David Woodside got to live out a dream this year — drive fast and get recognized for it.

The 25-year-old Laurinburg man recently took fourth place in the National Mustang Racers Association.

"I started drag racing when I was 14," Woodside said. "I have lived in Laurinburg all my life and competed at local tracks as a teenager and on up."

Woodside said he competed at local tracks like Rockingham, Fayetteville and Darlington as he grew up.

Woodside competed in the National Mustang Racers Association which he ran the full circuit in 2009 which he took fourth place in the circuit standings. Woodside competed in the Open Comp Series that is a bracket base class which could have 38 to 54 cars at any time. Woodside said that there are 54 cars in the points race for the Open Comp Series.

"It's something I have always wanted to do and it was fun," he said."It was my first year running the tour, racing at tracks that I've never been too and also meeting and becoming friends with some of the most respected people in the sport of drag racing."

Woodside races with a Black 1984 Thunderbird with blue flames. His cousin Jamie Benfield did the paint job on the Thunder Bird, Woodside said.

Woodside, a mechanic at Griffin Chrysler Dodge in Rockingham, competed in seven events in 2009 starting at Bradenton, FL then traveling to Atco, NJ. Woodside reached the semi-final round at Bradenton, FL. He took his 1984 big-block-powered Thunderbird to Florida to loss in the semi-final to eventual winner Bruce Parker.

Woodside then travelled to a drag race in Atco, NJ. Woodside ran a 10.069 on a 10.00 dial for the win at Atco Raceway. Woodside said that his Thunderbird will hit up to 130 miles per hour keeping himself in the 10.0 second quarter mile range of racing without being certified. He also said that his race car will hit top speeds at 140 mph and run a 9.81 second quarter mile just playing around.

Woodside received $1,000 for the win at Atco and close to $3,000 in total moneys for the event.

"I received $1,000 for winning the event and a couple hundred dollars for different contingencies (parts) that we ran during the event and that goes for every event we ran in."

"The toughest round was the semi's at Atco. Fifteen minutes before they called us, we noticed we had a flat, snatched it off and had it plugged in time for lane call, Woodside told Race Pages magazine. "The car ran good and consistent that whole weekend."

He survived five rounds beating out 30 other cars while eliminating Tom DeMalto.

Woodside will be attending the Performance Racing Industry Awards Banquet in December. The banquet is being held in Orlando, FL. Woodside will receive a leather jacket and a plaque for his fourth place finish in the National Mustang Racers Association standings.

Woodside has also been featured on the cable broadcast FOX Sports.

"I was on FOX Sports this year on a show called "Inside Drag Racing" which airs on the weekends," he said. "The show features racing action from all the events from the NMRA this year.

"I was shown on the airing from which I won in Atco and also Bradenton were I made it to the semi finals."

Woodside said the season took a toll on his mental and physical state but was ultimately a fun experience for him.

"It's tiring driving all the long miles and then racing and then coming back home," he said. "All in all it was worth it and was definitely a fun experience for me.

Woodside expects to get his NHRA license so he will be able to drag race professionally at the highest level in the sport.

"I plan on getting my NHRA racing license this winter," he said. "I have a few races that I want to race at in the spring and get experience at the highest level.

Woodside said he is eager for the 2010 race season to come up.

"I look forward for the 2010 race season being that both my dad (Greg Woodside) and I will be racing together in the series once we complete his car this winter," Woodside said. "Hopefully with the sponsors coming on board next year, that will help boost things and get my name out there."

Woodside said he received sponsors for the 2010 season out of his successful 2009 season in the National Mustang Racers Association. Sponsors like Mickey Thompson Tires, Ford Racing, Competition Cams, UPR (suspension products) and Vertex Crossfire Spark-plugs.

"I have had a few companies come up to me and ask me if I wanted to be sponsored by them," he said. "Mickey Tires was so impressed with my driving they came to me personally and asked me if I would race for his company...it's a great feeling.

"It's really exciting for me to have such big racing sponsors want to sponsor me."

For information about Woodside Motorsports, go to woodsidemotorsports.com.