Travel Photographer - Dr. Jeff Harper Photo Blog

Every December the Bangkok Drag Avenue hosts the "Souped Up Thailand" race. It's the biggest drag racing event of the year. I went this year (2017) and was very impressed with the level of technical sophistication.

I have added an update from the 11/2019 Souped-Up Thailand race. Enjoy.

Yes . . . there is drag racing in Thailand. Real 1/4 mile drag racing on real drag strips. I know, I have had drag cars here and been involved in setting up a drag strip to near world standard. This is the view down the racing surface at Bangkok Drag Avenue . . . from the bar.

"Drag Racing is not a sport, it's a disease,' I used to say. Yes, this is a blown HEMI dragster . . . in Thailand.

Adjusting the valve lash on a blown big block Chevy . . . in Thailand. I never thought I'd see the day!

Another dragster, this time powered by a turbocharged Toyota 1UZ V8 running alcohol. The state of Thai drag racing is very high. Ingenuity everywhere, and outstanding workmanship.

Some excellent welds on these headers and turbo piping.

This is a Toyota 2JZ straight six cylinder engine originally found in a Supra. Amazing headers!

The same 2JZ dragster showing the turbo set-up. This dragster ran a 6.61 in the quarter mile on alcohol using an air-shifted 7-speed transmission. Very good performance from 220 cubic inches!

A lot of sophisticated race parts are imported from the USA.

Another turbocharged Toyota V8. Many home-made parts visible. Very creative.

Very high quality preparation on this 1UZ V8. Turbocharged with NitrusOxide (NOS). 260 cubic inches, runs low 7 second elapse times. Pretty good!

Drag racing is a very social sport: you wait around with your friends for your turn on the race track . . . the same anywhere.

There were a number of world class 'pro stock' type race cars present.

A beautiful Toyota Celica . . . .

Incredibly good carbon fibre work on this 2JZ-powered Celica.

A 4 cylinder Honda engine in a Honda 2000 sports car. Classified "Pro 4." More beautiful workmanship. Interestingly, the trend is to have the exhaust exit through the hood . . . simpler for race-only cars.

A carbon fibre hood with exhaust . . . race car porn!

The ubiquitous Toyota 2JZ, bedrock of drag racing and hot street cars all over Asia. Only 3.0L, but very capable of 900hp++ if prepared correctly.

The single most popular, and common, combination for drag racing is the Nissan Cifero with a turbocharged Toyota 2JZ engine.

There were many 4-cylinder cars in several different classes.

Yes, a front wheel drive drag car . . . with very sticky drag slicks.

Some of the 4-cylinder front wheel drive cars were very fast.

More automotive porn . . . gold plated valve cover. Nice.

Another tidy race 4-cylinder. That cylindrical device on the left is an ice water to air intercooler to cool the hot turbocharger air.

I love the detailing on this red Honda.

But by far the most impressive machinery at the Thai drags are the diesel pick-up trucks . . . literally the fastest in the world!

These amazing carbon fibre diesel trucks run in the low 7 second range . . . with a twin turbocharged diesel on NOS.

Study this photo for a moment . . . . yes . . . . those are twin and compounded turbos on this Isuzu diesel.

Very clever. They rev these at the line to crazy RPMs for diesels and then just fly down the track . . . strangely quiet from the two turbos.

A Thai diesel drag racer awaiting the call.

There are two diesel truck classes. This truck falls into a class that requires stock chassis and body (any trans) . . . and the use of only one 'standard-size' turbo. Still, they run in the high 8 second ET range. WOW!

A smaller, single turbo race diesel.

A couple of race officials waiting out the heat at mid-day. Most of the actual racing (time trials, at this race) happens at night.

And so . . . we drag race. I had a great day, made a few new friends, and caught up with some old racers.

Update on Sunday, April 12, 2020 at 6:09PM by

Dr. Jeff Harper

Update: November 2019

I went back to the big Soup-Up race in November 2019 and took a few more photos. The performance had certainly improved. This dragster, from Ya Service, set the Thai ET record at 6.02 seconds . . . almost a 5!!!

This 383ci (?) Chevrolet small block that set the Thai ET record used to be in a friend of mine's street car!!

I was at the race as a team member on the Mactec (Area 42) tube frame, all fiberglass "Pro 4" class racer. The car has a 1100hp 4-cylinder Toyota engine. We had a problem on the line when the NOS solinoid failed.

Everybody busy in the Mactec Racing pit.

There were, as usual, many very well prepared race cars. These Toyota MR2s were special.

I liked this 'home built' Toyota KE10 race car. It was very fast.

As usual, there were many big turbocharged 6-cylinder Toyota DOHC 'JZ' powered race cars. The 2JZ is the "small block Chevy" of the racing scene in Thailand.

A very large turbo on this JZ.

Te 2JZ is used in many different racing classes.

A very sophisticated, world class, tube frame "ProMod" 2JZ.

Made in Thailand carbon fibre body, chassis, and many other parts. The Thai racers are catching up very quickly with the rest of the drag racing world.

A nice 2JZ powered dragster in a row of nice dragsters . . . all made in Thailand. Just a few years ago there were no dragsters here.

Turbochargers as far as the eye could see . . . well, not quite . . .

Some equipment is imported, of course. This scattershield and racing transmission are from the USA . . . and very expensive.

I was in awe at the welding on these six-into-one turbo headers on this 2JZ .

Some of the dragsters utilized the Toyota 'UZ' V8s. This one has a 2UZ block and 1UZ cylinder heads. 302 cu.in.

Another 1UZ (262 cu.in.) . . . a big turbo (lots of boost) . . . and lots of NOS!

Yes, there were diesel-powered dragsters making very, impressive runs. These little 4-cylinder race engines take tremendous amounts of boost and NOS (notice the 5 NOS nozzles in the intake pipe!!!).

There was great racing on the drag strip all day in many, many classes. Some of the full bodied classes have weight and tire size restrictions. These are "anything goes with a 275.50.17 drag radial" class cars.

An nicely prepared early Celica on a burn-out . . . readying for a pass down the drag strip.

Smoky burn-outs . . . lots of smoky burn-outs!

There are classes for almost every combination. In this four-wheel-drive class you find mostly Skylines and Ciferos, like this one.

The finish line and shutdown area. Notice the TV camera . . . the race is broadcast live on the Interwebs . . . watch for it next November.

Of course, th

Speaking of diesel drag racers, these are one of the most impressive race cars in Thailand, and the fastest deisel drag trucks in the world. These wild tube-frame, carbon fibre bodied drag trucks are powered by 3.2L 4-cylinder diesels with huge turbochargers and a lot of NOS. They run in the very low 7 second ET range . . . from 200 cubic inches!!!!

These diesel "ProMod" trucks are truly fantastic and uniquely Thai. Best in the world!

With most vehicle purchases in Thailand being pick-up trucks, you would expect to see lots of trucks in lots of truck classes . . . there were.

A diesel drag truck with two turbochargers in a compounded configuration (one turbo feeding the other turbo). Sweet.

The engine compartment was very beautiful on this twin (compound) turbo diesel drag truck.

Many of the drag trucks were very well prepared.

An all carbon fibre SUV drag racer! WOW! Just WOW! Only in Thailand!

Drag racing is also a social gathering: hanging out with friends and teammates at the track. People stopping in to your pit to chat, ask questions, and admire your race car are a part of what make drag racing a wonderful sport.

A little work needed now and again . . .

Your wife's Prius doesn't have enough power? No problem! A new engine with a few power-adders should solve the problem. This car was the fastest front wheel drive car at the race, and won class.

A naturally aspirated rotary engine in this front wheel drive drag car. Nicely done.

A big turbo on this Mazda rotary-powered tube frame racer. Notice the [ice] water over air intercooler. These guys race with our team support.

One of my favorite race cars EVER. Beautifully prepared and very, very fast. Good people too.

Heading off to the staging lanes.

Race car porn for 'car guys.'

The stuff dreams are made of.

Probably the most often modified cars in Thailand are the Nissan Ciferos (not sold in the USA) . . . interestingly, they are mostly modified with turbocharged Toyota 2JZ engines. Go figure.

I had a great day at the race. Many fine cars to ogle.

These 1UZ dragsters are very mechanically sophisticated.

So many fine dragsters in attendance.

The current state of Thai drag racing looks very good indeed! Thailand has cars capable of world class performance, however, track preparation and track maintenance needs improvement before the true potential is realized. Let us hope that can happen . . . and soon.