Huge crowd on hand at The Park for Test and Tune

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - David W. Ryan

With action on all three tracks, the Louisiana Off Road Race Park hosted the largest crowd in the young park’s history with estimates topping 3,000 people. There was no admission to the all the day Test and Tune and with a laid back format on the racing, a true truck number is unknown but believed to top 100.

“It was just such a beautiful day at the park,” Dirt Drag Racing President David McMillin said. “On the drag track alone we had 69 trucks sign up and run. So it was a big day.”

In addition to some friendly racing and a lot of testing and working the kinks out, several racers debuted with new trucks.

Steve Bruce of Jonesville traveled to the Wisconsin mud circuit to purchase his family’s new racer which was aptly named by his son Bradley.

“It is plum purple,” Bradley, who will be the driver this season, explained the first time he saw it. “But you would have to be plum nuts to drive it.”

When running nitro, Bruce said the 468 Big Block can produce a 1,000 horsepower and close to 90 mph on a 300’ track.

Maybe not to be outdone, 70 year old John “Papaw” Butler from Denham Springs showed up Saturday with his new racer, Papaw’s Play Toy. Running in the 4.6 Class, Butler said his little custom buggy would produce more than 700 horsepower.

“It might be too fast,” Butler chuckled as he climbed out of the racer. He also pointed out his Uncle Sam logo which says Freedom is not FREE and on the back of his buggy it says Gone Fishing! Turns out Papaw traded his fishing boat for his new dirt dragster!

New Season Starts

All the testing and tuning is over and the new racing season kicks off at the Louisiana Off Road Race Park with sanctioned DDRA Points Race on March 20.

“We are expecting upwards of 100 trucks for the opening event this season,” McMillin noted. “We encourage everyone to come and enjoy our family atmosphere of good, clean fun.

“We’ve got a lot of new trucks, new designs, more horsepower and we are excited about the new season.”

See you at THE PARK!

Austin Butler of Jonesville and Sassified are up to their old tricks as they get the big jump on Steve Bruce and Plum Nutz.

Just how many people can you put on one four-wheeler (look closely, it's two)?

Ronnie Duncan slapped on some primer and came up from Baton Rouge to test and tune his new ride.

Never to young to start dirt drags like one year old Kryssa Coleman (left) and three year old Bryan Tillman.

Steve Bruce (from left) makes it a family affair with his wife Shelia, daughter Stephanie, and son Bradley, who will be the driver this season for Plum Nutz.

For the love of MUD!!!

Look out for that man with the camera!!!

Dewain Littleton and Todd Netherland both of Jonesville, debut to new rides Saturday.

John "Papaw" Butler of Denham Springs shows off his new ride which will run in the 4.6 Class pushing 700 horsepower and according to Papaw "It's too fast!"

Lemar Brown's Black Widow was looking sharp.

Steve Bruce's new ride Plum Nutz made its debut at the race park Saturday.

Doyle Watson of Jonesville and his buggy was in mid-season form.

Dirt and mud fly at the start of the friendly test and tune race.

Just added water? More testing and tuning -- more like racing!!!

Mike Grantham and Camo Construction of Vidalia was there with Tiger Bait testing and tuning in the mud...