March meet , various pics /observations

I'm old too
and if I could of left ..would of ..My freinds missed their plane
and it cost me /us another $600 to just get our stuff on spot

(really, would not of if the truth be told )
so, the fat kid had to get there with minutes to spare
and park in deserted camping area ..No food, no drink
(no time to stop and buy anything ) to sit there for almost 2 days
till vendors opened up ... yeah, I'm bitter

 

Ron and other that PM'd me ..several

I'm not mad at all .. It was ok, nothing as expected thats all
WARNING to others is all

You want the truth .... pm me ..No So/cal --march meet hype here

I'll be honest of what to expect .. guy across the camping spots from us on day 3 was a gas, made supper ,, spun vinyl it was a hoot

 

i love watching the drags....i don't care how many camaro's there are....as long as it's fast. This was the first time i took my boys to the march meets...they had fun. Everything is expensive (food,admission,water) but i don't give a shit...i paid this year and i'll pay next year.....gas is expensive...what can you do? I wish they were more organized with their show & shine parking. they say "it's full" but you can fit another 30-40 cars. There has been a big shortage of clubs rolling in the past few years......i can't wait for dragfest!!!!

 

It sounds like you got screwed by at least one person that is a part of the 'organization' of it. Since it's AAA Famoso, you should consider writing and/or calling to voice your complaints about being told to get there Wednesday and such. Maybe it'll help keep that from happening, maybe they'll try to compensate you, or maybe you'll get more of the same.

 

Dude, you are my hero!! Last year was your first time to the drags right? You will have to forgive SamIyam he is a newbie to the drag racing scene!!
Jimmy White

 

Dad, sorry it wasn't enjoyable. I'm just an ol' farmer who lives up north of there. Famoso is all I,ve ever know, except Raisin city in the 60's. Things really havent changed much, dust, over full shitters, foods not to bad....(hum)well the beer is cold, more dust, the PA system is the same one that was there in '66.
I'm with you about the newer cars, 'heard they turned away 3- 400 entries. I know it's all about pleasing the masses, but they could have put on just as full a field with '64 and older cars in the B,C,D,and Hot rod gas classes. I go to see Mike boyd, Winged express, Thats about as close to "InThe Day" as you'll get.
AA fuelers smokin the whole quarter, aint gonna happen.........Allthough, Rod and Kulture are putting on this Dragfest in May, '65 and older cars...I'm going!
The Chrr is pretty nice with the cackle fest, nitro sensory overload.
Sat. was the biggest crowd I'd ever seen, and they should just let people with disabilities use those Dang golf carts
I'm just as happy as pig in slop to have Famoso so close
again, sorry about your experience, OLY

The cancer car Lives
Give to cancer research

 

Hey Jimmy .. Your cars are are nice ...
IF you read entire thread .. I said its just my opinion about the event
thats all ..And I gave some comments on each post I made

I've been to a few events in my life ...and I'm not going to stamp this one as a "must do" ....

Were you there ? Cause if so I'd would of enjoyed getting your autograph ..

 

I have been going to the March meets off and on since the 80's and love it. A lot of the cars racing are newer but I like the fact that there are still mom and pops in it. A friend of mine (Danny Frye) has a car that his son drives and they basically pay for this hobby themselves. That is racing to me.

I love seeing the old feds there but man I would be scared to death to run one of them and to update one that is not all that old is a nightmare...ask Shag about that. I remember the stress he had working on that car. I enjoy watching the hot rod class the best.

I think the car show part should be 64 and older no bugs or trikes.

I still had fun and this was the first year I have not had to use the shitters since we stayed in a mobile home out there!

 

What is the guys name? Mike? pretty sure that was his name. Nice guy. We have ran into him at Vegas too.

Also, saturday night we were BBQ'ing and were going to other camps handing out hot links. We had a blast Saturday night...some had a little too much fun

 

Big Dad, you wouldn't happen to be the guy who had the bee on his hat?

kidding

 

No. good guess ..but don't wear many many hats

lampshades mostly

 

cool pictures the the topedo fuel tank!

 

You know Big Dad, we went to the "nostalgia" meet in Seattle last year. It was probably the worst time we have had at a drag strip. We watched all of the bracket cars run, but the "pros" as they were called, wouldn't bring their cars to the lanes when they were called. In fact we only saw a couple cars run.

The promoter, Bucky Austin, wasn't a very happy man. We saw him a few times trying to find out what in the hell they were doing in the pits.

It really sucks when you want to show your kids the cars that ran when we were kids growing up with the sport and watch them run. My son and I love Diggers, Slingshots, and all of the old drag car classes. It's just unfortunate that we have to drive 500 miles to see a bunch of show cars.

Well, enough of my rant. Back to your regularly scheduled program.

Larry

 

I think your outa luck, they been "re-poopping" wood boats for years!

 

I'll weigh in here; having not read pages two and three of this thread, with my thoughts. I didn't go to Bakersfield this year; I went in '01. I certainly agree that you can probably see more '67-'69 Camaros than you EVER saw when they were new, and most of them, and a good number of all the other "nostalgia" cars, wearing the modern stupid scoops pro stockers use. Many of these guys would be surprised to find their cars' MPH'd higher if they lost those big ugly things.
That said, I met some really splendid poeple there; in what was my wife's first visit to California, let alone a California dragstrip.
One demands mentioning, Howard and Ann Gottlieb, who runs a Fiat altered called Altered Memeories. He, Bruce Dyda, the Patrick clan and many others made it a memorable weekend. Heck, the Gottlieb's practically adopted us and our friend who attending with us. The cars, other than the Camaros and stupid scoops were all I could have hoped for. Yes, the modern "nostalgia" fuel cars don't look right; and probably shouldn't be allowed to run with those freakish looking wide chassis with the driver high above the engine. But the event was great, and I'd love to go again.
Beach Bend Dragstrip in Bowling Green Kentucky is another old time track, with the grandstands so close to the track you don't need a jumbotron to see the racing. The stands on both sides of the track are covered; so no 3rd degree burns while watching (although a couple of swamp coolers under the roof would make it more pleasant).
Bottom line is the old days are gone, and if you want to relive them, you must do it your way.
Personally, I would like to see them let the old fuel cars run with the old style roll cages in them; no one's going to risk it all with these classic racer's, let them make some easy passes just so we can relive a little of the good ole days!
My current build will be as completely faithful to the era it's intended to represent as I can make it and still be allowed to go make some passes with it. It will be candy- apple, with real gold and silver leaf lettering, and won't have very many if any decals on it. No electronics or any of that garbage. Just 1966 door slammer funny car, lots of compression, standard cubes.
Sorry B'field was not as fun as it could have been for you.

 

"No more push starts or tire smokers". I've been hearing that for 8 years. Folks stand in front of my rails after hearing me tell them "these are tire smokers"...and they still say there aren't any and never will be again.

SURREAL. The only thing keeping these cars from smokin' the tires is money. I can't seem to make enough of it. Which is funny, 'cause I saw a golf cart at the march meet with tear away graphics and DONK! wheels that probably cost as much to build as half a rail.

These will be full body, metalflake 2800 horsepower TIRESMOKERS. They will be push started and towed to the track by Bellflower Custom style late '50s mopar wagons on minimal trailers. We'll be bringing coolers with ice cold beer and baloney sandwiches. Drop by and say hi!

p.s. all these photos are recent....also, thanks to Cole for sending me Richard Tharp's old rail steering wheel! It's going on Satan this week.


www.condercustom.com

 

The March Meet did indeed suck, if I wasnt looking for a car I wouldnt have wasted my time. The CHRR is another story, make a trip out for that and you wont be dissapointed.

 

Conder is my hero, he is GOD...

 

Kinda hard to race a pro car in the rain.....

 

I Can't Get Into The New Way Of The Drag Race. I Live 16 Miles From The Best Track In The Northwest And Never Been There On Race Day.

 

Well, maybe Conder isn't God but he sure is a prophet...

 

i am sorry you had a bad time, i crew for the doss,clayton,& king cacklefest car, & just so you know, the restrooms were better than they were 3 yrs. ago, i understand what you are saying about the new cars posing as old ones, but it is all in the name of safety i drive over 1,000 miles one way, & i will continue to go. i, like vagabond 88 know the people running the show there, & thier job is not an easy one...bowsers have been putting the profits back in to the track to try & improve the facility, but it is a long slow prosses, did you notice the 40 acres of level parking area on the other side of the track? that is just one of the things they did this year.....

p.s. larry (vagabond 88) how are you guys doing, i know deb was prety tore up sun. before we left.....oh yea, thanks for the oil loan....
chip

 

What Is Really Sad! I Have A 130'' 1962 Moonlite Dragster Front Engine.

 

I really miss the old days! Maybe the HAMB drags will take me back...

 

Chip:
They had John's service today .. Maybe now we can start to heal ..But man it's going to be a long road ....I'm honerd to be his friend .. There were several thousand people there today ...Larry

 

maybe there is hope for this nostalgia stuff. Was looking at Rod and Kulture's Dragfest and if I'm reading this right, they are running nostalgia 1,2,3,and 4 with the fastest (#1)allowed time of 7.60. that's center steer fed only. Get ready Tim C. Zombie started a thread about this.
And, God Bless guys like John Shoemaker, who at 70+ keep trying to go faster, Nostalgia and 7.60 just wasn't fast enough for them any more.
We'll see what happens Big Dad, Oly

The cancer car lives
Give to cancer research

 

Tell that to my wife! She might argue with you on that one Ha Ha...well her, and everyone else I owe money! Put in a good word for us with the big man up there would ya? And big thanks for the back up...

Mr. Anderson (Vagabond 88), I'm sorry to hear you lost a friend in John Shoemaker. It was great talking to you on Sunday. You and the rest of the Cacklefest folks have always been a huge inspiration to me.

Good meeting you too Farm Boy, We're doing everything we can to make it to DragFest fully licensed and ready to run (it'll be a miracle, as usual!)

When I was a kid, my Dad used to run his '55 (and Mom's Mustang with the hubcaps popped off) at Cedar Creek Raceway in Kentucky. It was a cornfield that was turned into a drag strip. Grass and dirt pits, big dip at the end that sent unlucky cars tumbling into the corn. I LIVED for that place! It was unprofessional and small...bush league for sure, but we LOVED Cedar Creek (the "Dust Bowl"). When I look at all my family's pictures from there though, there isn't any trash on the ground. The place was clean and organized with lots of squinting, happy people hangin' around. I like Bakersfield for the same reasons as Cedar Creek. It's rough, but it's there. It's a simple, LEGENDARY drag strip, but PEOPLE make the events right?

My gig is huge and with my resources next to impossible, and I've had to realize a very important thing while building it...My racing ideal is mine and in the end it's up to me to create it. If I want nice folks, a garbage free, smooth clean environment to pit in and bitchin' old school race cars to race, I have to put it there. Bakersfield has everything I want in a track (except it's too far from my house). Mega plex Sears Point is 20 minutes away from me, but I'd rather race at Bako.

If you're in the Sonoma, California area, give me a call and drop by! We'll be thrashin' hard so be ready to roll up those sleeves and get to work! (or maybe help me find some partners/sponsors, I've got 600 bucks in hardware and fittings alone on one car!!!! !#$%^!!...) - Fuelers forever.


www.condercustom.com

 

Same deal here in Phoenix. We have Firebird which is the major league track with the major league prices etc.. Then there is Speedworld which is Mel Larson's old track with a completely cool old timey vibe (gotta get rid of that BS "PINKS" starting line monstrosity though), snack bar, little breezeway, cool pits, dry dusty track with a little landscaping along the left lane. Old house outside right lane, I love the place. KILLS me that I couldn't make the drags yesterday, but I did make some karma points helping with a charitable picnic thingamabob, I hope.

Anyway, I'd love to see Conder pull this together, but then again, I wish he wasn't the only one . It takes a special kind of lunatic/genius to WANT to do something as prolific as this endeavor. So to expect many more like Tim is a long shot.

....and yeah, enough Camaro's already.

 

Yo Conder!
Is that your artwork of the rail and the wisemen?
If so what is the meaning on "3 hundred grand from the promise land"
Adios
Cody
Hurst Racing Tires

 

That was a ROUGH sketch I did that was painted via computer by a fantastic video game illustrator named Mitch Cotie. He is flat out BADASS.

"300 grand to the promised land" is how much it's going to take to get my Armageddon Top Fuel project to full race ready operation. That's 2 AA/Fuelers, wagons (with hemis), plexiglass sided show trailers, matching (and race ready) '60s style Harley drag bikes, merch and a big top style pit set-up, along with enough expense capitol to train me and another driver. That other driver by the way, could be none other than King Cole Foster...

I'm trying hard to find the money, if anyone has any leads get hold of me! I could use a few "connections" man, I'm a lot like Gepetto in my shop...too busy makin' stuff and little time to hang out. What YEAR is it anyway? Last time I looked at a calendar it was like 2002...Oh, and those are NUNS, not wise men...