Drag Illustrated Issue 141, February 2019 | Page 32
Dirt
Outlaw 632 to run unified set
of rules throughout Southeast
By Josh Hachat
A
lready enjoying steady growth
as a class, 2019 could be the biggest
year yet for Outlaw 632. Thanks to
work from PDRA competition tech di-
rector Ken Kershaw, the class will have a unified
set of rules, not only in the PDRA, but also at all
prominent tracks that run Outlaw 632, includ-
ing South Georgia Motorsports Park, Bradenton
Motorsports Park, Orlando Speed World Dragway
and Palm Beach International Raceway.
The unified set of rules will also be in place
for the class at Donald Long’s “Lights Out” and
“No Mercy” races, and it’s the type of move Ker-
sahw believes could take the class to another level
next year.
“This was a really big deal for me to put together
and get all the tracks unified,” Kershaw says. “It
took a couple years of doing, but we got everyone
to agree, which is what we need to get the class
to grow. It’s very satisfying.”
The unified set of rules means a weight limit of
2,900 pounds for Outlaw 632 cars that run mul-
tiple systems, 2,600 pounds for single-kit with a
36 jet and 2,375 pounds for naturally aspirated
cars. It clears up any confusion going from the
PDRA to another race at a different track, along
with any extra time or money to run the class at
multiple events and tracks.
Kershaw said the response he has received from
racers has been extremely positive, especially
those who want to run the full PDRA schedule
and add in a number of other races at differ-
ent tracks.
“The guys are really happy,” Kershaw says. “It’s
a lot more efficient for everyone. As a driver or
a car owner, you’re able to race a lot more spots
and just go there and race. It gives them the op-
portunity to run more than just 7-8 races a year.
They can go anywhere to race without making
any adjustments.”
For a class that caters to young drivers as an
entry-level professional class, it’s a strong step
in the right direction. The class has featured a
number of up-and-coming standout drivers, in-
cluding PDRA world champions Dillon Voss and
Johnny Pluchino, and unifying the rules could
set the stage for the class to add several more in
2019 as a stepping-stone to other professional
doorslammer classes.
“The rules are set tight enough where you can
race efficiently and do it well at the same time,”
Kershaw states. “You’ve got a lot of young guys
getting involved in the class. It’s got some prestige
like a Pro Nitrous class, but it doesn’t require
the pocketbook you need to run a class like that.”
With a Southern-heavy base and a multitude
of Outlaw 632 competitors coming from Florida,
every driver and team now have several tracks
within close range with the same set of rules in
addition to the touring PDRA series. It opens
up a world of possibilities for a race season and
that means Outlaw 632 could be on the verge of
a serious breakthrough in 2019.
“I feel like it’s going to help grow the class a ton,”
Kershaw adds. “You’ve got three times the amount
of places to race now. It took a little bit of steam
to get it rolling in the PDRA, but I honestly think
it’s going to grow tremendously now.”
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Issue 141
Together as One