What started as a hobby has become a family tradition for the Archers of Maynardville. That tradition launched them into the international spotlight last fall as the Archer and Son drag racing team made it to the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals, where they placed in the final 13.

The team consists of Floyd Archer Sr., wife Connie Archer and son Floyd "Buddy" Archer Jr. Floyd owns the car, Buddy drives the car, and Connie works support to keep the log book, air up the tires and more.

Floyd was born and raised in Maynardville just off Possum Valley Road, where he worked on the family farm and started drag racing when he was a student at Horace Maynard High School. Back then, he and friends raced on the streets, including Hickory Valley Road, Loyston Road and even Maynardville Highway.

Wasn't that illegal?

"I didn't get caught," Floyd said with a grin.

Floyd quit racing to raise a family. He continued to help out on the family farm and eventually retired from Knox County Parks and Recreation after 20 years of service. He looked into racing again, but heart problems meant he couldn't be the driver.

Buddy had shown an interest in drag racing, but Floyd didn't want him racing on the street. In 2000, Buddy started racing at local tracks, a far cry safety-wise from street racing, but still enough to give that surge of adrenaline that drag racers crave. His first race was at Knoxville Dragway.

"It's a lot to handle, but he's been doing it ever since," said Floyd.

Today, Buddy is in business at Archer Air Conditioning, but almost every weekend March through November, he's traveling with his family to another race. London Dragway, Bristol, English Mountain, Buffalo Valley, even places as far away as Jacksonville, Florida, the Archers go where the races are. Buddy once won a championship with one arm in a cast. He won a $5,000 race at Buffalo Valley and came in runner up at the Super Chevy Show in Bristol.

The travel, working on the car, and race day, all are important to the Archers. It's their family time, a chance to be together and enjoy a hobby. It just happens to be a hobby they're great at.

Buddy is the current champion at London Dragway, the title that won him a place in the World Finals. But it was a long road to get to that point.

"It takes a lot of practice and experience over the years," said Buddy. "We didn't win our first championship until 2007."

"You can't just go jump in a car and win it," added Floyd.

Their current car is a 1996 Beretta, but there have been other cars over the years, including a 1989 Camero and a 1969 Camero, a car that Floyd said would "stand straight up and go without putting the wheels down."

"To hear the car, to me it's like someone playing the piano," Floyd said. "I love hearing the sound of that motor. It's a thrill."

Traveling to the World Finals was the experience of a lifetime. Racers don't just come from the US, but also Canada and Mexico. Most are from larger towns, and "a lot of them don't know where Maynardville is," said Buddy.

"It was exciting," he added. "But once you've made a few passes you kind of calm yourself down and concentrate and do what you need to do."

They've made a lot of friends on the racing circuit, too, including fellow racers Chris and Lori Hodge of Rutledge, engine-builder Clifford Spoon Davidson and Vaughn "Flying High" Ridenour, who built their car's transmission.

These days, Floyd can't travel as much as he used to due to a cancer diagnosis. But he's still an active participant on the team and loves to see Buddy's success.

"I just want to thank the people who have helped, all the friends and people who have helped over the years," said Floyd.

And while the season is over for the year, come March the Archers plan to keep on racing with high hopes for another trip to the World Finals.