Event Coverage 25th Anniversary Super Stock Reunion May 14-15 2010 Piedmont Dragway Greensboro NC

The first Nostalgia Drag Race on the East Coast was held at Piedmont Dragway in 1985. We are celebrating the 25th anniversary of that ground breaking event. Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick is our Special guest. He is planning on having 2 cars there including the original '66 GTO Funny Car he raced in the '66-'67 seasons. Arnie is celebrating his 50th anniversary of racing at Piedmont Dragway. His first paid booking was there in 1960. Yes, he raced the '66 GTO there too. It will be the first time it has been there in 43 years.

Other guests include Wally Bell, Bill Blair, Charles Carpenter, Randy Delisio, Don Fezell, Floyd Garrett, Bob Reed, Bobby Starr, Lamar Walden and Nancy Wilson. I will update daily the "cars and stars" that are planning on attending.

 

Cool I will be there it sounds like a good time

 

Lamar Walden, who is one of our special guests, is hoping to have two of his all aluminum "409" Chevy engines in cars at the event....one a Hilborn Electronic Fuel Injected 509 cubic inch street '09' in a '58 Impala and the other an "undisclosed" cubic inch race engine in a '62 Bel Air. He has been working non-stop for a year on this project and has many orders to fill when he is satisfied all the bugs have been worked out.

Lamar built a 409 Bel Air in just 29 days for the first Super Stock Reunion 25 years ago and won with it. He is probably best known to long time drag race fans as the driver of Barry Setzer's Pro Stock Camaro.

 

Charles Carpenter, believe it or not, still has his original '55 Chevy that is widely regarded as one of the "roots" of the Pro Mod Shoebox cl***. He started racing it in the IHRA Top Sportsman cl*** before there was Pro Mod. He will definitely have his current '55 Chevy Pro Mod there and it would be really nice if he could bring the original too.

 

Bob Reed, one of the honorees, has just finished a new SS/A '68 Hemi-Cuda that he will have on hand. Reed has been racing '68 Super Stock Hemis for over 40 years and shows no signs of quitting anytime soon. Former Rod Shop legend Bob Riffle is planning on coming with him.

 

Frank, Can you recommend any nearby lodging?

 

It is hard to believe it has been 25 years since we gathered at Piedmont Dragway for the first Super Stock Reunion. The turnout was not what we had hoped for but that's the way it is in these times I guess. This is Floyd Garrett who was there in '85 also.

 

Arnie Beswick signed more "stuff" than anybody. That is Wally Bell seated next to him. The guy watching them is Randy DeLisio, who is one of the nation's premier Factory Lightweight restorers. Arnie celebrated his 80th birthday a week before the event.

 

Got to see Bob Reed made a few runs on Saturday

 

Nancy Wilson was there with here HEMI

 

Arnie taking a quick run down the strip

 

Arnie's other ride

 

A nice wagon that was impressing the fans

 

Going up against the warring factions of the Little Guy Nats/ Best of Times was not helpful.

 

a few more from the event

 

and more

 

nice little falcon A/FX

 

he was twisting away on every run he made

 

everyone loved this little '55

 

Danny Gouveia made a few trips down the strip

 

That's in my dad's old backyard! We could hear them running on weekends from his place in the country (Julian). He's moved to Burlington since.

Dad had a friend that ran Piedmont in the 70's with a '55 Chevy delivery called the Golden Bull! That thing scared/excited me back in the day!

Thanks for jogging the ol' memory!

 

Thanks for the pic. I had something to do that weekend. I wish I could have come. Piedmont drag has alot great history. Wish Ron Sox was still around. He made many p*** down the old strip.