The drag racing McGaha family will be representing their native land within the borders of the Lone Star State with pride at the upcoming NHRA FallNationals. Mason, a third-generation drag racer following in the footsteps of grandfather Lester and dad Chris, will be showing that even intentions are bigger in Texas as he pilots not one, but two of the family hot rods.
Young McGaha will begin the Texas Motorplex Stampede of Speed week on Monday as he wheels the Chevrolet Camaro that his father raced in Pro Stock in 2021 at the NHRA Division Four Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series event. Mason will run in the category in which grandfather Lester and father Chris also raced, Comp Eliminator. On Wednesday, the dial will flip to the national event there at the historic facility that sits just outside of Dallas, and the young gentleman will run in both Comp and Pro Stock.
Mason has had a strengthening year in Pro Stock with two trips to the semifinals and a final round performance. He expects to be just as competitive in Comp, one of the most compelling and challenging categories, with his Harlow Sammons Racing Camaro entered in the A/A class.
“I will definitely be the busiest guy on the property next week,” said Mason. “We did the double-divisional in Dallas in 2022, and I’ve been wanting to run Comp forever. Chris always ran Comp, and I’ve always liked it.”
But what is Comp, you may ponder.
From the Drag Racing Classes page at NHRA.com on Oct. 4, 2024:
No category in NHRA competition features more variety than Comp. Dragsters, altereds, street roadsters, coupes, sedans, front-engine nostalgia dragsters, sport compact cars, and trucks race in 75 classes. The engine combinations are just as diverse as the vehicles, from turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines to Pro Stock-style V-8s and nitrous-oxide-equipped mountain motors. Most cars are classified using a formula that divides total car weight by cubic inches. Each class is assigned an index based on what a well-built car should run, and races are handicapped according to those indexes.
Okay, so basically, this formula provides heads-up racing for brainiacs, with a roster of diverse drag cars offering something for everyone, aesthetically speaking. In a sense, Comp is chess for drag racers as they aim for quick and fast while also working to stay within the index (to an extent). Unlike other Sportsman classes where a breakout run results in a loss, breaking out too much in Comp can allow the driver to advance, but with a personal temporary penalty of a lower index the next round. Breaking out too-too much is real bad news if you want to be liked, because going excessively quick and fast will permanently change the index for everyone in the class after the event.
It seems complicated, but this is a category of research and development, and that takes money. Those with deeper pockets could, potentially, run away with everything and leave the others in the cold. This system is in place to prevent that, and while it is restrictive, it also creates a challenge unlike any other. Be the best, but keep a little bit of a lid on it – and make sure you’re better than the guy in the other lane at keeping the lid on just right.
It’s a powerful game because it ticks all the boxes: cool cars, bitchin engines and combinations, and drivers who can make large and potentially impactful decisions in a fraction of a second.
Comp can hook you, and Lester was the first Comp-addict in the family. Driving his own entry, he reached the final round at the fall race in Topeka in 1995 next to David Nickens, an iconic engine builder and the 1991 Comp world champ. Nickens won their race, but the damage to Lester’s ability to say no to the category had been done long before. Of course, Chris inherited the illness and made a name for himself in Comp with final rounds at division races in 2010 and 2011. He made his Pro Stock debut in 2011 at the U.S. Nationals, but it’s plain to see that the gene was not extinguished as son Mason is eager to make his first hits in Comp at Texas Motorplex in just a few days.
“Just having runs on the track you’re about to race on is huge. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to do this,” said Mason, who is in the hunt for a first Dallas trophy for the family. Chris reached the Pro Stock final there in 2021, and he’ll be looking for an opportunity to park his car in the winner’s circle this year as well.
“We should have six or seven runs on the board before the Texas Fall Nationals [in the Comp car],” Mason continued. “The whole operation will be in action. On Friday, I’ll be in round one for Comp, and then later we’ll go right into Pro Stock qualifying. I am looking forward to getting that hit in the morning and then going into Friday qualifying.”
Tickets: www.stampedeofspeed.com
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