It's Lit.
- Kathryn (Kat) Redner
- Jan 14, 2017
- 2 min read
On Friday, December 30th of 2016 I went back to the track... but this time it was a bit different. I was going to light the afterburner which gives the jet dragster MUCH more power than using only the engine. The first pass I did that day I did an engine only, which was not bad at all. The second pass I had to light the burner, which was a whole different story.
I prestaged, staged, then gave the car it's fuel... it was time to strike the hotstreak (afterburner ignition) and let off the brakes simultaneously. I was as ready as I'd ever be... I mean I practiced the drill about a hundred times!!!
I let off the brakes and hit the hotstreak (or at least I thought I did) but it didn't feel any different. I knew the afterburner was not lit. I struggled to find the hotstreak with my thumb about 3 times when all of the sudden I jolted back into the seat of my car. With eyes as wide as my head, I knew I had lit it now...
Shocked? Yes. Terrified? Somewhat. Excited? Ehhh. You could say so!
The whole trip down the track felt like it lasted quite a while, when in reality it was over in a matter of seconds. After I had pulled the parachutes, shut off the car, and finished the other procedures, I thought, 'What if I don't like this??' At that moment I was a bit in shock, but I knew I definitely wanted to try it again to see if I could figure this thing out.
The second time down the track was a lot smoother, and each time I did it I felt more and more comfortable and had even more fun. My fastest time was 179.6, (but I just tell people 180, because it's close enough right?).
By the end of the day I was pretty darn happy. I got stuck in the car the last pass, but hey I was pretty proud of everything else. In a few more weeks I'll be going back to the track to continue my licensing. I am looking forward to continuing my journey to become a licensed jet dragster driver by going faster and farther down the track.
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