by Jason Cruz
Northwest Asia Weekly
An audience of 32,000 attended the event in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1981, and Young said he saw only two people of color in the stands. (Source: Al Young)
Al Young’s ascent to the top of the drag racing world is unique, especially for a Chinese-American with attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder (ADHD) and a sport dominated by white, blue-collar Americans.
Still, he’s a Hall of Fame drag racing celebrity and still races to this day. Young’s racing cars are proudly displayed in the Museum of History and Industry, and his story is an example of overcoming stereotypes and finding your strength.
Young was not diagnosed with ADHD until he was in his 50s. The youngest of three children, Young grew up in San Francisco and struggled to keep quiet as a young man and had problems at school. His two older sisters are good students, but Yang has problems with school and academics. Young said he couldn’t read when he was at school. As a result, in high school, he took industrial arts classes instead of college prep because Young didn’t believe college was his future. Yang chose to enter the field of industrial art, much to the chagrin of his father.
“I mixed with blue-collar white men,” Young recalls mentoring in his industrial art class. “I really like building engines,” he said of working in cars. Focusing on car work helps with his ADHD.
His mother understood and encouraged him to build model cars and airplanes as an outlet for his passion. In fact, Young secretly bought an old car for $25 and hid it around the corner of his house. He would use it without the parents’ knowledge.
His father, a Stanford alumnus and military officer, worries about Yang’s future and that his son will either drop out or fail to graduate. Young’s father offered him a compromise if he finished high school.
“If you stay at the school, I’ll give you an apprentice,” Yang recalled. He was able to work in an auto repair shop where he learned the craft.
At 16, Young admitted to racing the streets of San Francisco until he was 19. Of course, street racing is illegal.
After his apprenticeship, Young left his home in San Francisco to start a community college in Longview, Washington. He felt the need to leave so he could focus. While at community college, he found he could read while walking around the block. He took longer walks to read more. His studies began to get better when he discovered the ability to walk and read.
Young did so well that he was accepted into the University of Washington (UW). He majored in English Literature and received a BA in 1968 and an MA in English from the University of Wisconsin in 1972. He went on to teach in the Seattle Public School System for 37 years and founded one of the first alternative schools in Seattle. Seattle in 1973.
Young taught a variety of subjects at the school, including an auto shop. In class, he actually shows students the basics of drag racing.
Thunder Valley Raceway in Bristol, Tennessee in 1981. Young won the knockout on day one but lost on day two. (Source: Al Young)
Although he raced illegally in San Francisco, Young played his first legal race at age 27. [now known as Pacific Raceway]. As the only Chinese-American on the track, he decided to blend in with his own race and painted a Chinese lion on his car. Yang noted that he didn’t experience outright racism at the races, but sometimes he was The only person of color on the track. “I was often mocked (made fun of) because of the stereotype that Asians can’t drive,” joked Al Young. But it turned out that Young was a champion drag racer, breaking the Asians Models that can be driven. He recalls a time when he and his black friend were the only two racers of color at a race in Bristol, Tennessee.
“32,000 spectators attended the event, and we only saw two people of color in the stands,” Young said, as they came to the pits to shake hands.
“Racing is a rich man’s sport,” explains Young. However, sponsorship deals and Yang’s passion for cars have helped Yang succeed in the racetrack as a source of help with auto parts, supplies and more. Young’s main sponsor is Seattle-based Bardahl Oil.
Young has received numerous awards and awards over the years, including being the Hot Rod Association of America World Champion and National Hot Rod Association Division Champion. He was inducted into the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Hall of Fame in the Northwest Division in 2018. With a total fan base of more than 78 million, the NHRA is the world’s largest motorsports sanctioning body, according to Young.
In addition to racing, Young keeps practicing kung fu, which helps with his ADHD. He has been engaged in martial arts for 49 years and is the oldest member of the international section of the Seattle Kung Fu Club.
In 2007, Yang donated his world championship-winning car to Mohai. After nine years in storage, it recently returned to the museum’s main floor. The Dodge Challenger will be on display in spring 2023.
He is the first and so far the only Asian American world champion in all of motorsports.
“Hopefully this will change,” Young said.
While continuing to actively race, Young will still spend his weekends on the track. So far this year, he has played 12 different races at two different levels. He is currently ranked 7th among the 140 racers in his division.
Jason is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
