PHOTOGRAPHS BY VAN ABERNETHY |
Clarkton , North Carolina ’ s Rico Drag Strip has seen steady improvements and a lot of love poured into this vintage outlaw track located in the southeast region of the Tar Heel state . From humble roots of decades past , this eighthmile facility once sported a split-lane racing surface and a crudely constructed deer stand for a tower , but those days have long-since past . Track owner Lonzell McKenzie began to really ramp up the updates a few years back , and has been steadily improving this folksy facility that features a ton of history . By the time racers showed up for the 2024 season , they were greeted with a brand-new and sprawling timing tower , as
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well as a brand-new construction known as the “ Chicken Coop ,” which is how Rico identifies their concession stand – and for good reason , since the fried chicken is legendary at this track . It ’ s the signature food offering that ’ s been a fan-favorite for decades .
Another recent addition to Rico was when McKenzie hired Chris Moore for the role of track organizer . Moore is something of a “ Swiss Army Knife ” around the dragstrip , providing a litany of functions related to racing operations , in addition to being a racer himself . He ’ s also a guy who can locate things . Early on , McKenzie needed a flat drag , a tractor , and some nice aluminum bleachers , so Moore produced the items in short order .
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And since that all worked out so well , McKenzie also thought it would be cool to book a jet car on Father ’ s Day weekend , since a jet hadn ’ t gone down Rico ’ s eighth mile since the mid-1980s ! Moore made some calls and indeed made arrangements for Larry Aldrich and his “ Thunderbolt ” jet dragster to thrill the fans at Rico . His quickest pass came on Saturday night , demolishing the track record to the tune of 4.09 seconds at 189 MPH . “ The last time a jet car came to Rico was back in 1984 . It caught the woods on fire , and this latest one blew down a fence ! Lonzell wanted that fence gone anyway , so it all worked out ,” laughs Moore .
McKenzie also relies on Moore to oversee the
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September / October 2024 |
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