There must be some kind of time portal out there on the road north of Bakersfield. It was March 2008 when we left the motel, but by the time we got to Famoso Raceway, it was like we'd gone back in time 40 years. Maybe more. The March Meet is drag racing like it was back in the old days, with the pits and staging lanes filled with front engine dragsters, early Funny Cars, altereds, gassers, and hot rods.
The Smokers hot rod club started racing here back in 1951. In 1959, Don Garlits came all the way from Florida to take on Art Chrisman and the rest of the California drag racers. Garlits didn't win, but that first March Meet became an important chapter in drag racing history.
The March Meet is now under the management of Blake Bowser and his father John Bowser. The dragstrip is operated by the Kern County Racing Association. Everybody involved did an excellent job during the weekend, so we expect another great 50 years for the March Meet.
The March Meet is now considered drag racing's top nostalgia event, but unlike other nostalgia races which have popped up in the last 20 years, the March Meet isn't reliving history-it's making history. We were glad to be there for the 50th celebration of this race, where we got to see legends Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McEwen, along with some of the West Coast's best grassroots drag racers. The racers in these photos are continuing a tradition that includes Garlits, Chrisman, Prudhomme, McEwen, the Smokers, and every other hot rodder who has made a pass on this historic dragstrip at this timeless race.