History of the Bremerton Raceway

BREMERTON - A lot of us take a boat or ferry to get out to Bremerton. But in that community, there is a car and street racing culture that goes back decades.
People with a need for speed used to sneak on an inactive runway at the airport to do a little drag racing.

“They snuck in there, and kept doing it, and finally the port said, ‘just let them do it,’” said Gordon Howell, who manages the Bremerton Raceway, which was once that inactive runway.

“They put the road in, put the power in, and the lights, and over the years, it has gotten better and bigger.”

On a recent Sunday, some 200 racers competed at Bremerton Raceway, including the Sears family.

Ron Sears, along with his adult sons, Jeremy and Josh, are from the Bremerton area, and have been making drag racing a family affair for several years.

“We do it for the thrill, the adrenaline, and the competition,” said Ron. “My kids are competitive, and I was competitive.”

“For us to do this as a family, I wouldn’t trade this for anything in this world,” said Josh.

All agree that Jeremy, and his custom dragster, is the fastest in the family.

“Once you get used to it, doing 150 mile per hour just feels like you’re going down the highway,” said Jeremy.

The family says that speed on the straight track is addicting, and it takes them to competitions all over the west coast.

But the Bremerton Raceway is home, and Ron is thrilled to share his love of racing with his sons.

“Finding something you can do with your kids and enjoy is great,” said Ron. “I’ve got two boys in their thirties and we get to spend almost every weekend from March to October together.”