Now if you're going for the first time, the most essential device needed for a drag-racing event is ear plugs. The cars go off in four classes - Top Fuel dragsters, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle - and they are very, very loud.
The Countdown to 1 is also in progress. To generate fan interest, the NHRA decided to implement a point system similar to NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup.
So far, it's worked.
Currently, here are the four to watch in the championship battles in each class:
Top Fuel - Larry Dixon, Rod Fuller, Tony Schumacher and Brandon Bernstein are in the title fight.
Fuller is probably the one who doesn't like the new Countdown system the most. The Las Vegas native led the points throughout the first 17 weeks of the season and started the Countdown as the No. 1 seed, but has since slipped to second behind Dixon. Not only that, Schumacher is lurking and he's only the three-time defending champion.
Bernstein was a winner when the series convened at Las Vegas in April, beating Bob Vandergriff in the final. He's the son of legendary racer Kenny Bernstein, who will race in a Funny Car sponsored by Monster Energy drink.
Funny Car - Tony Pedregon, Gary Scelzi, Robert Hight and Ron Capps are in the hunt.
John Force is easily the most recognized racer in this class (and he's the defending champ), but he won't be in Las Vegas because he's still recovering from injuries suffered in a horrific wreck in Dallas last month. He's expecting a full recovery in time to start the 2008 season.
Scelzi is the 2005 Funny Car champ, having beaten Capps in a memorable duel that year. Pedregon won the title in 2003. Hight is Force's son-in-law and just as capable of following in dad-in-law's 15-time title-winning footsteps.
Pro Stock - Dave Connolly, Jeg Coughlin, Greg Anderson and Allen Johnson are going after the crown. Connolly and Coughlin are teammates and it should be interesting to see if team orders exist. With two events left before the champ is crowned, I highly doubt it.
Anderson won the SummitRacing.com Nationals at Vegas in April and his teammate, Jason Line, won the title at last year's ACDelco event.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - Like Schumacher in Top Fuel, Andrew Hines is the three-time defending champ in this division, which doesn't race the full 23 events.
Hines is joined by Matt Smith, Chip Ellis and Peggy Llewellyn in this race for the title.
Qualifying runs start at 1 p.m. Pacific time on Friday and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday and the final eliminations begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.
ESPN2 airs the eliminations on a tape-delayed basis Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m., Utah time.
With two races left and champions to be crowned, the intrigue of this weekend will be as hot as a nitro burnout at the starting line.
Call 1-800-644-8444 or log on to www.lvms.com to get tickets. Ticket prices run as low as $11 for children each day, a bargain by today's price standards.