The Cacklefest is the sweetest sight and sound in the world for car folks: 30 or more vintage dragsters fire up and "cackle" 10 gallons of nitromethane fuel in less than five minutes. This Father's Day weekend at Beech Bend Park Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on Saturday night, the Cacklefest once again roars at the 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion.
The Cacklefest is now a common word among drag racing fans-there's even a www.cacklefest.com Web site. This year, according to NHRA Wally Park's Motorsports Museum curator Greg Sharp, more than 30 cars will push-start their early-style front-engine dragsters like they did in the 1950s and 1960s, then line them up down the center of the dragstrip at Beech Bend with the headers glowing and the motors running-or "cackling."
The '08 Cacklefest features revolutionary dragsters, such as John Peters' Freight Train, from Lakeport, California. The supercharged small-block Chevrolet-engined Freight Train was driven primarily by Bob Muravez (aka Floyd Lippencott Jr). Muravez drove the Freight Train to wins at the '63 Winternationals and '67 and '69 Springnationals. Roy "Goob" Tuller will drive the car at this event.
Also on tap will be the vintage Funny Cars, such as Bruce Larson's USA-1 Camaro; Roland Leong's "Hawaiian" Dodge Charger, owned by Greg Mosely and driven by Larry Reyes; Shirl Greer's Chain Lightning; and Jack Chrisman's trend-setting Mercury Comet, now owned by Jim Barrilaro. Top Fuel Dragsters include legendary "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 8, Wale and Candies, Creitz & Donovan, Don Trasin's Jade Grenade, Croshier, Baltes & Lovato, Aggravation, Tennessee Bo-Weevil, Scorpion, King & Marshall, Gang Green, Michigander, Probe, and Hilton Family.
The first Cacklefest in 2000, held at the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, California, featured only nine dragsters, but as the event's popularity rose with subsequent Reunions, so did the number of classic cars. At last year's California Reunion, more than 70 vehicles participated, and 30 dragsters cackled at the '07 Holley National Hot Rod Reunion.
Information, including a full activities schedule, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com.