The FuelTech Radial Outlaws series has provided radial racers in classes like Limited Drag Radial ( right ) a place to race for championships , while it ’ s also added big purses for Radial vs . the World ( below ).
Donald “ Duck ” Long and his Duck X Productions brand built up the drag radial racing category over more than a decade of his marquee events , Lights Out in the spring and No Mercy in the fall , both at South Georgia Motorsports Park . In an effort to continue growing the radial classes , especially the headlining Radial vs . the World division , Long and a team of drag radial stakeholders introduced the FuelTech Radial Outlaws Racing Series for the 2022 season . Since then , the group has added big payouts and pro-level structure to help carry drag radial racing into the future .
Though multiple radial classes have had the ability to race for a season championship through various series , namely John Sears ’ Radial Tire Racing Association ( RTRA ), the Radial Outlaws program added a championship element for Radial vs . the World , which saw increasing performance
levels and corresponding costs that sent it into dangerous , Pro Extreme-esque territory . Through the Radial Outlaws series , Long is working to rebuild the class .
In the inaugural Radial Outlaws season in 2022 , just six RVW drivers ran the full six-race season , while dozens of racers in other classes earned points in the class when they ’ d buy a tech card just to get a few more passes down the track . The 2023 points standings include just dedicated RVW drivers , a list that went up to eight full-time competitors .
The RVW effort reached a new level earlier this year when Long announced an increased $ 50,100-to-win winner ’ s prize , as well as a $ 50,000 prize for the season champion . The incentive seems to be helping , as eight drivers have run the first four of six scheduled races , while the other five drivers in the points standings have run two or three events .
“ Our goal over the past year was to elevate RVW back to the pinnacle of drag racing excitement and competition ,” Long said in an interview earlier this year . “ Thanks to the incredible support from our sponsors and the hard work of everyone behind the scenes , we ’ re on track to achieve just that . This boost in prize money is not just about rewarding the winners ; it ’ s about encouraging competition , attracting more teams , including those from the Pro Mod ranks , and ultimately , growing the sport we all love .”
The other classes in the series – Pro 275 , Limited Drag Radial , X275 , and Ultra Street – have all seen strong season-long participation as well . Overall , the Radial Outlaws program has provided its participants with more places to race for more money , while also giving fans more opportunities to watch their favorite drivers compete , all with the yearlong intrigue of championship battles . – NATE VAN WAGNEN DI
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS SEARS
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