Sand drag cars race down the track during the SCSDA Fall Nationals at Lake Elsinore Raceway. (Photos by Emily Baierl)
Sand drag racers took to the track Saturday, Oct. 3, at Lake Elsinore Raceway as the Southern California Sand Drag Association hosted its Fall Nationals.
The three day event began Friday, Oct. 2, and continues through Sunday, Oct. 4, bringing racers, families, spectators and vendors to the Lake Elsinore track.
Throughout the day, vehicles lined up for runs on the 300-foot sand track. The event featured a variety of vehicles and racing classes, including Jeeps, sand buggies, side-by-sides, ATVs, motorcycles and junior racers.
Racer Greg Tounget said sand drag racing has been a part of his life for about 40 years.
Tounget, who is from Hemet, said he first became interested in the sport when he was 14 and watched racers at the San Jacinto Riverbed.
Tounget owns a Jeep that he said was originally built by Larry Minor, a longtime Southern California sand and off-road racer who started his career in sand sports during a 1959 trip to the Glamis Sand Dunes, according to the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame. Minor later became an NHRA team owner and was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2020, according to NHRA.
Tounget said the Jeep was originally built for use in the Glamis dunes.
“I kind of changed it a little bit to be out here with it,” Tounget said.
Tounget also said he owns another drag Jeep that was the last vehicle Minor planned to build and race himself before stepping away from racing.
“It’s the last generation,” he said, describing the vehicle.
For Tounget, being at the track is about more than winning.
“My main thing is just being here,” Tounget said. “Win or lose or draw, I made it out here. I’m giving it a shot.”
The way vehicles compete can vary depending on the racing class. Some classes race head-to-head, while others use bracket racing, where drivers compete against a set time known as a dial-in.
Tounget said drivers also get testing runs during an event.
“We get two test and tunes, which is a chance to figure out what the track is like,” he said.
Track conditions can affect how much traction a vehicle gets, making those early runs important for drivers as they determine how their vehicles will perform.
During a run, drivers can reach speeds that can be difficult to imagine over such a short distance.
“Even though you’re only going the distance of a football field, some of these guys are going 130,” Tounget said.
Tounget said his Jeep has more than 900 horsepower.
That combination of short track, high speeds and a sand surface is part of what makes sand drag racing unique.
Chris Minor, CEO of SCSDA and Larry Minor’s son, said he has been involved in racing since he was a child through his family.
“It’s a sport that I love to do,” he said. “I want to continue it.”
Minor said he has two race cars of his own, including a vehicle called “Flower Power,” which his father was also known for racing. He said the vehicle holds a world record.
“The fastest front-engine, short-wheelbase vehicle on Earth,” Minor said. “It holds the record at 2.47 seconds and 139 miles per hour in 300 feet.”
Minor said the Fall Nationals were the SCSDA’s third event of the year and that SCSDA plans to hold four events next year. He said support from the city and the property owner has helped SCSDA continue holding races in Lake Elsinore.
“We don’t have many cities in California that support motorsports,” he said.
Through SCSDA events, Minor said families have a place to come together and enjoy the sport.
“It’s just a great place for family and kids,” he said.
Tounget said the family aspect is important to him too, as he gets to share the sport with two of his great-nephews who were also participating in the event.
“To me, it’s more important for the kids, because they just love it,” Tounget said.
The SCSDA will host another day of its Fall Nationals on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Lake Elsinore Raceway. More information about the event and SCSDA is available at socalsanddrags.com.
