‘All Out’ drag racing comes to Vegas track

Rich Christensen is racing's most famous starter.

He certainly is the most buffed.

His arms rival the Hulk's, but Christensen's aren't green.

Still, you can call him the human Christmas tree.

The 43-year-old Iowa native won't need electricity like customary countdown, electronic "Christmas trees" used to start modern drag races.

He'll be going old school with around 400 crisp arm drops to start each of Saturday night's races during the "Pinks: All Out" drag racing event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"All Out" harkens to drag racing in the 1950s when races began with a brave soul standing ahead of two race cars with arms raised for a few seconds before dropping to direct them to take off.

"There's nothing like having your arms up with two 800-horsepower cars ready to race for $10,000 and you're the only one who knows when you're going to drop them," he said. "Just talking about I start goose-bumping up."

"All Out" is a spinoff of "Pinks," which was the first reality racing television show Christensen created and sold to Speed (Digital 329). It features two racers who compete in a three-out-of-five match race, with the winner getting the "pink slip," or the loser's ride.

He said "All Out" was intended as thanks to "Pinks" fans by putting on a event for them with free entry and $10,000 prize for the winner.

The popularity has forced a ceiling of 400 amateur cars that must complete a quarter-mile run in 12.99 seconds or less at full speed.

Speed airs each addition of "All Out" three times during the first week of a new episode. Combined viewership is 2.5 million for the week, said David Harris, media relations manager for Speed.

"The shows have given me the life I dreamed of," said Christensen, the creator, host and a producer for the shows.

He pitched 200 ideas for TV shows while living in Los Angeles and working as a personal trainer. He said he was rejected each time until Speed bought "Pinks."

It was so important to get the show sold that Christensen gave up all ownership rights, including use of his likeness.

"What makes me happy is coming up with an idea and selling it," he said. "I'd have been happy to sell a cooking show to Home and Garden TV."

He had almost no knowledge of racing, saying he "can barely open the hood of a car." The concept came after watching a televised drag race long enough to see too much emphasis placed on race times with driver interviews seemingly programmed.

The show at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway drew nearly 20,000 in July, but this is his first venture west with "All Out."

"It will shock me if we have less than 8,000 spectators, and we expect 12,000," said Chris Blair, LVMS vice president of racing operations.

Qualifying is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and will be followed by exhibition races until 7:30 p.m. when the field of 16 finalists will be announced to begin the single-elimination event. Exhibition races will include Jet Dragsters, Top Alcohol Dragsters and others.

Admission for adults is $15 tonight for practice and $20 on Saturday. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with an adult.

The show featuring the Las Vegas event is slated to cap a full day of "Pinks" replays on Nov. 22, Thanksgiving Day.