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Drag racing will return to Shelton for 2 days this summer!SHELTON -- Rahn Redman still remembers the drag races in Shelton from his childhood.
Redman hopes to create new memories of drag racing this August.
Redman, executive director of the Shelton Dragstrip Association, is moving forward with plans for two days of cars and racing at the abandoned 4,500-foot Sanderson Field runway. The Port of Shelton runs the airport.
|  Redman, executive director of the Shelton Dragstrip Association, is moving forward with plans for two days of cars and racing at the abandoned 4,500-foot Sanderson Field runway. The Port of Shelton runs the airport.
"We've got a signed contract with the Port of Shelton," Redman said Tuesday while traveling to California to promote the Aug. 5-6 event.
Redman currently has 34 vehicles signed up for the weekend, and expects many more vehicles of all varieties -- ranging from Top Fuel dragsters to nostalgic dragsters to land speed record cars to classic muscle cars -- to be on hand for the event.
"We're expecting 300 to 400 show cars, and 400 to 600 race cars," Redman said of the weekend, which is being sanctioned by the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) as a non-points drag racing event. "We're also trying to get local dealerships to bring new cars out. If it runs on gasoline, we want people to bring it."
According to Redman, drag racing at the Shelton airport ran from 1951-1959, and again from 1964-1967. Since then, the nearest drag racing has been in Bremerton. The top levels of the NHRA have competed at Pacific Raceways in Kent for nearly 20 years.
"When I was a kid, about 10 or 11 years old, during the summer my buddies and I would go to the airport, hand paint the lines and compile ET (Elapsed Time) tickets," Redman recalled. "When the track closed in 1967, we weren't old enough to drive yet."
In 1984, Redman and his group of fellow racing enthusiasts put together a $5 million proposal for a racing facility at the Port of Shelton. The proposal was rejected.
Now, more than 20 years later, drag racing is finally set to return to the 200-foot wide runway, which Redman noted is still in good shape.
"It is a big thing for me," Redman said. "I'm in my 50s now. We've wanted to do it for a long time. We're grown up now, and we're grandparents. It's now our turn."
Ticket prices will be $15 per day or $25 for the weekend, with all events covered with the ticket. Redman and his group are still looking for people to help, and will have a meeting from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. March 18 at the PUD Auditorium in downtown Shelton for anyone who wants to come.
Redman is expecting people from as far as California to come to the event.
"We're expecting 8,000 people for the weekend," he said. "In the old days, it wasn't uncommon to have 10,000 on a weekend for the races. We have a lot more population nowadays, and NHRA is much more popular now."
Bob Robinson, managing director of the Port of Shelton, wouldn't mind seeing that many people at the event.
"If in fact 8,000 people come, they will use the motels and restaurants," Robinson said. "We will be thrilled by that."
Robinson said the three port commissioners recognized the expected popularity when granting the authorization for the event.
"We're anticipating that it will be a popular thing," said Robinson, who emphasized the port will not be operating the event. "We did consider the potential economic benefits as voiced by the advocate in the decision process."
The commissioners approved the event on a one-time basis. Redman will be able to discuss holding future events with the commissioners after this year's event.
"This is not anything other than a single event," Robinson said of the recently signed contract. "If (Redman) wants to have future events, each will be evaluated on its own merits."
Redman understands that, and hopes this year will serve as a springboard for more.
"Hopefully we can build this into a full-time facility," he said. "This (event) will be a litmus test."
Calling this event his "lifelong dream," Redman will be taking a special honor to kick off the weekend.
"I'll be the first one down the track," he said with a laugh. "You gotta have your perks."
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