The 7th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, June 19-21 at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. The Reunion is part of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports 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 fast drag cars, hot rods, street rods and cool customs.
Top drivers from every era of NHRA drag racing, the first woman to win an NHRA division championship and the inventor of the tire-screeching burnout make up the Honorees for this year's event.
Grand Marshal - Darrell Gwynn
Selected as one of NHRA's all-time Top 50 Drivers, Florida's Darrell Gwynn won 28 national events in a short ten year career. At age 18 he was runner-up in Pro Comp at the U.S. Nationals. He scored ten wins in Alcohol Dragster before moving up to Top Fuel at age 23. In March, 1990 Gwynn made the quickest run in drag racing, at the time 4.90. Just weeks later, he crashed at England's Santa Pod Raceway changing his life forever. He was paralyzed from the chest down and lost part of his left arm. Even while recovering, he changed roles to team owner where his car scored 14 victories. He is dedicated to the cure of paralysis and maintains a very active schedule of public speaking, technical consulting and enjoying life with his wife and daughter.
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Honoree Jerry Baltes
Beginning his drag racing career in 1951 at Paradise Mesa near San Diego, Jerry Baltes raced for over two decades. He worked his way up from gas coupes, through altereds to a gas dragster, then in 1962 to Top Fuel. He made it to number 3 on the Drag News Top Ten List, set an NHRA speed record, won the 1964 World Series of Drag Racing at Cordova, and finished number 2 in 1964 NHRA points. After a crash ended his driving career in 1967, he fielded the Tom and Jerry Mustang Funny Car as a member of the Coca-Cola Cavalcade of Stars. He has recently restored his 1964 Top Fuel car for Cacklefest events.
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Honoree Amy Faulk
Experienced in Stock, Super Stock and Competition eliminator categories, Amy Faulk was the first woman to win a national event in Alcohol Dragster and the first woman to win an NHRA division championship. In 1979 Faulk won the Super Stock national championship and in 1980 was elected to Car Craft Magazine's All-Star team. In addition to her racing career, Amy has held management roles in the automotive aftermarket and currently serves as the chief administrative officer of Hypertech. She has served on the SEMA Board of Directors, was named SEMA's Person of the Year in 1996, and is a member of the SEMA Hall of Fame.
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Honoree Chuck Nelson
Chuck Nelson has been NHRA's South Central Division Tech Director since the position was created nearly a half century ago. Nelson's dedicated career began at the NHRA Nationals in Oklahoma City in 1958. He was selected by NHRA founder Wally Parks to be just one of nine attendees at the first official NHRA rules meeting in 1959. When he began, the racers had to build everything themselves, and he's seen the tech side of the sport evolve into cars that are professionally manufactured. Nelson says, "You learn every day because the racers keep you on your toes. I keep trying to retire but Craig (Div. 4 Director Craig Hutchinson) won't let me."
Honoree Vance Hunt
A name synonymous with Top Fuel racing in the southwest from 1960 to 1971 is Vance Hunt. As an owner/tuner, the Arlington, Texas racer fielded a long series of dragsters driven by Ed Mabry, J.L. Payne, Ted Arnold, Jerry Ellis, and Watus Simpson. Hunt began racing in the late '40s at "any place we could." Fuel racing beckoned in 1960, and with J.L. Payne driving Hunt defeated both Don Garlits and Chris Karamesines for the Number One spot on the Drag News Mr. Eliminator list and won the '62 AHRA Nationals. In his final season he even briefly raced a Mustang Funny Car. In recent years he's remained active as a tuner on nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters.
Honoree Bob Creitz
Known as an engine wizard, the inventor of the burnout and the most prominent Top Fuel racer in Oklahoma, Bob Creitz was a member of the unofficial group of hard-core fuel racers known as the "Greek Fleet". Creitz's cars have been runners-up at the '67 Winternationals, made the first six-second pass in NHRA Nationals history, and at the PDA meet at Orange County in 1968 won the last 64-car Top Fuel show ever held. He won the inaugural PHR Championships in 1969 and runner-upped at the '72 Supernationals. He has restored his last front engine fueler for Cacklefest events.
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The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:
* Hundreds of classic cars kick off the opening ceremonies for the 7th Holley National Hot Rod Reunion with the Heacock Classic Cruise In.
* Hot Heads Eliminations NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some of the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes as Nostalgia Top Fuel, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.
* Street rod "Show 'n Shine," presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars.
* "Memory Lane" will have a display of nostalgic race cars.
* National Hot Rod Reunion Honoree Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel and Sloan Convention Center Ballroom on Friday evening, June 19. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing's heroes.
* Cacklefest on Saturday evening, 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 filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
* Make a pit stop at the Dynamic Legends VIP Tent, sponsored by Dynamat, where fans can get autographs, photos or just chat with this year's Honorees during the entire weekend at the Midway.
* A separate amusement park and water park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.
Purchase credentials online at www.museum.nhra.com, click on "Reunions". 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. Tickets are also available by phone at 800/884-NHRA. Advance ticket sales close on May 29, 2009. Individual tickets are available day-of the event. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Questions can be sent via email to themuseum@nhra.com.