Go America Racing

Welcome to the home of Go America Racing

Go America Racing runs a Top Alcohol Dragster on the NHRA circuit based out of New Smyrna, Florida.

The team owner Ed Akam has been racing for more than 40 years in many classes. Many people still remember the Top Fuel A&P Automotive New Yorker Funny Car and Dragster. Take a look at the History and Pictures section or our site to learn more about the history of A&P Automotive and Go America Racing.

Check out the Car section to learn more about our current car.

The Go America Racing Top Alcohol Dragster

History of Go America Racing

The Go America Racing team has been racing in one form or another for more than 40 years. The team leader Ed Akam has been involved in NHRA drag racing in many classes, APBA offshore power boat racing and circle track racing. Ed founded A&P Automotive in the 1960s and started making noise on the NHRA circuit almost immediately.

Most of Ed's time was spent running the AA/FD (Top Fuel Dragster) and AA/FC (Top Fuel Funny Car) classes. These are both professional racing classes that normally require large sponsorships. Ed and the A&P Automotive team were able to run their cars successfully for many years without any major sponsorships.

Team Timeline

1965
1966
1968
1969
1971
1972
1973
1991
1995

Go America Racing Top Alchohol Dragster

The Go America Racing team is running a Top Alcohol Dragster on the NHRA circuit. The car is powered by a 3,000 horsepower 470 cubic in. Keith Black Hemi and can cover a quarter mile in just over 5 seconds.

Top Alcohol vs. Top Fuel
Top Alcohol Dragster or TAD is one of the fastest classes in NHRA racing and has a huge fan base. These cars look very similar to Top Fuel Dragsters (TFD). In many cases, the TAD and TAD cars are exactly the same. The main differance is the fuel they burn. TAD cars burn alcohol (methanol) as the name suggests. TFD cars burn nitromethane which allows the car to make more horsepower with the same size engine. TAD is a much more popular class among the teams because it is possible to run a car without a multi-million dollar budget.

Quick Facts
Class Top Alcohol Dragster
Engine 470 cubic in. Keith Black Hemi
Horsepower about 3,000
Fuel Methanol
Weight 2,000 lbs
Wheelbase 277 in.
Transmission Lenco 3 speed
Supercharger 14-71 High Helix Blower
Built by Ed and Scott Akam

The Go America Racing Crew

Ed Akam, the team's leader, has been building cars for over 40 years, and has won numerous trophies in that time with his previous teams. He is the builder of the team's Top Alcohol dragsters, now 3 years old. More on Ed can be found in the History section.

Steve Paulding, a member of Ed's A&P Automotive team, has been working with Ed for the majority of Ed's career in drag racing. He is now, along with Billy Hegeman, Ed's wingman, maintaining components such as the crank and bearings. More on Steve can be found in the History section.

Billy Hegeman is also Ed's wingman, maintaining the Go America Racing dragster's chassis and tires. He is an essential component to the maintenance of the dragster, and has been working with Ed for many years.

Steve Paulding and Ed Akam

Go America Racing Pictures