Another stellar group of honorees has been chosen for the 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The three-day festival of speed and rods takes place at Auto Club Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield, October 10-12.
The honorees are Grand Marshal Junior Thompson, Steve Davis, John Edmunds, Georgia Seipel, Walt Rhoades, and Butch Maas. The Justice Brothers' Reunion Spotlight will shine on Gas Ronda.
"This year's honorees are a highly eclectic group of deserving individuals who have dedicated their lives to hot rodding and drag racing," said Greg Sharp, curator of the nonprofit Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, which produces the Reunion. "I'm glad we can honor folks like this who have meant so much to the sport."
Junior Thompson is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Little Eliminator victory (the first ever contested) at the third NHRA Nationals held in Oklahoma City. From a '40 Ford convertible in the early 1950s to a Corvette alcohol Funny Car, Thompson enjoyed a 30-year drag racing career as a driver and is still actively involved as an engine builder for nostalgia vehicles.
Steve Davis is an incredible craftsman who restored the legendary Greer, Black, and Prudhomme fuel dragster, as well as Art Chrisman's famed #25 dragster. He honed his craft while working with the legendary Tom Hannah and Lil' John Buttera. He drove Junior Fuel dragsters, owned a CRA Championship-winning Sprint Car, and is the lucky driver who gets to be in the seat of the Greer, Black, and Prudhomme car during Cacklefest.
John Edmunds hails from Fresno, California, and raced throughout the '60s as "The Black Knight." During one period, he drove his 240-mph Bonneville Studebaker, Tony Waters' Top Fuel dragster, and a Blown Fuel Hydro drag boat all at the same time.
Georgia Seipel has been the dragstrip manager at Infineon Raceway in Northern California for many years. Her life revolves around drag racing, and the entire Seipel family has been heavily involved in Super Gas racing since the category began.
Walt Rhoades is a journeyman Southern California dragster driver of the '60s and '70s who drove such legendary entries as the Gas House Gang, John Peters' "Freight Train" (in which he won Top Gas at the '71 Gatornationals and set low e.t. on gas at '71 Indy), as well as the Buehl, Cirino, and Rhoades AA/FD, one of the quickest of the mid-'70s.
Butch Maas is another journeyman driver whose career spanned 25 different race cars from the Scotty's Muffler roadster through the Don Garlits streamliner. He won the '71 Winternationals Funny Car final driving Roland Leong's "Hawaiian."
Gas Ronda (Reunion Spotlight winner) is one of the most famous door-car drag racers of all time. But for a brief time early in his career in the Bay Area, he raced Fords exclusively. From 390 Galaxies, through AFX Thunderbolts, and on to blown fuel Funny Cars, his performance along with his demeanor and dapper appearance made him extremely popular with the fans.
The 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, and located in Pomona, California, is part of the museum's "living history" philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds, and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing, and the golden age of American car culture.
Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods, and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.
Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value, including a "goodie bag," Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque, and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential. Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available by calling (800) 884-NHRA (6472), or by completing a form found in the Reunion section of the Museum's Web site (http://museum.nhra.com). Auto Club members receive a $5 discount off adult credential prices.
Daily general admission tickets/pit passes will be available at Auto Club Famoso Raceway gate (www.famosoraceway.com). Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and younger are free when accompanied by an adult. Auto Club discount is also available at the gate: $2 off Friday and Saturday, and $1 off Sunday.
The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:
--NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Fuel Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, hot rods, and others. It's the grand finale of the NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage Series.
--Hundreds of gleaming pre-'72 hot rods, street rods, custom cars, rat rods, classics, and musclecars. Memory Lane will have a display of nostalgic race cars. The Justice Brothers' Spotlight Award will be given to drag racer Gas Ronda.
--California Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Double Tree Hotel in Bakersfield, Friday, October 10, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's grand marshal, gasser great Junior Thompson, and the other honorees. The reception offers a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing's heroes.
--Cacklefest on Saturday evening is where nitro-burning, historic, front-engine Top Fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push-started just like in the old days.
--The swap meet and Reunion Midway is filled with hot rod and automotive-related vendors. Something for everyone!
Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms, and tickets is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com, or by sending a postcard or note to California Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg. 3A, Pomona, CA 91768. Requests can be e-mailed to themuseum@nhra.com.