NHRA website shows no events for Thursday. In years past the parking lot next to the DoubleTree (host hotel) had some fireups.
^^^^^ For more nitro burning action Saturday after the sun goes down at the race track. I'll let what happens be a surprise.
Usually a couple nitro cars showing off at the car show in the Original Steakhouse parking lot on Rosedale on Thursday.
Thanks, I thought a couple cars fired up somewhere Thursday nights from what I remembered Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
WOW! I went to the CHRR this morning, figuring it would be maybe $60 for a weekend pass to park my Willys in the Hot Rod Grove. I waited about half an hour in the ticket line to pay $75 for a weekend pass. OK considering inflation etc. Then they directed me to a side gate, not the usual Gate 1 I normally go in. There they said I owed $35 more to park in the Grove. $110 for providing NHRA with an attraction to draw a bigger crowd! Never thought I would say it but almost miss Good Guys! I need to move to Texas in January.
@Chili Phil everthing has become a commodity because people are willing to pay not mater the cost. Oh, they'll complain but still pay up.
Johnny, the RPM Nationals is next Saturday. It's a lot of fun. I love nitro, most of all, but the pokey ol' flatheads are really cool. Flag start and pits in the dirt. It's cheap, too.
POSTMORTEM; I don't attend drag races on Saturdays for personal reasons but I went back Sunday for the exciting race finals. I couldn't believe what I encountered. The pictures below were taken in the peak of excitement, after 11am when the first nitro runs were in. I would be hard pressed to say there were 2000 spectators there. The photos show the food court/hot rod Grove was virtually empty. Wherein past years you would struggle to walk down that quarter-mile long causeway through the massive swarm of humanity, the whole day there were maybe an average 20 people there. The spectator stands were likewise empty. The photos show it would be extremely generous to say they were a third filled. And even those fans seemed to be families of racers 'cause as soon as their favorite car made a pass, bunches would leave and I assume go to the pits. The whole event was surrealistic. NHRA hired dozens of minimum wage 'officials' whose job it was to stand at pinch-points in the yard and give people the evil eye when they walked past. Bless their souls, you could tell they had no idea what they were there for either and some of them tried to justify their spot by asking silly questions or directing cars to go here or there for no apparent reason. And for half the day Sunday when the morning bracket racers were filling time, there was only one loud speaker on and even that was on the far side of the track so no one could hear the announcers. They did get the speakers working by the time the big cars ran though. The photos also show the hot rod Grove was at most 1/4 filled with specialty cars, most of those with FOR SALE signs. If I were a vendor at that event I would demand my (probably really stiff) entry fee back. They had NO ONE at their booths. I think the March Meet which bookends the nostalgia drag racing season in the spring might survive, just on reputation. Isn't it interesting the March Meet FUEL and Gas Championship at Famoso started in '59 as a rebellion against the NHRA for their inane ban on nitro fuel. Now 60 years later they have taken it over and are running it into the ground! Can't beat city hall I guess. I admit I am officially a grouchy old man nowadays so ignore this rant. But this used to be a great, exciting event.
Scratch that off my bucket list! Ironic how an organization with hot rod in the title could screw up an iconic hot rod event! Hope that Bowling Green doesn't end up like that mess. KK
First off and formost is that the production of the event is by the NHRA Museum and all funds go towards funding and keeping the Museum open. A museum like that or any other Museum cannot sustain itself by walk-in traffic. Without the Reunions, the doors would close because NHRA will not put a dime into it. The Museum rents a fully operational racetrack including the workers from the Bowsers. The cost of putting on an event like that is around $500K. Saturday stands were packed till the last Cacklefest car shut it off. Sunday attendence always looks bleak compared to Saturday. The March Meet on the otherhand is a Bowser production and has the same issues as the CHRR, but since its not the dreaded NHRA greed monsters, people let it slide, Funds from that event go towards improvments, every year it gets better, but it will take time to please everyone, Notice the aluminum bleachers?? even bought used is not cheap. Museum Directors Larry Fisher and Greg Sharp did a great job at turning the event around after the disastor of 2016 event, just give them a little more time
the truth is most hands on type people cannot afford to budget 1000 bucks to attend. food,lodging, fuel , entry whether spectator or racer always cost me that. I use a motorhome which is the same as a hotel and food. I`ve never seen it but I hope nhra wakes up
Al good info, thanx. I realize Famoso has been upgrading for at least a decade; started with the track surface, followed by the safety feature, then has been a steady improvement in the stands and that all has to come from cash flow. Running a business like that can be a good living but is always on the ragged edge of profitability. Would be MUCH better to promote the event as a benefit for the museum than as a heads-up drag race, probably get a few more people to donate the otherwise seemingly exorbitant costs. On the latter basis, I got very little for my $110 investment to park in the hot rod Grove. On the former basis, I would be much more inclined to view my investment as going to a good cause. This coming from a guy who has been attending premier drag races A Famoso for the past 60 or so years so have a long history of knowing what a fan has been paying to go to the drags.
The Reunion and March Meet aren't the only races there. The Bowsers have spent a lot to make their place a premier place to race. On days when they race the fast cars, the track prep is done right. The safety crew is really good, I've seen them at work. Famoso has some good races to go to. They run nitro cars, at night. Last time I went, the final was after 2:00 am. Go support a good, well run track. We in California are fortunate to have it.
Ya know....these tracks are a dying breed...I’ve never been a fan of Milan Dragway and even though there I no longer own a car I would take to the track I go out to support events that appeal to me, mainly the Detroit Dragway Reunion and their Nostalgia Events. At a 2 day event Sunday’s are always light on crowds and some of the racers head home if they’ve had issues.. Sounds like it’s important for the event to be successful to fund the museum..hope it keeps going and stays successful
I agree 100%. Famoso has been a treasure for over half a century. They always put on excellent racing. That is why I am so sad the CHRR was not well attended on championship day. I have NEVER seen a Sunday so bleak like that at a major Famoso race weekend.
Often wondered how many miles Garlits traveled over the years driving from Florida to Famoso to race. I've always wanted to go to Bowling Green for their reunion, maybe should do it before it's too late.
I did go on Sunday this year and was shocked at the number of competition cars leaving the track. .I think a lot of the problem is cars are eliminated on Saturday and these cars are not seen on Sunday. For this type of event, I'm not necessarily there to see race eliminations like at a traditional race. I'm there to see ALL of the nostalgic race cars running down the track. For me Saturday looks to be the day to go if you want to see everything.
Willys 36, My wife and I went online and bought weekend passes for $60 each with our AAA discount - a great deal, then we paid $35 to get my blue Austin into The Grove. So we had $155 invested for two for the weekend. Still not bad in my book. Some of our dumbass local shows charge $35-45 only to sit in a lawn chair and listen to jokers brag about how much they paid to have their lumps built for them. As far as the Minimum Wage Officials, I agree. We towed in at 4:55 pm on Friday, waited patiently, and were directed to the Car Show Entrance (new side gate) where we found the ladies had just closed the gate and proceeded to walk away and ignore us. The website said they were open until 5:30 but I guess they decided to close early - it must be exhausting taking money and handing out stickers. So I unloaded the Austin in the main parking lot and got up at 5:30 am to get in line to be sure to get into The Grove. Aside from the inconvenience, it worked out great and we had a great weekend. We also saw the scowling "officials" but I guess if they looked friendly, no one would listen to them. I've only missed maybe 3 or 4 CHRR events mostly due to work but Saturday has always been the big day with packed stands and the show cars spilling out into the swap meet or the pits. Lots of my friends only attend Saturday. Sundays have mostly local folks and team families. Strangely, this year Friday was very well attended, lots of cars in The Grove and lots of folks in the stands. My observation is; the CHRR is a car show that happens to have a race, whereas the March Meet is a race that happens to have a car show. I'll keep going to both as long as I'm healthy enough to stand up. ALSO, the Fuel Altereds put on a real fuel altered show with Nanook changing lanes and the Winged Express hopping from wheel to wheel on and off the pedal - awesome.
Thanx for the comments. That brings up another irritation I had with the meet. We joined 3A earlier this year and I showed them my membership card when I bought my weekend pass but the woman told me that had no bearing on what I had to pay. It was just a series of 'give me more money' getting into the show and was a non-stop shock. Was afraid I would get so far and the $150 I had in my pocket would run out before I made it in! Just went under the old paradigm where $60 got me in the gate then the rest of the $100 would buy me some cholesterol, a Tee shirt, and some widget from the vendors. I did enjoy the racing, looking at the cars (incidentally loved your Austin , even though it participated putting lots of Willys on trailers in the later years of AA/GS!!!). As I said above, I am now officially a grouchy old man so ignore most of what I say!!
Regardless of the complaints, if I didn't live half a continent away and if I wasn't so damn old, I'd be there every minute of every day.
The latter years, Steve was only doing the Cacklefest portion of the CHRR and not the whole event Cacklefest entry , rooms, gas for 2 people $400 for 3 days of entertainment Other events there pay the bills, but a large influx of cash brought in by these two events pays for the improvments. 2 years since the last Sat Night Nitro events--- No Profit so they are gone If you want to see everybody run,and the Cacklefest, Saturday is when to go, To have all eliminations happen on Sun is such a crapshoot when dealing with fuel cars and the oildowns that come with that class o some classes are limited or the first rounds are on Sat evening. Running out of time on Sunday and haveing the cars come back on Monday is never a good idea
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