Our favorite pre-Springtime event has got to be the Goodguys March Meet, held at the famous Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California, since 1994. Of course the original March Meet, started by the Smokers car club, goes back to the Fifties, which is why the 2005 event was officially titled the 46th March Meet.
This year, the event drew more than 500 nostalgia race cars--everything from Hot Rod class street/strip rods, to Gassers, Altereds, Funnies, and front engined Fuel dragsters. Behind the stands, the show 'n' shine area was filled with so many pre-'73 rods, customs, and street machines that Goodguys had to make room for the overflow out in the vendor area.
Freelance automotive writer Scotty Gosson, from Medford, Oregon, usually crews on a '27 coupe, but the T didn't make the race this year, so Scotty came down just to spectate and take pictures, or so he thought.
"When Chris Malott, also from Medford, heard I was there without a car, he asked if I would help out on his Nostalgia Eliminator 1 dragster," Scotty said. I was honored, and glad to help, as I make a crappy spectator. After three days with this car, spectating sounds pretty nice. We qualified okay, then sheared off the mag drive in the block while warming up for Round One. With 15 minutes to go, we borrowed an old Vertex mag, which meant re-wiring the car. We made it, and won. Next round, we broke out, with a 7.45 on a 7.60 index. After returning the borrowed mag, we loaded up the trailer and said our goodbyes, only to learn that we were back in, on the 'break rule' (our neighbors blew a head gasket). We had 12 minutes to get to the lanes, but we made it again--and broke out again. Whew! What a weekend!"
When not wrenching on the dragster, Gosson was taking photos in the pits, in the lanes, and at the starting line. R&C staffer Tim Bernsau was also at Famoso taking photos. Here are some of their photos from Famoso.
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Chris Malott's Hemi-powered dragster is a little different deal than the small-block in Jamie Ford's '27 T. |
That, along with a frantic racing schedule, and the unexpected turn of events, made for a wild--but probably not unusual--weekend of racing. |
Chip Starr, son Chipper, and daughter Chippy, have the right attitude, and the car uses all legit period correct parts. |
Chip is strapped in, engine is fired, and Chipper guides him into the water. This car is a riot to watch going down the track, carrying the wheels past the 60' mark. |
This car is amazing! It ran a 7.98 at 175 mph! Yeow! |
The Hemi-powered '65 Plymouth is out of Arizona, and is owned by John Powers who races in Hot Rod class in the Goodguys Vintage Racing series.. |
The Flathead Jack dragster is a regular exhibition racer and crowd-pleaser at the March Meet. |
The twin 8BA flatties in Jack Schafer's rail, driven by Sammy Hale, make in the neighborhood of 1,000 horsepower. |
Ed Gallwas on his way to winning the Hot Rod Eliminator in this '57 Ford. |
What a kick to see the famous Winged Express altered doing burnouts and wheelstands. |
Last year, this Henry J came out of mothballs and scared the crap out of everyone on the starting line with out of control launches. It ran a small-block Chevy then. Now it sports an early Olds in the drivers seat and a license plate on the decklid. |
Jim Lindsay's T roadster, runs a 341ci DeSoto Hemi, and competed in the NE3 class. |
News flash! Two-time NE3 champion Craig Wallace did not qualify! Engine gremlins kept Wallace in the pits, hoping to get in on the "break rule", but it never happened. |
Van Macatee, out of Denver qualified on the bump spot in NE3 with his '34 coupe, but went on to win the class. |
Kent Specht's '23 Ford T altered, from Fresno, running a 572ci Chrysler, built by Keith Black. |
The famous Gary Hazen Panic fuel altered... |
...lined up next to us in the lanes. |
Brad Thompson in the lanes getting ready to run in Top Fuel. Thompson was the top qualifier, but broke at the light during round one. |