Weekends Are a Great Drag for Bob Pittman and Son, Kyle

By R.P. Whittington

As a vice president for Jacksonville surveying and mapping firm Clary & Associates, Bob Pittman is better known among developers for mapping big neighborhood developments including the boundary, topo, tree and wetland surveys as well as condos, commercial tracts, as-builts and even marinas.

But on weekends, Pittman works on different road projects…racing on them, that is.

Pittman and his 18-year-old son Kyle are into drag racing – taking their street vehicles to race tracks in Gainesville, Orlando, and a track recently opened in Valdosta to compete against themselves and the clock.

"Rebuilding engines and messing around with cars was one of my favorite pastimes as a kid," Pittman said. "So, as my son got into his teens we started to share this love of cars. It’s just a guy thing. We do it for the fun of it."

Pittman owns a 2003 Corvette Z06, a track model, while Kyle has a 2000 Chevrolet Silverado. As they tooled with each of their vehicles, steadily increasing the engine power of each, Pittman says it came to the point that they would have to take their cars off the main thoroughfares of Jacksonville and onto the tracks.

"If you have a vehicle that has a lot of power, you naturally have a tendency to try to race people and see what your car will do," Pittman said.

Drivers of all ages can compete like the professionals at these tracks, used throughout the year by the National Hot Rod Association for sanctioned racing. The sport involves two vehicles that set up at a starting line on a straight, quarter-mile track. Drivers first spin their wheels in water (for added traction when they heat up), then wait for the starting lights (called a Christmas Tree in racing slang) and hit the gas when they get the green light. Officials are on hand to coordinate the races and keep time for the drivers. Drivers can opt to ‘test and tune’ their vehicles for $20 and race throughout the day.

"You can certainly race other drivers, but the biggest part for us is competing with ourselves and trying to beat our previous time," Pittman said. "And, personally, it gives my son and me a great environment where we can get to know each other better and have some fun together."

Also, Pittman notes that, unlike other sports and hobbies, alcohol has no place in this one.

"When you drag race, your reactions within the car (a quick start, operating the clutch, etc.) are critical to having a good race," he said. "If you want to do your best, you have to be really sharp behind the wheel. It takes a lot of concentration."

Once drivers can reach the finish line in 13.5 seconds, a helmet is required. When they reach 11.5 seconds, they are required to install a roll bar. At less than nine seconds, classroom instruction is required of drivers.

"My son clocked in at 12.6 seconds a few weeks ago, which means he hit about 106 mph in a quarter mile, which is moving," Pittman said.

In addition to the pleasure they get from racing, and having a common hobby, Pittman says they’ve made many new friends as a result.

"We’ve met some of the nicest people at the tracks," he said. "And it’s not the good old boys like when I was a kid. When you work on cars these days, you really need to know computers. One thing that has surprised me is how many Navy folks are involved in the sport. They must be putting their electronics training to work."

Media Contact: Ron Whittington (904-563-0402)