It's the kind of event which usually grows out of beer, machismo, and a group of restless fellas standing around a shop.

However, for Byron Dragway, the World Power Wheelstanding Championships was born out of the forward-thinking of a promoter who knew the importance of pleasing the paying customer. 

The event can be traced back to the late Ron Leek, who purchased Byron Dragway in 1969. At the time, Leek was embroiled in competition with other tracks, Great Lakes, Oswego, and US 30 for the spectator's entertainment dollar. Leek used to hand out spectator questionnaires at the gate seeking input for what moved the needle amongst his customers. 

In a 2017 video with CompetitionPlusTV, Leek said fans unsurprisingly wanted Garlits, Jungle Jim, and Karamesines. What did come as a surprise was an altered piloted by Jack Ditmars, most commonly known as the "Little Screamer."

How was a B/Altered race car mixed in there amongst the legends of the sport?

Simply put, the Ditmars car pulled wheelstands. Not, just simple wheel lifters. They were on the bumper kind of wheelies. 

Leek admitted he was at a crossroads with Byron Dragway. The track needed a major renovation, funds were tight, and the track needed a signature event.

A chance showing at a bracket race led to one of the greatest entertainment venues this sport has seen.

Byron Dragway owner B.J. Vangsness, recently on the CompetitionPlus.com POWER HOUR show, alluded that Leek, who passed in 2019, never lost the impact a good wheelstand could have on a paying customer. 

"We had a guy who carried the front wheels about 100 feet during a race," Vangsness recalled. "Ron called him to the tower and offered him $100 if he could do that again. The guy said he could and came back later to collect his money. There wasn't but 100 people in the stands, but all 100 went crazy. 

"Another guy came to the story and said, 'I can beat that. Give me the challenge."

The racer's Chevelle fell short in the effort, and Leek responded with a verbal chastisement. The racer demanded another shot. 

"I watched the guy back in his pits, throwing his tools and his floor jack and whatever he had in the back of the track," Vangsness recalled. "He drives his car back up to the line; it launches and goes up on the bumper. He carries it out, crosses into the other lane and nips the left side wall."

Again, the crowd went wild ... all 100 of them.  

By the next year, a stand-alone wheelstand contest was born. 
The inaugural World Power Wheelstanding Championships were, in Leek's estimation, "so-so."

By 2006, the event took off, providing Byron Dragway with the largest paid attendance ever at 10,000. 

The action has resonated on the internet, where three of the top five most viewed videos are from the World Power Wheelstanding Championships. The 2017 coverage of the event is over 1.2 million views. 

One of the key elements of this event for contestants is Byron Dragway boasts one of the widest racing surfaces in the United States from its roots of being an original four-lane strip in the 1960s. It has been since narrowed up to 90 feet wide. 

"It allows us to put on an event like this, where a narrow track cannot," Vangsness said. "There's just more room to roam."

The criteria for determining the wheel is the longest initial wheelstand from launch. As it stands now, the longest wheelstand is 1,100 feet or so. 

This weekend the 27th annual World Power Wheelstanding Championships kicks off with Byron Dragway promoter B.J. Vangsness intent on carrying on the legacy of an event that has grown into a must-attend affair for thousands of drag racing fans. 

"The one thing about this event is you have no idea what is going to happen," Vangsness said on Tuesday evening's POWER HOUR. "It really took off from there. "It's totally unpredictable and totally wild. It can be violent and can be incredible. It's something that you have no idea what to expect. That's what makes it so popular. 

"These guys are on the stage, and they have to perform. The way to perform is to get it up and carry it as long as you possibly can to the point where you chicken out because you have no idea where you are at on the track."

The event has attracted spectators from all over the United States as well as some from Germany and other countries.

"There's a lot of wow moments, for sure," Vangsness said.