Sitting behind the wheel of a Funny Car or dragster that reaches speeds of nearly 330 mph tests the nerve and ability of the best drivers in the world.

NHRA Funny Car legend John Force is the master in those tense situations, as evidenced by his record 14 world titles, without a 15th on the horizon.

Success, however, doesn’t make a driver’s heart beat any slower or his mind race any slower. Each time a driver goes to the starting line he or she is taking a risk, a calculated risk, but never the less a risk they might not walk away at the end of the run.

Sitting behind the wheel of a Funny Car or dragster that reaches speeds of nearly 330 mph tests the nerve and ability of the best drivers in the world.

NHRA Funny Car legend John Force is the master in those tense situations, as evidenced by his record 14 world titles, without a 15th on the horizon.

Success, however, doesn’t make a driver’s heart beat any slower or his mind race any slower. Each time a driver goes to the starting line he or she is taking a risk, a calculated risk, but never the less a risk they might not walk away at the end of the run.

It is an inherent risk drag racing competitors accept.

Fair or not from its inception, early drag racing was viewed by most outside observers as being dominated by rebellious teenagers who were looking to quench a thirst for speed.

In the modern day, the passion drivers have for drag racing remains as strong as ever, but the sport has evolved into big business where livelihoods can be at stake with every run.

The pressure can be overwhelming and leave competitors searching for answers beyond the cockpit.

Enter Larry Smiley and his wife Linda Smiley. Larry, the president of Racers for Christ since 2005, and Linda also are both chaplains who follow the NHRA circuit offering a spiritual outlet for those in need. They don't purport to have the answers, but they are they to those with a need.

“What drag racing has become and probably it always has been to some degree, is a large community that moves from town to town,” the 60-year-old Larry said. “We’re the spiritual base and spiritual location, the church at the race track, so to speak, when we get there. We offer pretty much all of the same functions and benefits of any church in any community. People look to us for comfort when they’re going through trials. When they’re sick and when they’re going through relationship problems. We will sit down and talk with them and just share our hearts and our experiences and God’s perspective and God’s word. We offer comfort that way on a day-to-day basis.”

The safety of drivers overrides all else for the Smileys, but in the unfortunate event where a racer is seriously injured or dies at the track, they know they need to be far more than just a shoulder to lean on.

“Immediately, we offer whatever help we can and it’s more than just Linda and I,” Larry said. “We have over 320 volunteer chaplains who assist us around the country. Each region has a good number of chaplains and when we go to an area, we have a lot of help. When we have a big need, everybody steps in.”

Larry and Linda’s introduction to Racers for Christ began years ago, as volunteers.

“I found out about the organization (Racers for Christ), and I started volunteering for them on weekends,” Larry said. “We started out going to drag boat events in Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Missouri. We did that for several years and then we got involved with the Southwest regional ministries in the NHRA. From there, we started helping Ken Owen, who was the president for the Racers for Christ at the time. Ken served as the president for Racers for Christ for over 20 years and when he stepped down, I became the new president.”

Racers for Christ has transformed over the years into a full-time ministry serving the entire spectrum of Motorsports at events throughout the country each year.

With drag racing alone, the Smileys are on the road nearly 200 days a year.

Of the remaining 10 NHRA national events this season, the Smileys will miss just one, the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Aug. 12-15 at Brainerd, Minn.

When Larry and his wife and their volunteers arrive for race weekends, they primarily focus on delivering track-side services to prepare drivers and crews spiritually for their races.

“A lot of our ministry happens in the staging lanes,” Larry said. “We will go around and pray with the drivers before they get in their cars or we will talk to crew members and team owners and pray with them as they request.”

The satisfaction of spreading the word through Racers for Christ is what fuels Larry and his team of chaplains.

“It’s not easy what we do by any stretch of the imagination,” Larry said. “We have a love for the people and passion for the ministry and we’re out there to give people comfort and guide them towards God through his son Jesus. That’s what we do and that’s what we’re about. We’re not there for our own purposes at all. We’re there to serve God and his purposes, and we see the reward of that. We see life changed and we see people comforted. We also see God moving through the family of the NHRA in a mighty way, and that keeps us going. When we see God at work and we see his power manifested at the race track, it is very fulfilling and very rewarding.”