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Thousands at Super Nats opening; more expected today || GALLERY
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Karl Kridler of North Lima poses with his snowmobile that he drag races at the Steel Valley Super Nationals at Quaker City Raceway.
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One of the cars of the Howland Roadhounds, a traditional hot rod club.
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J.P. Schuster of Demascus gets his car ready to race at the Steel Valley Super Nationals Friday.
Steel Valley Supernationals 2009
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- Place:Quaker City Raceway
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10359 W. South Range Road, Salem
Salem's Downtown After Party
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Saturday will be the event’s biggest day, the promoter said.
VINDY.COM MULTIMEDIA SUPERVISOR
SALEM – On a hot June day with the threat of storms, a snowmobile might be the last form of transportation one would expect to find at Quaker City Raceway.
But 48-year-old Karl Kridler was one of several people racing snowmobiles at the Steel Valley Super Nationals.
The North Lima man brought his 800cc 2001 Polaris XER snowmobile to the drag strip Friday, which he converted from a trail-rider to an asphalt -rider. The transformation took eight to 10 hours, but it’ll never go back on the snow, he said.
Kridler said his car will complete the quarter-mile in about 10.6 seconds, noting some snowmobiles will go the same distance in about seven seconds.
A four-year event participant, Kridler said some people think it’s dangerous to race snowmobiles, but it’s just like riding on snow. It’s “the smoothest trail you’d ever want to ride on,” he contended.
He and his son were among about 3,000 people at Quaker City Raceway, which promoter Corey Ward said is “open to anything.” Snowmobiles, motorcycles, new and classic cars were all racing Friday.
Ward said today will be the biggest day of the Steel Valley Super Nationals.
“A lot of people are still traveling to get here,” he said.
Friday’s racing ended with rain, but Ward anticipated the showers would stop before the event began again at 9 a.m. today.
Saturday is also the event’s Bike Day, which offers a $10 admission fee for the admission of a motorcycle. rider and passenger. Riders will also be able to take unlimited test-and-tune runs down the track.
The cheap admission ($30 for driver, passenger, show entry and unlimited track access) brought John Farrell, 23, from Poland to the Super National Friday.
Farrell said he had been to the event three times in Salem, and three or four times while it was held under different promoters at Canfield Fairgrounds.
The heat and humidity Friday limited the performance of his 2007 Pontiac Solstice Friday to a 14.4-second performance on the drag strip, he said. Nevertheless, he was enjoying the day with friends and fellow members of the car club, Mahoning Valley Outlawz.
Farrell and Kridler said they also compete throughout the season at Quaker City Raceway.
Among other raceway regulars at the Steel Valley Supernats was 16-year-old J.P. Schuster of Damascus.
His mother, Barb Schuster, said the West Branch High School junior started racing junior dragsters when he was 8 years old.
“I like to come out to the track, see all of my friends, try to win some money,” J.P. Schuster said.
It was at last year’s Steel Valley Super Nationals that Schuster took his first runs in his rear-engine dragster, powered by a 468-cubic-inch big block Chevrolet engine with a Powerglide transmission.
The threat of rain didn’t bother Schuster, who said the weather was better than he thought it would be.
“People will come no matter what,” he said.
Schuster said he races at Quaker City Raceway in the Super Pro class on Saturdays, with support from his family. His dad, Paul, handles the car’s maintenance, while his sister races in the track’s street class.
“He has to get good grades to race. He has a 4.0,” Paul Schuster said.
Schuster said his mother has even driven the dragster, which runs the quarter-mile drag strip in about 8.5 seconds at 156 MPH.
Members of the car club Howland Roadhounds weren’t concerned about going fast Friday.
Tim Leek, 39, of Girard, said the club began in the ‘50s but was brought back to life in 1999. The Howland Roadhounds now have about 13 members from across the Mahoning Valley.
The club is focused on traditional hot rods, which they said are vehicles from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s that are built as they would have been when the club began.
Members said Friday they attend the event almost every year “because it’s local,” including the four years as the Steel Valley Super Nationals at Quaker City Raceway and also when it was in Canfield, for 20 years.
Members agreed they attended the event for show aspect, not the racing, and enjoyed the Salem Downtown After Party for being “welcoming.”
The event continues today and Sunday. Gates open at 9 a.m. with racing starting at 10 a.m. both days, ending at 10 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission for spectators is $12, while the charge for show and race entry is $30 for car, driver and passenger.
A brochure is distributed at the track with details on events and maps for the Downtown After Party.
klibecco@vindy.com