TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Hundreds of racers across the country gathered at the Wabash Valley Dragway this weekend to take part in the 25th edition of a Memorial Day tradition.
The Bernie Mann Memorial No Delay Nationals featured over $25,000 in prizes for those who participated. Jake Hodges, the owner of Final Call Promotions who help put on the event, said they had drivers come from all over to race this weekend.
“We’ve got guys from Missouri, we’ve got guys from Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania. We’ve got guys from all over coming to the little Wabash Valley Dragway right here in the heart of Terre Haute,” he said.
The event runs through Sunday. Each day features a winner of $12,500, with other competition also involved. Hodge said they also had live music on Saturday night.
It also honors the legacy of Bernie Mann, a storied racer in the community who died after a battle with cancer in 1998. His son Harry Eversole said it was great to watch the event grow over time– and talked about what his father meant to him.
“Our father, he was a great footbrake racer back in the day. He understood drag racing,” he said. “He was innovative in the way he did it. To see this thing grow from what it was the first event, to what it is today, it is just absolutely heartwarming. It honors his memory and it honors all Veteran’s memories. It has special meaning here for us.”
