Mike Griffith: Hot Rod Reunion will offer a little bit of everything
| Thursday, Oct 02 2008 11:29 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 02:47 PM
Fans from throughout the world will descend upon Auto Club Famoso Raceway Oct. 10-12 for a drag racing revival — the 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion.
The event feature the same nostalgia-type cars as the annual March Meet but the similarities end there.
The March Meet is drag race first and foremost with around 500 cars crammed into the pits. The CHHR is, as the name implies, a reunion first with drag racing on the side and it has a following that has built over the years.
On the racing side there will be competition in Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Cars and several other classes. In addition, there is a vendor's midway, a swap meet area and a car show — all standards of the March Meet, as well.
Special for the reunion is "Memory Lane" which will have a display of nostalgia race cars, many from the NHRA Motorsports Museum.
Then there is the much loved Cacklefest early in the evening of Oct. 11 where nitro-burning historic front-engined cars are push started and left idling, or "cackling" on the track.
For good measure there is the reception at the DoubleTree Hotel on Oct. 10 from 7-10 p.m. (free to the public) which features Grand Marshal Junior Thompson and fellow honorees Georgia Seipel, Steve Davis, John Edmunds, Walt Rhoades and Butch Maas.
This is a chance to see machinery from the early days of drag racing up close and meet the people who grew the sport.
The faithful making the trek to drag racing's Mecca come from nearly all 50 states and most provinces in Canada. But the event has also lured fans and racers from Australia, New Zealand, England, Holland and Sweden.
"We've got 200 in one group alone from Australia and 100 others on top of that," said Tony Thacker, Executive Director for the the NHRA Motorsports Museum, which receives the proceeds from the reunion.
Australian Roly Leahy, who competed last year, will be back with a nitro-methane burning dragster to compete in the Nostalgia Eliminator class.
Mark and Melissa Gee have shipped their their '32 Ford pickup over to the states to be here for the reunion and fellow countryman John Golding from Home Grown Hot Rods will be here with his '32 Ford Coupe.
Just all part of an American tradition which has international appeal.
QUICK SHIFTS
With the multi-division annual Budweiser Nationals just over a week away (Oct. 10-11), Bakersfield Speedway will open its track for practice for all divisions on Saturday. Pit gates open at 4 with practice starting at 5. Cost is $30 to enter the pits. The grandstand is open free of charge. The Bud Nationals feature Late Models, Super Streets, Modifieds and Hobby Stocks.
Flat track motorcycle racing takes place Sunday at Bakersfield Speedway. Pits gates open at 6 a.m. with practice starting at 9.
