Usually, you would think that the American dream is only achievable when you're actually in the United States. Well, sometimes you can bring the visions of glory to other places, too.
For example, let's talk about the racing part of the automotive industry. Of course, There are all sorts of competitions for two- and four-wheel vehicles. But one of them is akin to the American lifestyle – quarter-mile dragstrip brawls. The idea is simple at first sight – you just need to line up next to another car and floor down the accelerator pedal as fast as you can.
However, seasoned racers will start running amok, bumbling about all sorts of things when hearing something like that from someone unfamiliar with this type of racing. After they settle down, they will at least tell you that drag racing is just as hard and artistic as any other track-based activity. And if they delve deeper into the meaning, they will also talk for hours about types of powertrains, car models, upgrades and modifications, the right tire choice, and even about weather.
Anyway, let's boil down to this – if it was that easy, why would they need the Christmas tree, the specially prepped tarmac surface, or the electronic scoreboards? But wait, this type of racing is contagious if you didn't know. As such, many car fans from around the world want a taste of the quarter-mile action, even if they don't have the right dragstrips for that. As such, sometimes an airfield or airport's runway will suffice.
And there is no need to take our word for granted, as the good folks over at Drag Car 4K are always eager to show us that traditional yet quirky quarter-mile drag racing is also deeply beloved on the Old Continent. Just recently, the channel's host decided to show us that American racing works in Europe, too, if you have a suitable ride for it. More precisely, the video featured below shows us a different brawl than the usual lot between VWs, Skodas, Audis, BMWs, Fiats, or Hondas.
As such, this time around, we meet a feisty, classic-looking AC Shelby Cobra powered by the 427 ci (7.0-liter) V8 engine dressed in blue. It sure attracts a lot of attention, which is why the videographer almost missed the colossal burnout performed by the opponent of the classic roadster – a derelict-looking Alfa Romeo 156 station wagon powered by the company's then-eternal 1.9 JTD diesel turbo mill.
If we hadn't caught the massive tire screech and a huge cloud of smoke, we probably would have thought that old and beaten Alfa station wagon was nothing to sneeze at. But considering that, we had pretty lofty expectations from the JTD versus the big V8 brawl. However, as it turns out, in the end, the 'sleeper' wagon wasn't even close to the mighty Shelby Cobra: 11.827s versus a shameful 15.772s!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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