Fergus man to compete in international racing series

FERGUS – Adam Sobol is preparing to compete in the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Outlaw drag racing series next spring.

The Fergus resident is not new to snowmobile drag racing, as he has competed on grass and snow many times. He is however, new to racing on asphalt.

“I’m not new to the sport, I’ve always snowmobiled, and when I was younger, I raced pro snowcross,” said Sobol.

He bought his first asphalt sled earlier this year after he went to buy a trail sled and the seller ditched him. Sobol then inquired about a race sled in St. Catharines and that is when his journey began.

Shortly thereafter, he ended up with a trailer, then an Outlaw sled for the IHRA series in the U.S. for next year.

“It’s like having kids,” said Sobol. “You can’t just have one.”

During his first run on his new sled at the Grand Bend track, Sobol reached  115mph, a speed he would soon surpass.

After learning more about the races and how to navigate the asphalt surface, Sobol returned to the track and “kicked ass,” losing by just 0.0197 seconds.

Time is what really matters in “bracket racing,” a type of drag racing in which each racer picks a time they think they’ll run and then tries to finish as close to that time as possible while racing someone else.

“It’s strategic, like playing chess, because you can lose at any time depending on how close you are to your time,” he said.

“You pick your number (your predicted time) and put it on the sled; it goes into the computer, and you’re racing against that number and the person beside you.”

Sobol says he’s very consistent and competitive. His Outlaw sled, the one he will be racing in next year’s IHRA series, will be about 800 horsepower and run the eight-mile race in the four-second range, pulling about 3G’s off the line.

“You need to be strapped in,” said Sobol.

“They put a cowl behind your butt, kind of like what a dirt bike looks like, how it steps up at the back.”

Sobol explained that due to the stickiness of the track and the rubber on which the sleds run, traction is instant, and without some support riders would surely be thrown from their sleds.

“You have to have those (rear supports) on those sleds, because it’s not like ice, it’s not like snow, and it’s not like dirt, you just hook up and you’re ... gone,” said Sobol.

He stresses it’s not all new high-end machines at these races – there’s a “run what you brought” mentality.

Sobol also praised the experience at the Grand Bend track, stating, “It’s like a car show for hot rods ...

“You can camp at the track, sometimes there are bands, and families can swim and hang out nearby – better than just being in a trailer park.”

Currently, Sobol is competing at the Grand Bend track, accumulating IHRA points. Racers accumulate points throughout the season in local divisions to qualify for World Championship events in the IHRA. 

These points are tracked through the GBM Thunder Series.

Class winners in the Thunder Series points program qualify to compete at the IHRA Summit Sportsman Drag Racing Series World Championships.

This is separate from the IHRA series in the U.S., which Sobol said he will be competing in next spring.