Competitors will race using a bracket format, meaning every vehicle, no matter how big or small, has an equal shot to take home the top prize. With a total of $5,000 in Bristol Dragway scholarship money available, every student in the area will want to study up on Drag Racing 101. The winner receives a $3,000 scholarship, with the runner-up collecting a $1,000 scholarship. Drivers in the semis will win $500 scholarships.
A burnout competition, audio competition, and car show will allow students to display their pride and joy. Entry into each of these events is free. For $10, the best gamers in the area can enter a video game tournament featuring Halo 3. The tournament, open to all comers, will take place in the Bristol Dragway suites.
When the racing ends, the party just begins at Club Brystal, Thunder Valley's very own nightspot. A live D.J., music and one very special guest host will keep the action going until midnight.
Danny Jamieson, better known to the masses as Danny from MTV's Real World: Austin, will meet and greet with his fans throughout the afternoon of racing action. When the sun goes down and the party lights come on, however, Danny will take the mic and host a party for all of his new friends at Club Brystal.
"I'm super excited," he said. "I'm a big car fan. When I was in school, we used to look for a place to race, but there was nowhere to do it. So the fact that the track is doing this for the kids and giving them money to go to school is pretty cool."
"It sounds like a great event, and I can't wait to get there," Jamieson added. "The adrenaline is going to be flying and this will be great. Just wait, it's going to be a good time. I also am excited to come to Tennessee. I've never been there, but you hear great things about the people there. I can't wait."
After his season of the Real World ended, Jamieson spent a great deal of time touring the country speaking to groups about living life in front of a television camera.
"The show was kind of stressful for a while," he admits, "and it takes some getting used to when you have cameras in your face. But when it was all over, I was able to travel and meet a lot of people. It opened a lot of doors for me. I had never been out of the East coast, but travelling around helped me meet a lot of cool people and do things I never could have done."
Jamieson added that life in the Real World house isn't as dramatic as some might believe.
"They never show all the fun times," he said. "It is a show based on drama, so they never show the good stuff among us. It really is a lot of laughing and being funny and just the fact that we are a bunch of 23-year-old kids living in a mansion."
Those that come to the Sprint High School Nationals will have an opportunity to meet Jamieson and hang out with him at Club Brystal.
Competition in the High School Nationals is open to all high school students ages 16-19 with a valid driver's license. Students under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign a release form before they can participate. The release can be found on the Bristol Dragway website. Only street legal vehicles that pass a Bristol Dragway safety inspection will be allowed to race.
Street Fights participants also are welcome to visit Bristol Dragway on Saturday, April 26 during the Sprint High School Nationals. Street Fights racers can race in open time trials throughout the day. However, only High School Nationals competitors are eligible to take home part of the $5,000 in scholarship money.
Gates open at noon, with a safety meeting for all participants at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $7 for spectators and $10 for racers. To pre-register for the event, please call (423) 989-6953. Those that wish to participate in the video game tournament should send an email to autosavants@gmail.com.
For more information about the Sprint High School Nationals, please call (423) 764-DRAG, or visit www.bristoldragway.com.