300 miles per hour, works on a farm, and appropriately has the nickname ‘Hulk Hagan.’
Wednesday night, that tough guy was foiled by a cricket.
Inside the Champions Club at Texas Motorplex, NHRA announcer Joe Castello wasn’t five minutes into his opening remarks when Hagan walked to him at the stage. Hagan began swatting at Castello’s suit jacket while the emcee repeatedly pulled both sides open as if showing off his attire. Those not in earshot watched in amusement before everyone was filled in when Hagan sat down and Castello got the program back on track.
The event won’t be well known to the public, or make one of the NHRA’s national broadcasts. It’s the entertainment seen by those who attend the Champion’s Dinner. Wednesday night was the third edition, which honors the previous year’s Fall National pro class winners while also inviting back other former winners.
“The thing that’s so nice about it is the drivers, the previous winners, are buying in on it and they’re coming,” Texas Motorplex co-owner Christie Meyer Johnson told RACER. “So, each year we’re getting more and more previous champions. We’re getting the champions from the year before, and we’re getting fans that are super excited to come and sit with their favorite drivers and to interact with them like they can’t do in any other sport. So it means a lot to us just because of the relationships with these people and friendships. Not only do we get to enjoy the competition side, we’re really getting to enjoy the personal side that drag racing has, and we’re very fortunate we have these people that want to spend time with us.”
Picture the Masters meets drag racing, the menu taking a page out of that playbook. The honorees get to pick the entrees and desserts for drivers, significant others, friends, sponsors, industry members, and fans, the latter of which paid to attend. The price of admission includes VIP parking, dinner, a photo with the drivers, a souvenir item, and admission to the post-dinner concert.
It’s not uncommon to see fans mingling with drivers. Or drivers getting the chance to catch up with a fellow competitor from another class.
Matt Hagan and Leah Pruett on the red carpet, before Hagan was brought undone by a cricket. Photo by Kelly Crandall
“I saved your life,” Hagan told Castello when joining him on stage for a Q&A. And then came a brief discussion on crickets, what their appearance could mean, and if they attract snakes.
When it comes to snakes, Hagan said, he’ll burn the place down. Those aren’t creatures he chooses to engage with.
Each of the former winners gets highlighted on stage. Hagan and teammate Leah Pruett, who won the Top Fuel event last year, were the nitro drivers. The Tony Stewart Racing duo picked the entree for the evening: a steak medley.
At one point, the on-stage antics were enough that Elite Motorsports Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. turned to a media member at his table and asked, “are you getting this?” as they recorded with a cell phone. It was around the time Hagan was trying, once again, to capture a cricket near Castello. No telling if it was the same one or a new visitor.
Pro Stock Motorcycle winner Gaige Herrera chose an Oreo cheesecake for dessert. Pro Stock winner Erica Enders, a peach cobbler with ice cream.
Enders shared an update on her crew chief, Mark Ingersoll, who will not be at the racetrack this weekend after undergoing a double lung transplant. When the conversation shifted to the event ahead, the fourth race in the Countdown, and her chances, Enders said her team didn’t come to visit. When the room laughed, Enders seized the moment.
“I don’t know why that’s funny,” she deadpanned. “I don’t go anywhere to visit; I want to collect the hardware.”
Matt Smith, a former Pro Stock Motorcycle event winner at Texas, was in attendance with wife and fellow driver Angie Smith. Angie has never won at Texas, so when it came to the group photograph, she had to stand off to the side. A motivating moment, as Smith has made it known she wants to win the Fall Nationals to come back as an honoree. It’s a common sentiment amongst drivers who hear about the special night and want to be a part of it.
Photo opportunities abound, and not just with the drivers. Image by Kelly Crandall
“We’re doing this for them and they know it,” Meyer Johnson said. “Without them, we’re nothing. We’re just a drag strip. To be able to bring in these guys who mean so much to people, I tell them all the time, we need their help. So, if they post on social media and encourage people to come, it’s so nice because we only have so much reach while people are coming to see them. So, for me, it means a lot that they want to come and spend time with us and we get to be friends and grow the sport together.”
The night went on with more drinks, photos (inside and out, on the red carpet), and then a concert while guests continued to mingle, enjoy El Bandido Yankee Tequila tastings and cigar rolling. The vibe was Texas country where cowboy boots and hats were a popular fashion choice, fused with neon lights and a hearty meal.
“I don’t think we could (imagine what it’s become),” Meyer Johnson said. “We had this crazy idea that’s like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Each year we knew we wanted to grow it and we knew we wanted to do something different. We’ve seen things that have worked well and what we could do better. It’s a snowball effect: we’re picking up steam on the way and the Champions Dinner is something very special to us as a family.
“This is a time for people to celebrate when in two days there’s going to be competition and some people battling for the saddle. But this is a night to celebrate the sport and people. I’m pretty excited and proud of what our team has accomplished together. It takes an army.”
The dinner is in the middle of a packed week of events the Texas Motorplex puts on known as the “Stampede of Speed.” At the end of 10 days of music festivals, fan fests and other activities, are three days of racing action that have a Texas flare with the fastest qualifiers sitting on saddles and getting a $15,000 bonus. Sunday, the event winners take photos with and on Oliver the Watusi, the official mascot of the facility.
And, yes, Oliver was on hand at the Champion’s Dinner and accommodated all photo requests.
“It’s our 39th year doing the fall national event and we just wanted to try to bring in new fans,” Meyer Johnson said. “We said, ‘why not grow the event to more days and bring in other events that might draw other fans that may not know about drag racing to the venue and introduce them to the sport?’ I think we’re accomplishing that. This past weekend with our music festival, we brought in probably close to 60,000 people who didn’t know much about drag racing, and in between music sets, we had cars on the racetrack.
“Hopefully, they come back this week and we have a new fan. Drag racing is a sensory sport and the goal is to get the people here to hook them and get them to come back.”
