March Meet, Bakersfield...ROLL CALL!!!

Bob thanks for all that you do in the tower!

I get a kick out of listening to you when I'm in the stands and my friends and family usually get a laugh out of what you say about me when I'm on the line, many times I hear more about what you say than how I did on the pass!

I know many others feel the same way and I hope you know that your efforts and commentarty from the tower are appreciated and that you are a valuble member of the racing community.

 

I love hearing the talk from the towers but for some reason I do not think the speakers on the motorhome side were working. I think they were friday but at some point on friday it got really hard to hear what was being said.

 

Shaq - Congrats on winning. I have seen your car for a couple of years but haven't met you in the lanes...yet. I'm sure we will someday. We had all three cars take their first rounds but we all went out in the second. That weekend was my personal best so far, round wise and time/et wise, and it was only my 2nd March Meet. Believe me when I saw that win light at the end of the track on that first run on Sunday I was dancing in my seat I was so happy. See you at Super Chevy?


Bob- you keep us motivated in the pits, waiting for our class to be called. Just wish they'd put some speakers all the way out to the timing booth, then Sunday we wouldn't have a bunch of dead truck batteries!

All in all, it was a great weekend, my 55 Chevy which never made it to the show area is still covered in Famoso's finest dirt,we ate too much good food and watch a lot of great races from the golf cart.
Oh, I have the purple 68 Nova with lt blue ghost flames and Mike Falduto Fumigation on the rear(nicknamed Barney). The other two cars were the blue 66 Chevelle with silver flames and the black 72 Camero with silver flames.

Rebecca

 

Well ..

I just got back to Texas after my "March meet experiance"
Maybe the locals think of this a little different than those of us that had to travel some distance to attend ..

And I am a crabby old bastard so, take this with a grain of salt
I'll never return

Pomona swap meet / NHRA museum was nice though

 

What didn't you like?

Thanks,
Kurt

PS- Nevermind
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=250214

 

Rebecca,Shag, Lotus, Thanks. I want to make what is heard from the tower more then just times and MPH. Glad we were able to motivate, inform and entertain.

We heard Sunday morning that the speakers were crap on the motorhome side. I sure they will look into this during the normal post race maintinance.

Big Dad, what was it that was wrong? This was the biggest race I have ever seen there and I've announced races there for over 18 years.

 

I expected more old time stuff , less fluff ....
I was treated like a terriorist...
And its a dump, plain and simple ..sorry but, thats true

check my bitch link above ..sorry , my opinion only

 

Nothing to be sorry about. You spoke your mind. The event and location didn't meet your expectations.

More old time stuff comes out for the hotrod reunion. Most of the old stuff that races just didn't draw the people. Flat heads and In-liners were and are cool, but the noise stuff get the people in the stands that pay the bill. I've worked for NDRA, ANRA, Goodguys and NHRA and the old stuff is great to look at, but people just leave the stands when they run. It's a real shame.

Treated like a TERRORIST? Ah, I'm affraid to ask about that.

Dump? Ok, so it's not a resort, but it's a drag strip built in the early post ww2 era and has been updated over the years... Better then it was years ago and getting better every race. Not a big bucks facility like some, but a place the racers like to race at. It's our history not a new state of the art race complex.

Sorry your experiance there was so bad. I'm working in Dallas this week and would gladly buy you a drink of you choice and talk about it. Call me if ya want. 562-481-4177 or PM me.

 

I'll single out a couple things ..

I pre-called , reserved a camping spot paid via a credit card (thats a whole nother story )

Got my stuff back via US MAIL ..I'm in ! Lady told me and I QUOTE
"you must be here before 5:00 pm west coast time on Weds or , you will not be guaranteed a spot "


I said , major undertaking for me , come across the county, timing is tight ..have to add couple days rent to motorhome . etc


She said ..sorry ..thats the way it is ..So, I took time off work and blew thru my day to make it by 4:20 pm


And there was at min 250 spots left (1st come , 1st served )

My freinds missed their plane ..can't get it past 5:00 pm
which caused me to rent 2nd rental car to get there in time
an extra $462.00 to let it be parked in Bakersfield cause no one there to allow me return it


You could of parked a Motorhome on Friday easy in this case

 

Sorry about that part. Can't explain that track policy as I'm not part of that. The offer to buy ya a drink and bench race is still open.

 

We did have some 'issues' with 'event staff' shirted guys on Thursday. They decieded to let our line sit for about an hour and take those that came in after us in. But oh well, we got over it fast. Loved the 'tech' lanes...speeded everything up. They are starting to have a problem 'cause the size of the rigs are getting bigger and bigger and sildeouts and stuff like that make the pits smaller and smaller. I mean my rig and trailer is 60 feet and I only have a hot rod. The guy next to me parked his rig on the line then proceeded to open is slides out and squeeze us out of a couple feet. But at the end of the day, its about fun and friends and racing so you get grumpy then you get over it.

Famoso is and always will be a older track where you always expect to have to wipe cars down every hour and always take a bunch of clothes 'cause its always dirty. That's why my car didn't make it to the grandstands 'cause by the time I finished racing I didn't want to have to wipe down my 55. But the track was awesome and the crew manning it was great. When the speakers were not working they had a guy in a golf cart coming around and calling us up to the lanes.

 

I had a good time. I know bigdads going to jump my shit "again" about missing the plane but...thats just the way it goes sometimes. Trust me! I was less than impressed with the lady that told us we were 3 min late at the "Soiux Falls" airport. We got 3 inches of snow that morning.

That being said. I had a great time seeing all the cool cars,smelling the nitro drinking beer with new and old friends. I will return.

There is no going back in time. So getting to see what it was "kinda like" was very cool. Thanks to all the racers!!!!!!!! Fergen

 

Did Muttley have a good time?

PS- Nevermind

 

Muttley thought it sucked.

 

Sorry to you guys that thought it sucked. I traveled 2000 miles from below zero temps and had a great time.....maybe you guys should come up here(this summer!!!), to the "big show" and see if you can make into the 8 car field that 6 cars attend to (dont worry"10-0's" will make the cut).................... sorry!! Im just sayin I had a good time!

 

And "Yes" thats the one and only class we have.....and Im not knocking the guys up here! Cool cars here too. Just not as many.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed myself all weekend. I have attended nostalgia events at the Patch since 1992 and return at least twice each year since. I live in southern Az. I have a front motored nostalgia Top Fueler and I am building an altered wheelbase funny for exhibition runs.
This time, I just drove my GTO out and parked in the show. Cars were great ( I always look the other way when I see a camaro anyway), drags were great too. Seeing Harris lay down a few 5.50s was cool but it is going to be that much harder for me to get competitive in TF. That is OK, I accept the challenge.
There were about 22 Top Fuelers and over 30 Fuel funnies. Over a half a hundred nitro burners with 6-71s! The fuelers have to run 12" M&H nostalgia tires, way cool! I get a hard on thinking about it.
The people were wonderful too.
I will keep coming back and back, again and again. I like the chicken strips and fries. Get them everytime I go. The swap meet was very good.
Of course, it was crowded. Hey, that is part of what a successful event is. The bathrooms are OK, I can handle them. I will take the Patch over a NHRA national event track anytime.
I have no complaints about the track or the event.
I cannot wait until the end of May for the next one!
Nostalgia racing is alive and well in Ca. Amen. May it last forever. I will never go to a NHRA national event again!

Here is a pic of one of my toys. It is a current N/Top Fueler. I had it made to my specs to look as old as is possible and not compromise safety or competitiveness. Polished halibrands, M&Hs, 3 rib injector hat, chrome axle, etc, etc.

Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org

 

Hi Guys, Big dad and anyone else that didn't enjoy March meet, All I can say is you must be spoilt rotten. Myself and 2 mates flew from Australia to see it. Cost a small fortune, but was worth every penny.Got a few bits from the swap meet, drooled over the rods and race cars on display, Then went to Buck Owens Chrystal Palace in Bakersfield. We thought we'd died and gone to heaven. Paid $75 for a 3day pass. Down here you can pay $45 for one night for a drag meet with just local cars. Condolences to Mr shumakers family [I think that was the gentleman's name] who was killed putting on a show for us. Only low point in whole trip.
Thanks all you yanks for the hospitality.
Regards Phil.

 

I'm just glad all you guys came up to the race or I'd be up in the tower talking to the nitroflies...You guys help make the event..

Hotrodbob-Race Announcer MM-CHRR-Finals and more

 

I just wish I could hear what announcers say about my car and I when we're up there. Of course my crew can't hear you either so I hope there is nothing but praise being said but you never know...