A pair of street-going Willys coupes are at home entering the famed Beech Bend dragstrip during the awards ceremony. Tom Venezia owns the tangerine coupe, while Joe Chapman pilots the flamed coupe.
You’ll see a lot of old race...
You’ll see a lot of old race cars and street rods pulled out of garages for this event. One of the racers brought along this vintage T coupe, complete with six-twos atop a big Hemi.
Time travel. On a scientific level we haven’t managed to accomplish the feat, but leave it to hot rodders to figure out how to do it with virtually no high-tech equipment. It’s as simple as getting in your street rod, vintage drag car, or custom and high tailing it to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion. Right now there are two of these events a year, one in Bakersfield, California, and the other in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Both events are permanently placed on many hot rodders’ “must attend” list, and for good reason.
Street rodding and drag racing began to go their own ways in the late ’60s and ’70s. Prior to that amicable split hot rodding was directly connected to drag racing. It didn’t matter if you had a street car, a drag car, or the more common double-duty car, if you liked hot rods, you liked drag racing. It was that simple.
This ’57 Ford racer was on...
This ’57 Ford racer was on display in the infield of the oval track. Powered by a Boss 429 this would have been a terror on the street and strip in the early ’70s.
Like many old friends do, drag racing and street rodding continued to drift apart over the next 20 years. Sometime in the ’80s nostalgia drag racing began to take hold and street rodders took note. Some street rods were even making the occasional quarter-mile pass and the stands were beginning to fill whenever the vintage drag cars came to the line. Goodguys Rod & Custom events were instrumental in getting this movement in motion, but it really didn’t hit its peak until the National Hot Rod Association had their first Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield. The response was amazing and we must believe even NHRA was pleasantly surprised. The support for vintage ’50s-70s drag racing and great hot rods was a perfect match, and much like those old friends who had drifted apart, it took a great reunion to re-establish old ties again. The Hot Rod Reunion quickly became an annual event.
Butch Sprague’s ’49 Ford sedan...
Butch Sprague’s ’49 Ford sedan carries one of the best flame jobs we’ve seen in a while. Shaved door handles and bull-nosed hood complete this mild custom.
While it seems like just yesterday that we were at the first Bakersfield event, it was actually 21 years ago. It’s equally difficult to believe that we were walking the pits, sitting in the great vintage spectator seats, and checking 1,500 hot rods at Bowling Green for the tenth time. Yes, 10 great reunions and we’d put this one high on the list of the best of 10.
From the swap meet to the great action on the dragstrip, it was non-stop fun. This year the weather was much more cooperative than last year, albeit a bit on the hot side. The swap meet held the usual array of real hot rod parts, the pits were filled with everything from vintage front engine rails to Gassers, Funny Cars, and FX cars. In short it was just what we expected, the perfect trip back in time to the golden age of drag racing and hot rodding. This year the Grand Marshall was longtime Top Fuel and Funny Car driver Tom Hoover, while the 2012 Justice Brothers Reunion Spotlight shined on the Middletown, Ohio, Pacemakers Car Club. Also at the banquet were the 2012 Honorees, Jack Ditmars, Jack Moss, Bennie Osborn, Jere Stahl, and Bill Stebbins. The nighttime cackle fest was the crowning moment in a great weekend, with the air filled with equal parts nitromethane and noise.
John McKelvey drives this...
John McKelvey drives this very cool and equally rare ’40 Mercury four-door convertible. The ragtop carries all the proper vintage custom touches.
We’ll be back for the 11th Annual AAA, Holley NHRA Reunion again next year, and here’s some exciting news: NHRA has announced a first-ever Hot Rod Reunion to be held in New Hampshire in September 2013. So if you’re into time travel we’d suggest you mark your calendar for the Hot Rod Reunion next year; it’s time well spent.
The Tavoletti & Gearhart Willys...
The Tavoletti & Gearhart Willys launches hard to the delight of the crowd. This coupe is just one of the many fine Gassers running under the Geezer Gassers banner.
The great thing about Beech...
The great thing about Beech Bend Raceway is you are very close to the action. Speaking of action, nothing brings the fans to their feet quite like the AA/FA Winged Express.
Smoke billows from the radiused...
Smoke billows from the radiused wheelwells on this good-looking ’55 Chevy Gasser. Dragstrips all across the country were swarming with cars similar to this one in the ’60s.
We’ll never tire of seeing...
We’ll never tire of seeing a pair of great Gassers lighting ’em up before some heads-up racing.
Wheelie bars? “I don’t need...
Wheelie bars? “I don’t need no stinkin’ wheelie bars” The crowd went wild after this pass. When the Model A came down, the passenger side door flew open. He never lifted, the door slammed shut, and he completed the run.
Finding a full-fendered Model...
Finding a full-fendered Model A coupe that runs this hard is no easy chore. This little coupe won a couple rounds before being eliminated.
While most Gassers were based...
While most Gassers were based on the Willys coupe, this ’40 Ford takes on an evil look at night when the red Plexiglas headlight covers glow red.
When it comes to shear showmanship...
When it comes to shear showmanship and speed few things can compete with the Miller Welds & Embry-Riddle University–sponsored jet car action. Elaine Larsen pilots the Miller jet car while Marisha Falk is the Embry-Riddle driver.
And then there was the cackle...
And then there was the cackle fest. The nighttime air filled with fire, fumes, and noise as dozens of vintage fuel dragsters fired up their engines in a display of raw horsepower.