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FAIRBANKS — Jamie Bodenstadt and Ricky Ruiz have been racing altered dragsters against each for several years now and it usually ends up in a draw.

Neither of them want that to happen this weekend when the Fairbanks Racing Lions host two days of drag racing with the NAPA/Golden Days Nitro Shootout on the Fort Wainwright airstrip.

Bodenstadt is the local hero who drives the Alaskan Grizzly, while Ruiz is the invader from the outside (Sparks, Nev.), who pilots the Rattler.

“Keep in mind that we’re good friends, but we’re also racers,” Ruiz said Friday evening via cell phone from Fort Wainwright.

“We come to run and we don’t give up an inch for nothing,” said the 62 year-old Ruiz, who began racing altered dragsters in the early 60’s before Bodenstadt was born. “We’re out there to win this thing. Yes, it’s a rivalry, but we have a lot of respect for one another.”

All of the other matchups between the two racers in Alaska have been in Palmer and each time they’ve raced altered dragsters they have split their four-race series.

This weekend marks the first time that two altered cars have raced against each other in Fairbanks, according to Bodenstadt.

“I’m in my home town, I think I should go 4-0,” Bodenstadt said. “It’s not that I’d like to see him lose, it’s that I would like to see myself win four times.”

Drag racing action gets under way with test-and-tune sessions at 9 a.m. today and Sunday. Eliminations start at 2 p.m. each day. The Alaskan Grizzly and the Rattler will square off to start each elimination session and then cap the festivities with one final run to round out each day’s action.

Bodenstadt expects more than 50 cars to be racing this weekend.

Spectator admission is $20, with military personnel getting in for $18. Children ages 12 and under are free.

To get on post for the day’s activities drivers must have identification, registration and proof of insurance to display at the main gate. Everyone in the vehicle must have identification.

Bodenstadt and Ruiz began racing against each other in 2005 and have raced almost every year since.

“Jamie put together a deal for us to come up in 2005 and we had an incredible time,” Ruiz said. “We left with two wins each, so we figured we’d have to come back.

“After 2006, it still was settled and he ran a funny car in 2007 so we won all four times,” Ruiz added. “Two weeks ago in Palmer we each won twice, so I don’t know if it’s finally going to get settled this weekend or not.”

Ruiz said he and his crew don’t mind making the long trek to Alaska.

“I’ve raced all across the country and in Japan and the hospitality extended by everyone in Alaska is pretty much overwhelming,” Ruiz said. “It’s worth it to us to make the iron-man drive across Canada and the Yukon to race up here.”

Bodenstadt knows his task won’t be easy this weekend.

“It’s going to come down to who is the most consistent fuel altered out there,” Bodenstadt said. “If you don’t come up to the line with a 5.90 (seconds) at 250 (mph), you’re not going to beat him.”