dB Drag Racing Magazine - June/July 1997

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Originally appeared in the June / July 1997 issue of Car Sound magazine.

'Tis The Season

Its official! Spring is here and so is the 1997 sound-off season. And, with the new season, comes the opportunity to compete in dB Drag Racing, the fastest growing sound-off format on the planet! dB Drag Racing is now represented in eleven countries and the number continues to grow on a monthly basis. Registered events in the US are growing at an exponential rate. It is the participation of you, the dB Drag Racing competitor, that is helping to fuel this explosive growth in sound-off competitions.

Although the dB Drag Racing phenomenon is taking the world by storm, it has still not reached its full potential. I can envision a time when the sport has big-time sponsors like Coke or Pepsi. Maybe MTV will get into the act. And, along with the big sponsors, comes big prize money. The only way we'll get there, however, is through growth. Try to participate in every event in your area. Encourage dealers in your area to host a dB Drag Racing event. With all of us pulling in the same direction, the sport will continue to enjoy phenomenal success! And, most importantly, have fun!

In this issue, we highlight Tim Maynor. Tim is a long-time competitor who continues to be a driving force in the dB Drag Racing arena. Also included in this issue is in-depth coverage of two national level dB Drag Racing Events; The Spring Break Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida and the dB Drag Racing Invitational in Atlanta, Georgia.

Spring Break Nationals - Daytona Beach, Florida

The sound-off season traditionally kicks off with the Spring Break Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. This year was no exception. On March 23-24, auto sound competitors from all over the country converged on Daytona Beach for a weekend of surf, sunshine, and a chance to draw "first-blood" in the 1997 sound-off arena.

Competitors weren't the only ones attending the event, however. Hordes of school-weary spring breakers flocked to the show in record numbers. Many came to check out the extraordinary sound systems on display. Others just wanted to check out the world famous bikini contest. But regardless of their reason for attending, almost everyone stuck around to check out dB Drag Racing!

Starting early Saturday morning, dB Drag Racing competitors began lining up for the qualifiers. Since there were two power classes (0-500 Watts & 501 Watts & Up) at Daytona this year, only 16 competitors (eight in each power class) would be eligible to advance to the elimination rounds to be held on Sunday. With such a small number of positions up for grabs, competition was ferocious! Competitors that normally would "sandbag" during the qualifiers were giving it everything they had. By the time the dust settled, seventy seven vehicles had competed for these 16 elusive positions.

The elimination rounds began promptly at noon on Sunday. As you may recall, competitors actually compete "head-to-head" during the elimination rounds, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser being eliminated. This year, many of the contests were very, very tight. This, in conjunction with shouts of encouragement from the crowd, prompted many competitors to take their systems right to the very edge of destruction! What a show!

In addition to the normal excitement surrounding the elimination rounds of dB Drag Racing, several other noteworthy events occurred. The first happened when a competitor accidentally locked his keys in his vehicle during judging. Since the competitor wasn't using a remote console or remote control, his system ended up playing at full output for the 15 minutes or so it took to open the door. The crowd found this to be exceedingly funny much to the chagrin of the competitor. The second event occurred when Martin Taylor's system refused to play during judging. Although Martin's system had qualified with a higher score than his competition, the malfunction cost him the race. He later informed me that the culprit was a loose connection in his console.

In the end, Ben Hamdorf, a relative newcomer to dB Drag Racing, won the 0-500 Watt power category by defeating Vern Goin in the final round of eliminations. Ben's score was a respectable 154.0 dB. In the 501 Watt and up power category, Brantley Waites defeated John Henry in one of the tightest contests I have ever seen. Going in, Brantley and John had each won their semi-final rounds with identical scores of 159.8 dB. Brantley's winning score was an impressive 159.9 dB.

Click here for a complete scoring breakdown and more photos.

Overall, the Spring Break Nationals was a great success. Everyone I talked to had a great time. The contest ran smoothly and the trophies were awarded on time. Hope to see you there next year!

dB Drag Racing Invitational - Atlanta, Georgia

In an event reminiscent of the Olympic games, eight of the loudest dB Dragsters in the world met at Centennial Park in Atlanta on April 6 to do battle for $10,000.00 in prize money. Participation in the event was on an invitational basis, with qualification being based on the competitor's high score from the 1996 dB Drag Racing season. Participants included; Martin Taylor, Jack Cali, Kevin Meetze, Brantley Waites, Greg Perchal, Chris Thompson, Ben Hamdorf, and John Henry.

Being an invitational event, all 8 competitors were obviously qualified for the elimination rounds. Even so, it was still necessary to run each competitor through the judging lanes one at a time in order to establish pairings for the elimination rounds. Martin Taylor of Ultimate Audio had the highest qualifying score with a measured SPL of 162.9 dB, the second highest in dB Drag Racing history!

By 1:00 PM, the qualifying round was complete, and the pairings were established. After a short 30 minute intermission (to allow competitors time to recharge their batteries), the elimination rounds began. In the Quarter-Finals, Martin Taylor defeated Jack Cali with a score of 161.2 dB. Brantley Waites defeated Kevin Meetze with a score of 160.2 dB. Greg Perchal defeated Chris Thompson with a score of 160.0 dB. And John Henry defeated Ben Hamdorf with a score of 161.6 dB.

During the Quarter Finals, the attendees were treated to a phenomenal occurrence. In the 3rd round (Greg Perchal VS Chris Thompson), Greg's windshield actually shattered during competition. It was incredible! Everyone, including the other competitors, went crazy! It was a first in dB Drag Racing history.

Greg Perchal
Greg Perchal shattered his windshield
in the 3rd round of eliminations!

As the competition progressed, it became clear that some new records for 1997 would be established in this clash of the titans. John Henry continued to pump out Sound Pressure Levels in excess of 162 dB while Martin Taylor and his crew of Ultimate Audio supporters religiously hammered away at the 161 dB mark. Both competitors ultimately squared off against one another in the final round of competition.

By this time, the crowd of spectators had worked themselves into a frenzy. As the introductory music began to play, the crowd could no longer contain itself and everyone began to scream and shout uncontrollably. The excitement was contagious and I even found myself shouting with anticipation of the event.

When the 30 second judging was over, John Henry had defeated Martin Taylor with a score of 162.5 dB. This, in conjunction with his earlier score of 162.7, set a new record for 1997 of 162.5 dB. (To set a record, the competitor must beat the old record twice at the same event. The lower of the two scores then becomes the new record.)

The prize money for this event was outstanding. John Henry received $4000.00 for his first place finish. Martin Taylor received $2000.00. Brantley Waites and Greg Perchal each received $1000.00. Jack Cali, Kevin Meetze, Chris Thompson, and Ben Hamdorf all walked away with $500.00.

Click here for a complete scoring breakdown and more photos.

Like Daytona, this event was a phenomenal success. The prize money was good, attendance was great, and everyone had a great time. I would like give special thanks to Karen Chupka at CEMA and the folks at EIA for making this event possible. Hope to see you at next year's event which promises to be even bigger and badder than ever!

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding dB Drag Racing or this publication, please write to:

dB Drag Racing Magazine
6 Manhasset Avenue
Port Washington, NY 11050

Wayne Harris is President of Wayne Harris Enterprises, Director of Research and Development for Rockford Corporation, and President and Founder of the dB Drag Racing Association.

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