NOPE, it’s not that someone forgot to pay the power bill. The very cool Lights Out format is all about good old first to the finish drag racing. No one cares about Elapsed Times; in fact the time boards are blanked out.

It is fast doorslammer racing at its finest, with turbo, blown and nitrous cars going head to head, and the crowd is allowed right up behind the cars at the start line, so it’s not hard to get excited. In the US a lot of money changes hands during these events; even amongst the spectators. It’s heads-up, pro-tree, first to the finish wins.

Adding to the vibe at Willowbank Raceway there was Jeff Lutz and Doc from Street Outlaws. Jeff had his Evil Twin ’57 Chev at the track while Doc (aka James love) left his insanely quick Monte Carlo at home.

The event was so popular that traffic was queued out the gates for miles; a real shot in the arm for local drag racing. Who won? Who cares! It’s all grudge racing.

“I pair the cars so Doorslammers race Imports and V8 versus Rotary. All the races you’ll never see at a race meeting,” Gup, the man behind Lights Out in Australia says. “It’s called fun; it seems the world of drag racing has forgotten how to have fun I reckon.”