IHRA: Class Action - Nitro Harley

If you think the Nitro Harleys are the most extreme form of drag racing on the circuit – well, you're right. In what other class do the riders wear ballistic vests to protect themselves against engine explosion?

Loud, long and very heavy compared to other drag bikes, the IHRA Nitro Harleys can crank out close to 2,000 horsepower, sending them down the track at well over 200 mph, in just over six seconds. They are, hands down, the fastest major class of touring motorcycles in the country. Using a V-twin engine of about 200 cubic inches, hanging onto a Nitro Harley at full speed is a challenge.

"When I was kid growing up, my parents owned Piedmont Dragway and Elmer Trett and Jim McClure were my heroes. I couldn't imagine there was anything cooler than racing drag bikes," said Jay Turner, winner of the most recent event, the Good Vibrations Texas Nationals at San Antonio Raceway.

"I started racing as a kid and still do it as an adult. There's nothing else out there like it. No two runs are ever the same and there's always another challenge; either do a better job riding the bike or a better job tuning it."

Randal Andras, who rides out of the Jay Turner stables, won the season-opening AMSOIL Nitro Nationals at Orlando Speed World. Andras leads Turner, 185 points to 166, after two rounds.