Drag racers from around the south will converge at Union County Dragway today to prove who has the fastest, loudest and most exciting car.

The new dragway, which opened in June, will play host to more than 150 racers and 2,000 spectators for the Pro Tree Finals. The event features eight racing classes with cars ranging from souped-up machines built to win drag races to street legal mustangs. Drivers will be vying for a $15,000 purse.

“This is nothing that pays the bills,” said racer Kurt Flanagan, of Huntersville, N.C. “But it sure is a fun hobby.”

Drag races for the event are along an eighth-of-a-mile track and takes most vehicles 4.9 to 6 seconds to complete at more than 140 mph.

“We are a great sport for spectators,” said Tony Brown, PTRA president. “The biggest thing about us compared to round-track racing is that you can walk into the pits and talk with the drivers. We are a very family-oriented group of people.”

The PTRA was organized to provide an avenue for racers who couldn’t afford to travel and compete in the other drag racing associations.

Dragstrip owner Curtis Teams purchased the 120-acre property from a group of developers who abandoned the dragstrip due to financial woes.

“They had some gravel out here and about 300 feet of wall, so I bought it and completed it,” Teams said. “It’s been a real success since we opened the first day. Everyone was waiting for this to open for four years.”

The dragstrip has been hosting bracket racing and grudge matches on most Fridays and Saturdays since opening.

“People love to come out. We have a lot of tailgating. They like to park along the fence on both sides of the strip,” Teams said.

The dragway is attracting loads of racers from North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia.

“We have had tracks tell us they wish they had the car count and crowd we get,” Teams said. “It is so new and so beautiful. I guess people like to try it because it is so new.”

The 2007 Pro Tree Champion Todd Sinclair, of Chester, said the Union dragway is in a perfect central location for southeast racers.

“This is one of the best tracks in the southeast,” he said. “Once they get everything completed, it will be one of the premiere tracks in the country.”

Plans and work are still underway at the track to add signage, landscaping and other cosmetic additions.

But those visiting the track are still impressed.

“This is going to be the nicest track in the Carolinas,” Brown said. “We will be back three or four more times next year and one of the events will be televised.”