Austin Garret is a dedicated educator at Shadow Ridge High School, shaping young minds in the auto tech classroom. But when the weekend rolls around, Garret trades textbooks for torque, roaring down the drag strip in a 1978 Camaro that packs over 700 horsepower that would give anyone adrenaline for days. Garret’s passion for racing runs deep, passed down from his father, who introduced him to the sport of racing at a young age.
“My dad used to drag race when I was little,” Garret recalls. “Eventually he switched to course racing, and a few years ago, I had the chance to race on a course with him. It was an incredible experience.”
Though course racing offered unforgettable moments, the high costs eventually led the duo to return to selling cars, and then finally, as Garret said, “Decided to go back to drag racing together, and it’s still a thrill, but it’s much more affordable and a really fun way to bond with my dad.”
Garret officially began racing about a year ago, piloting a beastly Camaro equipped with a Chevy 505 big block engine. The car can hit speeds over 140 mph in just 10 seconds, a rush of air, speed, and energy that Garret describes as, “an incredible feeling.”
Even though it must be awesome to be able to drive at those speeds, it’s not always thrilling, and is sometimes stressful, as Garret said, “Drag racing is a ton of fun, but it can also be stressful and a lot to manage.”
But the road hasn’t always been smooth. In his first race, a blown radiator hose sent Garret into the wall, wrecking the front end of his car. “It was devastating,” he admitted. “But I wasn’t ready to give up.”
After three months of hard work, effort, and rebuilding, Garret returned to the track stronger than ever, earning a solid finish at his next event. For Garret, drag racing is more than just speed, it’s about community, resilience, and family.
“One of the best parts is being at the track with my friends and family, especially racing next to my dad,” he says. “It’s the adrenaline, the memories, and the bond we share every time we go out.”
Whether he’s teaching in the classroom or racing down the strip, Austin Garret is proving that passion and perseverance can take a person anywhere they want to go, sometimes in under 10 seconds.
