Tuesday, September 15, 2009 11:36 AM CDT
Dragway racing is family affair for Talberts
By RICK DAWSON, Staff Writer
rdawson@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- Nicole Talbert's first pass on the Coles County Dragway's eighth-mile strip wasn't one she'll soon forget.
Twelve hours from her Maryland home, she pulled onto the track during Friday's test and tune, studied the lights on the Christmas tree, then accelerated. Through the corner of her eye, she watched the driver in the other lane suddenly wobble and veer toward her. As she hit the brakes, he crossed over and plowed into the guard rail.
“It's in the dark and I don't know the track at all,” she said. “So I go down there and he's a lot faster than me. I only run 8.20s, about 80 mile an hour. He was probably 100 miles an hour. He was out ahead and I was watching him. He wiggled and then I saw smoke. It was a good thing I'm slow or that would have been bad.”
Talbert had a rare chance to race this past weekend with father Ed and half-brother Brad, a regular competitor in the bike class at Charleston. Junior drag racing has been her forte — she won Maryland's Division I title in her age group (16-17) — to earn a gold card next year. But with one year of eligibility remaining, she's now ready for bracket racing at higher levels.
That means hoping to catch up with her father someday. There are few bracket racers in his class who can be mentioned in the same breath as Ed, who owns a tractor and lawn business while living in Woodbine, 20 miles west of Baltimore. Two years ago, he was the runnerup in the no box championship of the IHRA Summit Series World Finals, losing only to Canadian Will Steckly.
“That year I was the best in the United States, that's what we call it,” he said.
Although he came to Charleston with four wins driving the same green Chevelle he did so well with in 2007, a car he's won nearly $50,000 with, now he's turned his focus to Nicole, who has 11 wins as a junior, including the Division I title at the Capital Raceway.
“My first race in this I actually won in the Street class, the same as Sportsman here,” she said. “I wasn't 16 yet, I didn't have my license. I went up there and I wasn't expecting to win.”
The Talberts made it to Coles County at the urging of Brad, who is currently running fifth in the Motorcycle points class. The Dragway offered its biggest prize in years, requiring a $500 entrance fee for its box class. It was the first racing trip ever to Illinois for Ed and Nicole. As of midday Sunday, they were still getting the hang of it.
“Brad raced with us out there years ago,” Ed said. “We just thought it would be cool to come out here, a 12-hour drive to race here. Of course I'm lost on the tree. We haven't had any real good luck.”
Only a few weeks are left before the season is done. The Dragway is closed this weekend for bracket finals. Track points end on Oct. 18.
Contact Rick Dawson at rdawson@jg-tc.com or 238-6855.
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