DRAG STRIP AFFAIRS
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
the race was growing at a rapid rate. Fans loved
the unpredictability of the action, racers will-
ingly engaged in trash talk, displaying plenty
of unique personalities and it combined into a
must-see event.
But it was about to hit a fever pitch in 2016
with Lights Out VII. A handful of racers from the
popular Street Outlaws show came, bringing con-
siderable interest with them. Long also increased
the payout for the RvW winner to $50,000 for
the first time. That drew plenty of attention, but
the weekend took on a life of its own. By the time
Saturday rolled around, interstates were shut
down, gates were closed and it was pure pan-
demonium, all centered around a drag radial
race. Keith Berry, who was a last-minute arrival,
beat Jackson in a thrilling final round and, by
all accounts, Lights Out had arrived on an even
bigger stage.
BERRY I had raced three of Donald’s races
prior to my win, but I will never forget going to
Lights Out VII. I always say it: Lights Out VII
was the best Lights Out you’ll ever experience.
Of course, I won, so I’m biased, but I tell myself
I’m not. There was something about it where it
all came together.
FORE That year
I stayed at the track
and it was the most
amazing thing I had
ever seen in my life.
I remember waking
up at 8:30 a.m. and
the spectator side
was already packed.
I had never seen any-
thing like it.
JOHN FORE III
BERRY People
were going under the fences to get in, leaving
their cars stranded on the side of the road – it
was crazy. It was just a special, special moment
to be there as a fan, much less as a racer.
LONG We came up with the idea to have the
fans do the wave up and down the stands. To
be at a drag race and see a wave going, that was
really neat for me.
SEARS That particular event sort of put the
Lights Out/No Mercy events on an international
radar. That was the tipping point and sent this
thing over the top. It really showed people what
could be done.
Berry winning wasn’t even looking remotely likely.
He struggled to get to the race on time, qualified
26th and then went to work on the field. In that
time, people were doing everything they could
to jam into SGMP before the gates were closed.
The massive crowd was the biggest in Lights Out
history to that point and Berry put on a show,
beating Jackson on a holeshot in the final round
with a run of 3.934 at 192.69 to Jackson’s 3.896.
March 2019
WILD CARS, WILD ACTION From flying cars to insane wheelies to record-breaking performances, the action has
always been memorable at Lights Out races, giving fans moments not seen anywhere else.
The RvW class had made incredible strides as far
as performance in a short amount of time and
the world was there to see it.
BERRY The reality of the race hit me Sunday
morning. It was like holy cow, this is a big race.
It was the first big $50,000
drag radial purse ever and
people were just all about it.
I think I had 8-9 Red Bulls
those last two rounds. To
pull it out in the fashion we
did against Stevie, it was in-
credible.
FORE It was the most
electrifying race I have ever
been to in my life. It was an
event, a spectacle, whatever you want to call it.
WOODRUFF Very seldom do you get that
type of feel at an event. I didn’t get to go to Wood-
stock, but it probably felt something like that.
BERRY It was the highlight of my career, the
pinnacle of my racing career.
THE MAGIC
Long’s style may not be for everyone, but it’s clear-
ly entertaining for a massive amount of fans that
flock to SGMP each year and the thousands more
who watch online. But the rub isn’t that Long
is building himself up. Instead, he’s the biggest
cheerleader for the radial driver, those who dis-
play their support to the scene with tremendous
loyalty to Long and his races.
What ensues is the perfect storm of chaos, trash
talk and action at a race. Seeing hundreds upon
hundreds of people packed like sardines on or
near the starting line is the trademark image of
a Lights Out event, but it took something unique
to get to that point.
JACKSON The fans that
eat, sleep and live this, they
take their vacations and
come here to watch this.
Then you have to go beat
65-70 cars. A victory here is
very cherished.
FORE In the beginning, a
lot of people didn’t like Duck
because they didn’t under-
stand what he was doing. But
you have to have a personality to succeed. He
knows how to get you riled up. I had never seen a
promoter like that, but he appeals to the common
man, the working guy.
SEARS You tie in his promotional style and
people like it. In this day and age of political cor-
rectness, he went outside the lines and created
his own way of promoting, building excitement
and getting people interested.
BERRY Donald promotes 365 days a year
and his type of promoting, he’s perfect at it. It’s
brilliant.
LONG As far as online and social media, we
allow whatever. If somebody says something, we
don’t tell them to tone it down. We tell them to
tone it up. We don’t want someone to be afraid
to say something.
WOLFE You have your whiners that are never
going to be able to do win anyway, or you have the
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