Standing out amongst the rest of the cars parked in the C-10 parking lot, the Cerritos College Automotive Department received a glimpse of an Army drag race car at the Army Drag Car Show on Thursday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This event not only showcased a drag car dubbed “the Sarge” that can reach 330 miles per hour, but they also had a leadership event that was presented by Army sergeant Jesus Sanchez.

“You pretty much get one side to the other side to think as a team, not for themselves., Sanchez said.

There were a lot of different mini obstacles that the students participated in.

In the beginning, students had four people working in cohesion, carrying a large plank that they couldn’t let touch the ground, as if it were a survival scenario.

Next, the teams had to balance a ball connected to four chains, then the team swould have to do sit-ups and pull-ups after that.

Once all the teams finished, they were awarded a camouflage Army t-shirt and were congratulated by the girls working the obstacle course.

Blaring music and the course were merely somewhat of a gimmick to attract students to look at the real interesting piece.

Dustin Varner the Mobile Marketing Specialist and handler of the hot rod dubbed it ‘the Sarge’ for its vast length and shiny black coat from stern to bow.

“The car drives out of 24 races a seasons and can drive up to 330 miles per hour and has between eight and 10 thousand horse power while a regular street car will have about 200 horse power.

“The hot rod can accelerate from zero to one hundred in eight tenths of a second.

“By the time the back of the tires hit where the front ones are, the car is already going 90 miles per hour.”

At 25 feet and a weight of 2,340 pounds “The Sarge” is so souped up that the regulations on driving it are up to ear-popping speeds.

To race in the National Hot Rod Association, there are a couple of different licenses required.

“I know there is a license to go 180 and a different one to go 210 and it goes on and on.”

Just last year, this car won few races in the NHRA and was the first car to have the canopy, which is the wind shield at the cockpit that is formatted similar to a stealth fighter jet.

Right now, there are only three cars in the NHRA that run the canopy like that.

By 2015, most hot rods will be running the canopy top.

At the event, the technicians explained that it’s not necessary to be a part of an Army branch to work on these mighty machines.