My name is Matthew Day Jackson and I am an artist living and working in Brooklyn, NY. The MDJ Racing team has been running a Super Comp dragster for the last four years to great failure. Either because of money or time, we have not been able to spend a full season racing. This is a narrative well known by those who are a part of the amateur drag racing world: stuff breaks, money runs out and our lives often take over our pursuit. This foray into drag racing is my first attempt into the world of motor sports and I think I can safely say that it will also be my last. Regardless, I feel I have learned a lot in participation as a driver representing the fourth generation of racecar drivers in my family. Aside from the personal aspects of this project it has been a "successful" continuation of my work as an artist in understanding the society and culture in which I live.
Drag racing is terrestrial space travel. It employs common methods of engineering to bridle the power of an internal combustion motor pushing the boundaries of our collective physical experience. It may be a romantic overstatement, but I believe it does add to OUR experience even in the slightest of ways. The measure of success in the endeavor of drag racing lies in the victory over oneself or an opponent. Oftentimes this margin of victory is measured in thousandths of a second and immeasurably small distances. Every inch and every second of improvement is a light year away until attained.
The machine, one of perfect engineering, finds its existence in its purpose. Every piece of the machine is meant to accelerate to speeds in excess of 170mph/ 258kmh in around 7.8 seconds from a standstill within the distance of 1320 feet/ 402 meters. It is not meant to turn nor is it meant to stop fast; and it is not meant for the street, or for the auto show. The machine is a freak in motor sports, and is oftentimes seen as the unwanted stepchild to more "sophisticated" forms of auto racing. Drag racing finds its history in the street, and in the garage of the machinist engineer. The way in which stock engines and chassis were modified is a sort of anarchy. The Promethean hot rod builder trumps the university-trained engineer at the corporation.
I have been bracket racing my car, which is the most democratic competition of motorsports. This type of racing allows for the greatest spectrum of automobiles in terms of design and performance characteristics. The Bracket Race oftentimes called, "run-what-ya-brung", allows for a handicap between the predicted elapsed time of the two cars over a quarter mile distance. Consistency is what creates winners in this form of racing. The handicap makes the efficacy and consistency of the driver and car's performance the determinant rather than raw speed. This injects democracy and neutralizes the influence of money on winning. Some cars are driven from the home to the track and back again. In some cases, I have seen child seats left in the pit area while the parent drives the car on the strip.
When compared to the fastest and most powerful passenger cars, even driving a Ferrari would be akin to driving a luxury golf cart [A Ferrari is passenger car – not sure what you mean]. Launching a Super Comp dragster has been likened to being catapulted off an aircraft carrier. The force of acceleration, greater than 1.4 g, is a unique experience. As drag racing legend Frank Hawley has described it, driving the car is mostly “letting go.” In a sport known for its violent power, the more the car is "muscled" the more dangerous and unsuccessful a run will be. The run can basically be broken down to reaction, which relies on training and faith.
My interest in drag racing is influenced by my concerns as an artist. As I drive the car I will be entirely transported to a different area of stimulus. My senses will be heightened and my concentration will be intensified. This is no different than what I am trying to accomplish in the studio. My goal as an artist is the total engagement of my body and mind and it is possible to experience this through similar formal activities including drag racing. Our bodies are exquisitely engineered, perceptive tools so this process of interconnection is painstaking. As when one ingests a psychedelic drug, I will endeavor to fully understand the experience, which is a practice of self-knowledge and attentiveness.
The car is produced by a team of people many whom I do not know, it is a physical record of years of engineering perhaps spanning thousands of years. The car is meant to be "safe" if cared for and driven responsibly, concurrently it is meant to be used to the limits of its performance. To drive the car as fast as it will go, and to trust in its construction is to have faith in my fellow humans and the knowledge we have gained thus far. This activates both my core interests the goal of furthering my human experience, which motivates my art making.
I am also seeking volunteers to join the team who may have valuable experience.
Please contact mdjvolunteer@gmail.com