At Bristol Dragway’s Night of Fire on Friday, May 30, folks of all ages will be astounded by a rather unusual match race between two “jet trains,” the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and the Cannonball Express.

So who is the brain trust behind the jet trains?  It’s none other than K.C. Jones himself… that’s Kenneth Charles Jones for those keeping track.

K.C. Jones will send his Chattanooga Choo-Choo jet dragster down the quarter-mile at Bristol Dragway with the same courage and gusto as his heroic railroading counterpart, the legendary Casey Jones, who hailed from Tennessee.

“My father’s nickname was R.R., which looked like railroad,” explained Jones.  “When my parents named me, they wanted a Casey Jones.  They named me Kenneth Charles so that my initials would be K.C.”

At Bristol Dragway’s Night of Fire on Friday, May 30, folks of all ages will be astounded by a rather unusual match race between two “jet trains,” the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and the Cannonball Express.

So who is the brain trust behind the jet trains?  It’s none other than K.C. Jones himself… that’s Kenneth Charles Jones for those keeping track.

K.C. Jones will send his Chattanooga Choo-Choo jet dragster down the quarter-mile at Bristol Dragway with the same courage and gusto as his heroic railroading counterpart, the legendary Casey Jones, who hailed from Tennessee.

“My father’s nickname was R.R., which looked like railroad,” explained Jones.  “When my parents named me, they wanted a Casey Jones.  They named me Kenneth Charles so that my initials would be K.C.”

Jones and his wife, Linda, own several exhibition vehicles but the unique theme of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo and the Cannonball Express jet dragsters set them apart.  Jones pilots the Choo-Choo, while Paul Kelley sits in the cockpit of the Express.

“Jet dragsters are entertaining,” said Jones, “and I like to entertain.  We wanted something unique.  With my name, it was only natural to theme our dragsters after famous trains.  The smoke from the jet reminds people of the steam from a train.  We have bells, whistles and even a working smokestack to complete the look on our jet trains.”

Jones grew up in California during the heyday of match racing in the 60’s and 70’s.  By the time he was 12, he was working on drag cars.  In 1982, he toured with an up-and-coming John Force, wrenching on the team’s Mountain Dew Chevy Citation.  Although nitro-burning funny cars are his first love, jet racing worked its way into Jones’ blood and he hasn’t been able to shake it.

“The one-on-one contact with people is my favorite part of the job,” admitted Jones.  “I love racing the car, but when we come back to the pit and there is a crowd around the trailer and the people want to share what they felt, it’s great.  I feel blessed to entertain and put on a show for everyone.”

To help his youngest fans feel connected with his dragsters, Jones themed the Chattanooga Choo-Choo after a popular children’s character.

“I purposely tied into the Thomas the Train scheme,” said Jones of his dragster that sports a blue and red paint scheme.  “I’ve had a lot of little ones come over and look at the car, and then almost shed a tear because they had to leave Thomas.”

The cars aren’t the only part of the show, however.  Jones and his crew have created an interesting routine to excite the crowd.

“We try to focus on theatrics,” he said.  “We blow train whistles when we come out to the line.  No one knows what is going on the first time they hear those whistles.  But, when we come back for the second run, they start screaming the second they hear them.  It gives you goosebumps. 

“We pride ourselves on our fire show with big fire and big smoke.  Then, we do our burner pops really slow back and forth between both cars.  We start doing it faster and faster like a real steam engine.  A lot of people tell us our show makes the cars sound like a real steam train.”

After 38 years in the business, Jones is ready to bring his show to Bristol Dragway’s Night of Fire.

“I’ve never been to Bristol,” says Jones, “and I’m really thrilled, quite frankly.  It is somewhere I’ve always looked to run at.  Thunder Valley, with its history, is awesome.  I’ve heard it’s a first-rate operation.  It is a Bruton Smith track.  What else do I need to say?  All of his tracks are first-rate.  We’re excited to come.

“The Night of Fire sounds like a great lineup.  To watch nitro cars under the lights is amazing, and I think our cars will be a big hit with the Bristol fans.  It looks to be a great show.”

The modern day version of Casey Jones takes to the track on a night featuring fire-breathing nitro funny cars, car-crushing monster trucks, a hair-raising wheelstander, and legendary stuntman, Benny the Bomb.  Megasaurus, a 50,000 pound, three-story tall monster, will dine on junk cars before a fireworks spectacular lights up the Bristol sky.

Gates open at 6 p.m.  Spectator admission is $15 for adults and $5 for kids ages 6-15.  Children five and under are free. Discount coupons are available at Appco convenience stores while supplies last.

For more information about Bristol Dragway’s Night of Fire, please call (423) 764-DRAG or visit www.bristoldragway.com