Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion By Don Ewald #1 40 Funny Cars and 21 Top Fuelers are registered for the 19th California Hot Rod Reunion. They will be competing with more than 300 racers in nine cl***es on Famosos historic quarter-mile. Ron Capps, NHRA Full Throttle Racing Series driver, will be there as well as Nitro Kitty Mendy Fry along with heavy hitters Troy Green, Adam Sorokin, Rick McGee, Mike McClennan, Denver Schutz and, look out for Brad Thompson trying to repeat his Bowling Green win. #2 Free Honoree Reception on Friday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Bakersfield. Honored guests include Grand Marshal Tom Hanna and Honorees Bill Bagshaw, Don Long, Al Mousie Marcellus, Tom Prufer and the team of Steinegger and Eshenbaugh. Chris the Greek Karamesines, Don The Snake Prudhomme, Tom ****oose McEwen, TV Tommy Ivo and countless other drag racing legends will also be there to relive the early days of drag racing. Dont miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to say hello to your heroes. #3 Blue Max Funny Car legend Raymond Beadle and his entire team: Dale Emery (crew chief), Waterbed Fred Miller, Dee Gantt, and driver Ronny Young -will be running on the Famoso track just as they did 40 years ago. Its going to be insane! #4 Jungle Pam, and 69 Winternationals Funny Car Champion Clare Sanders will be making an appearance as this years Justice Brothers Car Care Products Spotlight shines on the team of Jungle Jim Lieberman. #5 World Comes to Bakersfield as Famoso becomes the United Nations of drag racing. Racers and fans are coming to Bakersfield from around the globe including a team from Alaska and 12 race cars from Canada. One to watch is the Swedish nostalgia nitro Funny Car "Tre Kronor" (Three Crowns) recreated by Johnny Nilsson with driver Erik Wallinder and Crew Chief Jeff Gaynor. Another is Roly Leahys Australian Dragster which will be run by Rolys sons Greg and Peter in memory of their father. A caravan of nine motor homes and 40 Aussies are coming to celebrate the Leahys Reunion tradition. #6 Worlds Fastest Indian. Hot from winning the Pebble Beach Concours dElegance, Burt Munroes 1920 Indian Scout Munro Special where it ran for the first time in 40 years will be displayed in Memory Lane in the Grove at Auto Club Famoso Raceway behind the grandstands. Memory Lane is the place to go see a remarkable array of vintage drag vehicles including drag boats, bikes, and front-engine dragsters. #7 Mickey Thompsons ***ault Dragster, running for the first time in nearly 50 years, with son Danny Thompson behind the wheel will be part of the spectacular Cacklefest. Often referred to as his favorite car, Mickeys streamlined Cl*** C ***ault powered by a blown 303-cubic-inch Pontiac V-8 competed at the 1960 NHRA Nationals. ***ault joins more than 30 other vintage dragsters and race cars in the Cacklefest symphony of sight and sound. #8 STREET RODDER Road Tour is back again for another adventure at the Reunion. Celebrating 15 years on the open road, the AMSOIL Street Rodder Road Tour travels to various events in a colorful ***ortment of cool street rods. Their final destination is the California Hot Rod Reunion, and you can find the Tour parked in the Grove area behind the Famoso grandstands. Road Tour Leader Jerry Dixey will be at the Reunion along with his Road Tour roadies. Stop by and hear the Road Tour stories, it may inspire you to come along for the Tour ride. #9 Quarter-Mile Cl***room: This year, the Santa Maria High School Race Team along with teacher Lorin Cuthbert and former drag racer Art Foster return to the Famoso dragstrip to compete in the NE1 Pro cl***, and boy, can they race. At the 2008 March Meet, the teams car qualified 14th out of 61 entries. Check them out as they cut loose on the strip, and cheer on these amazing kids who are keeping nostalgic drag racing alive. #10 Whats better than one Cacklefest? Two, of course! For the first-time ever, Hot Rod Reunion fans will be getting a double dose of Cacklefests at the Reunion. A push-start dragster extravaganza will be held on Saturday (Oct. 16) evening and a static-start up on Sunday (Oct. 17). Over 30 vintage dragsters have already signed up to awaken the cackling nitro beast within, including Reunion Honorees Steinegger and Eshenbaugh nostalgic TF dragster; Ed Pinks The Old Master, originally built by Honoree Don Long; and Grand Marshal Tom Hannas exquisite front-engine dragster. The nitro-induced flame and sound show is a must see spectacle.
See, the Nitro fumes are necessary from an environmental standpoint. You know, to eliminate that odor from the fermenting fruit stored in the opposite corner. Yeah, that's it, we're an environmental neccessity. <grin> Famosa Raceway is located in one corner of a WW2 emergency landing field and is ONE SQUARE MILE of continuous asphalt! Will say "hi" to attending Hamb'rs each day over the PA. See you there!
We'll be there for the March Meet. Just can't make it to both. Man--Cali people are the luckiest drag race fans in the world
Same here...we're towing Ingenue back to NC next week for the www.eastcoastdragtimeshalloffame.com event...hoping to be at the March Meet in 2011!
40 Funny Cars!! and it's only a sixteen car show. I'll be there helping crew on Jason Rupert's Mert Littlefield Tribute Nostalgia Funny Car. I can't wait it's going to be an awesome weekend!
Danny thompson crashed at bonneville yesterday from what i understand, at around 240 mph. I hear he was fine. Hopefully he will still attend.
Looking forward to it...we arrive Friday, see some folks at the Doubletree Friday, watching the racing Saturday, and sadly headed home Sunday! Look for the Road Devils Jackets...
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