Chattanooga Police Officer Joe Warren leaves the line during a practice run at the Brainerd Optimist Dragstrip in 2010.Racing will continue at the Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip after the accident that killed longtime track worker Johnny Walker last week.
Steve Farrow, an Optimist Club member and consultant to strip manager Leonard Lawson, said after a meeting Thursday with the fire marshal that everything went well and the facility on Scruggs Road will be open tonight as usual for “test and tune” and Saturday for racing. The gates will open Saturday at 3 p.m.
As in the past, competition likely will continue as long as the high temperature on a given Saturday is over 50 degrees. One scheduled event is the Catoosa County Stockings of Love night on Dec. 1; it’s a fundraiser for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
“We just had to make sure everything was in line and we were ready to open,” said Farrow, who took over operation of the strip this year but later stepped aside because of time needed for his businesses. “That was just a freak accident — one of those sad things that happens. Nobody’s holding anybody responsible.”
Walker was fatally injured during last Saturday’s annual “Dragging’ for Toys” charity event when Hillary Mason accidentally backed over him at high speed in a dragster borrowed from Lawson. Authorities have said charges are not expected.