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Bob Harris Inducted into the NC Drag Racing Hall
of Fame
PITTSBORO, N.C. February 22, 2015: This past
weekend the PDRA’s own Bob Harris joined an
elite group of North Carolina Drag Racing
persona. He was chosen for induction into the
North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Harris
joined the likes of Roy Hill, Doug Herbert,
Buddy Martin, Sox and Martin, Rickie Smith,
Charles Carpenter and other NC Drag Racing Hall
of Famers during a ceremony at the Greensboro
Coliseum on Saturday, February 21.
A North Carolinian by birth, Harris was raised
in Pittsboro, NC and began racing as soon as he
was legally able at the age of 16. A testament
to how times have changed, Harris states he got
into it for the money. He worked his way through
the ranks for the next 13 years, challenging
competitors in IHRA Hot Rod, Quick Rod and Top
Sportsman and NHRA Super Comp. The Harris name
soon became one to be feared by the helmet in
the other lane. In 1988 Harris participated in a
Budweiser/Chevrolet Series at Maryland
International Raceway. Winning an event in the
series gave racers the opportunity to vie for a
Corvette at the final event of the year. The
young Harris qualified himself for the event and
went on to take home that Corvette. A year later
he sold the Corvette to make an addition onto
his house, a room known as the ‘Corvette Room’
where a picture of his trophy car is still
proudly displayed on the wall.
After winning the NHRA Bracket Finals in 1990,
Harris moved into the Super Comp division in
1991. He did well enough that season to be given
the incredible honor of NHRA’s Sportsman Driver
of the Year. Although by this time the sport had
become much more of a passion and less of a
money-making endeavor, Super Stock Magazine
named Harris as one of the top 10 money winners
in the world in 1992. Throughout his career
Harris accumulated 16 National Event titles and
3 Divisional Championships with the IHRA, as
well as two divisional wins with the NHRA.
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Harris’ son, Jason, would soon begin
following in his footsteps. The
viability and logistics of competing
in multiple classes was more feasible
in dragsters so the father/son duo
each raced a dragster in Super
Comp/Quick Rod and in Top Dragster. It
soon became clear that Jason was
taking notes from his dad and would
carry on the Harris legacy well.
Harris decided to back off in his role
of driver to take on the arguably more
challenging role of track owner.
During his 13 year tenure as
part-owner of Piedmont Dragway, the
industry began to take note of the
fact that Harris was valuable to drag
racing in more ways than as a champion
driver. His ability to promote and
market events put Piedmont Dragway on
the map. Inventing the ‘Big Dog’
Series, one of Piedmont Dragway’s
longest running and most successful
monthly series, was just one of the
ways Harris began to shine as a
promoter and businessman of the sport.
The Big Dog Series has become the
launching pad for many of the
modern-day Pro Mod success stories and
is still home to top North Carolina
competitors like Todd Tutterow.
In 2010, Harris officially retired
from the driver’s seat, focusing
efforts on his son’s racing career.
Most recently that has paid big
dividends for the Harris family as
Jason took home top honors as the PDRA
series’ first Pro Nitrous World
Champion.
At the beginning of 2014 Harris
stepped into perhaps the biggest
undertaking of his drag racing career.
A sour turn of events in professional
eighth mile drag racing sparked a
handful of Pro Mod racers to form a
viable organization that would
continue the professional outlaw
legacy. The PDRA was born, and Harris
was hand picked by the four owners to
direct this fledgling organization and
to help regain the respect
professional eighth mile racing
deserved. A year into this endeavor
and the Professional Drag Racers
Association has not only gained
respect from racers, manufacturers,
sponsors and fans, but is a key player
among drag racing organizations.
“Looking back over the years, the
opportunities I’ve had are pretty
incredible,” stated Harris. “When
you’re in the moment you just do what
has to be done. I never set out to be
recognized for my racing or promoting.
You just work hard and try to do
what’s best for the sport and for your
family.
“What an honor to be inducted into the
North Carolina Drag Racing Hall of
Fame,” he continued. “I never imagined
I would be given an honor of this
magnitude. I’ve worked with a lot of
great people throughout the years who
have helped make things like the Big
Dog Series and the PDRA a success.
Drag racing is rarely a one man show.
You always need to be surrounded by
great people and I have certainly been
blessed with that- most importantly,
my family. I want to thank my wife of
41 years, Shelby, for her support, and
my son Jason for being the best
teammate I could ask for. It’s
important to do this thing with the
support of family and I’m grateful
Jason’s wife Crystal has joined us and
they’re now raising my two grandkids
the same way I raised Jason. Without
my family, none of this would mean
anything.”
A little-known fact about Harris is
that he was also a world champion
softball player in his younger years.
It seems that no matter what he sets
out to do, success is sure to follow.
A quick look at Harris’ work ethic,
innovative ideas and do-what-it-takes
mentality and it’s easy to see how
he’s brought success to his family,
tracks and series.
Along with Harris, Deat Buckner, Don
Plemmons, Jake King and Stuart McDade
were also inducted into the North
Carolina Drag Racing Hall of Fame this
year.
“Life has come full circle from racing
as a hobby to feeding my family by
racing,” Harris observed. “I have won
big races, owned a drag strip, passed
the torch off to a World Champion, and
now I’m running a touring Series. I
thank the Lord that I've been able to
have a hand in all this and to spend
my life doing something I love with
the people I love.”
ABOUT THE PDRA
Based in Pittsboro, North Carolina,
the Professional Drag Racers
Association is the top sanctioning
body in the United States for the
sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The
PDRA’s professional categories include
Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost,
and Pro Extreme Motorcycle along with
Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr.
Dragster, and Top Jr. Dragster. The
2015 PDRA schedule consists of ten
national events. For more on the
world’s premier eighth mile drag
racing organization visit
www.pdra660.com.
Follow the PDRA:
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram,
YouTube.
Photo: Gary Rowe / RaceWorks.com /
PDRA660.com
PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers Association
lisa@pdra660.com
704.692.4636 |
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