At 73, Bernie Plourd Is Bringing His Own Top Fuel Dragster To Vegas

Bernie Plourd is 73 years old, and earlier this month he took a dragster to 296 mph (476 km/h). Take a second to let that sink in. Plenty of us will go our entire lives without getting anywhere close to that speed outside of an airplane, regardless of what's in the garage. He's now preparing to do it in Top Fuel competition, and he's not doing it just anywhere. He's going to Vegas, and he's piloting his own car. The road to getting there has been a doozy.

According to the NHRA, Plourd is probably the oldest driver to ever earn his Top Fuel license. His 296 mph pass took just 4.06 seconds. Talk about a convincing answer to anyone wondering if he's really up for this level of speed and competition. Granted, there's a difference between simply being older and being willing to take on something this demanding. Thankfully, this isn't his first time, but the last time was quite a while ago.

Plourd didn't wake up a few months ago and decide he wanted to race for the first time. He actually won the 1992 Winternationals, back when Top Alcohol cars routinely ran high 5-second passes at around 230 mph (365 km/h). That said, it was his last victory, and he ultimately bowed out of competition in the early 2000s.

Jumping back into the sport required serious commitment, a lot of cash, and a car that he could run. The wildest part is that he never really intended to go as far as he has when he decided to try this again.

Originally, Plourd wanted a one-day driving experience. He wanted to get his license, enjoy knowing he could still handle the speed, and check off a longtime desire. Then, the weather kept ruining arrangements with teams. His wife, Ronna, stepped in and encouraged him to buy his own car, so he did.

After buying a 2010 Don Schumacher Racing dragster, he got a trailer, the equipment needed to run the car, and made all the updates the NHRA requires. Then, he partnered with Austin West to handle tuning. Evidently, the solution to missing out on driving someone else's Top Fuel car was to become a Top Fuel team owner. That's commitment, but it's not stopping there.

"It was frightful," he told NHRA of his 296 mph pass. "I had no idea it was going to be as violent and explosive as it was." Now that his license acquisition is out of the way, all that's left to do is to go racing for real. His planned debut comes at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, October 29 through November 1. He also intends to race at the Pomona season finale, November 12–15.

At this stage, we'll still have to see how things go when he's on the strip next to another competitor. So far, he's built his own team, put together his own car, and snagged a Top Fuel license at nearly 300 mph. If this is how he handles 73, we can't wait to see what he's got in store for 74. May we all be this passionate about driving at his age.