Wanna Go Fast? takes place at Ingalls Field
There seem to be enough exciting outdoor events in Bath County this spring and summer to keep everyone entertained, and talking about them, for quite a while. Wanna Go Fast is unlike anything taking place in recent Bath County history. So when speaking with Blake Hutchison, the company’s owner and president, the first question had to be:
So, what can spectators expect to see on May 2nd and 3rd at Ingalls field?
“They can expect to see, pretty much the fastest street cars in the world. We get anything from Lambourginis, Ferraris, Porshe, and then all the way on the other side, Corvette, Camarro, Mustang, and then the Japanese cars, such as the Nissan GTR which is an extremely fast car. We get a lot of those. And then there’s just a bunch of other different varieties of anything and everything. But you can expect to see cars going anywhere from 130 miles an hour, to 220 or230 miles an hour. So it’s a pretty big spectrum, and it’s just a lot of fun.”
The vehicle classes are listed on the Wanna Go Fast website. And how exactly does this work?
Hutchison explained.
“They’ll be racing on the runway. The runway is just a little bit over a mile. The participants will race side by side. The awards will be given out based on their speed, and that speed will be achieved at a distance of just over a half mile, which is 2,640 feet. So, throughout the two days, awards will be given out based on, not a lapse time like a drag race, but based on speed only.
We have devices and that measure the speed in both lanes, and then that in turn displays onto a pretty big scoreboard that all the spectators will see.”
And who are the people who enter their cars in a competition like this?
“It’s actually a big mix. We get anything from people that have done well in the business world; some of them are entrepreneurs. And we also get just corporate people, and then we also get people that just work on their car in their spare time, and have normal jobs. We mix all those people together, and that’s quite a spectacle, so, it’s not just for the elite; it’s for everyone. And that was my goal when I created this company. If you can pay the fee, then you can race your car as much as you want against whomever you want.”
When asked where an event like this usually takes place, and how many participants typically register, Blake Hutchison said more.
“We’ve been able to bring it to people all the way from Austin, Texas to Chicago, to Georgia to Virginia, and central Florida.
We max our capacity at 270, and then we have sponsor cars on top of that. I think we have like 40 of those, either 30 or 40. So, it’ll be around 310 or so cars that are competing over the course of the weekend, and that’s split up. It won’t be three hundred cars just on one day.”
For this event, the online registration was full in less than a day. Blake spends a lot of time researching different airports around the country. Did Bath County approach you, or did you contact Bath County?
“I zeroed in- the main thing that struck me was, you know, most of the airports just look like airports. And Hot Springs, Ingalls Field was like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. So that when I saw that, we like things that are different, will attract people. It’s not just being at an airport; it’s being at one of the most beautiful backdrops you’ve ever seen, and it just so happens there’s an airport there.”
And how much is admission for spectators?
“Fifteen dollars a day, cash at the gate. You show up you can come in. Bring your own chairs, your own tent.”
So, once again, the event is Saturday and Sunday, May 2nd and 3rd from 11 to 6.
Children 12 and under are five dollars.
And there will be plenty to eat!
“Trudy Woodzell has set up a few different non-profits, and I think they also served the Wings and Wheels event at Ingalls Field. They’ll be selling food there that day as well.”
For details on who is serving which delicious meal, visit alleghenymountainradio.org , and for the Wanna Go Fast link visit the AMR Facebook page.
Concessions!
Relay for Life: breakfast items, hamburgers, hotdogs,homemade fries, nachos
Bolar VFD: Fish and chips
Burnsville Rescue Squad: country ham sandwiches
Pageant Girls: hoagies
Hot Springs Fire Auxilary: Strawberry Shortcake
Team Zumba: various baked goods
Relay for Life: Barbeque Sandwiches
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