Rain didn't dampen race fans' spirits

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - You didn't hear the roar of revving engines going down the track at O'Reilly Raceway Park Sunday. It was a disappointing day for qualifying out at the NHRA Nationals.

It was rainy and dreary for most of the day which kept things on hold.

The American flag, and other flags for that matter, billowed big time in the wind and rain above Raceway Park where fans waited patiently to hear the Star Spangled Banner.

Sadly, the roar of engines coming from cars going nowhere ruled the day.

"You can tell by today, it's raining and we're still, everybody is excited," a race fan said.

Excited for the start of the NHRA. The cars were here and so were the fans, but also, gray skies and yes, rain!

"Really you gotta pay attention to the weather because the weather determines how much horsepower you're making so that determines what kind of gear ratio you're gonna run in the car," Pro Stock driver Kurt Johnson explained.

Weather also determines whether or not you're gonna race. When you expect a spectacle and get rained on it's not so fun. In short, the rain threw a damper on the day.

Johnson said when it comes to racing weather is almost everything. He said it's fun for fans, but also a science, "I gotta know what the weather is doing, what the track is doing and put the whole combination together whether it's gearing, carbueration, timing."