Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout 2 Cars Badly Burned in Fire – Teams Vow to Rebuild
MURRIETA, CA — POWER AUTOMEDIA’s wildly popular Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout 2 suffered a massive blow as the four race cars cars were recently involved in a fire disaster during transport. The transporter that was hauling the $10K Drag Shootout 2 cars caught fire and the blaze engulfed the vehicles.
Three of the four $10K Drag Shootout 2 cars on the rig were damaged, but, most notably, the COMP Cams Dream Team’s Ford Mustang was totally destroyed while Team Bigun’s Ford Granada wagon’s entire front clip, including the engine and transmission, were scorched.
Within hours of the initial announcement, shock quickly turned into determination with a goal of rebuilding in time to race. However, once the full scope of the extensive damage was assessed, it became clear that it was more practical to push the race forward to Donald “Duck” Long’s “Lights Out” event in February 2020.
“There is a roller coaster of emotions when something like this happens. At first, you feel completely crushed not only for all the hard work that Power Automedia put into it, but the effort and dedication that these teams showed over the ten days they spent building these cars – time away from their families, plus all the time they spent planning leading up to the competition,” explained Scott Parker of Horsepower Wars. “That heartbreak, though, was replaced with the resilient and hopeful spirit of these dedicated racers.”
Despite being badly burned, it has been confirmed that the teams intend to rebuild and will be ready to race! It will be a monumental undertaking to get everything repaired, however, Horsepower Wars, the teams, and wonderful partners are committed to making the best of the situation for both the participants and the fans. The affected teams will rebuild their cars, and the fire will not be the end of the $10K Drag Shootout 2.
“It was discouraging to see the condition of the Dream Team race car after the fire,” said Dream Team’s Dave Henninger. “On the bright side, all the competing teams were on board to come together and fix all the cars. We will bring the car back to life to compete at the same level prior to the fire. The Dream Team is committed to showing the other three teams that we can rise up to any challenge, including this one,”
Similarly, Chad Reynolds of Team Bigun shared the same sentiment and determination to rebuild. “It’s legitimately heartbreaking because you spend ten days building this thing nonstop, putting in blood, sweat, and tears, and then a freak accident burns it to the ground.” Although his team’s car is crispy, they intend to stand proud in the face of adversity and are going to leave as much as possible of the burned parts intact. “I don’t know if it’s wishful thinking and we’re trying to be positive, but we’re not done. That son of a bitch is going to fly and we’re going to win the ten grand!”
Of course, the enormous undertaking to rebuild wouldn’t be possible without the blessing from Horsepower Wars. Fortunately, the focus has been turned to seeing what the teams can accomplish despite the adversity. Rather than simply cover the rebuild with a blog or video blog, the goal is to still allow the competitors to showcase their technical talents and determination as originally intended in a full episode, which hardcore racers and casual fans alike will surely appreciate.
“The amount of hard work and effort that these teams and sponsors have contributed was jaw dropping. Now, after the tragedy, they are willing to get back at it and rebuild. It really is amazing their commitment. What an incredible group of racers and builders…” said James Lawrence, Power Automedia’s CEO. “Quitting has never been an option for anyone involved in the $10K Drag Shootout, which gives teams a budget of $10,000 and a timeline of 10 days to build the fastest drag car possible. This setback will only serve as a temporary speed bump and not an insurmountable roadblock.”
The storyline has since shifted from a pure rivalry to more than just a competition – now, it’s about redemption and resurrection, with the validation of finishing the task at hand being a prize all will be able to enjoy (regardless of the ultimate overall outcome).
Out of respect for all involved, and for the amazing job that the competitors did to build their entries in the first place, the show must go on. While the scheduled race and final episode will be delayed, the remainder of the build episodes will air every Tuesday at 5:00pm PST/8:00pm EST as scheduled.
The Horsepower Wars $10K Drag Shootout was developed to showcase the “never say die” attitude where goals are relentlessly pursued, and this incident only further highlights the sheer skill and determination of the involved teams. To watch a video outlining the extent of the damage and the recovery plan, please visit http://bit.ly/35Gpv0g. For more information on Horsepower Wars and the $10K Drag Shootout, please visit HorsepowerWars.com.
