Event>>drag Nostalgia @ The March Meet

This weekend a huge number of drag racers gathered at Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield to take part in the annual March Meet. The March Meet has long been one of the biggest nostalgia drag gatherings around and this year was no different, even with rain off and on throughout the weekend. With Sunday looking like the day with the smallest chance of the wet stuff, I headed up to Famoso to have a look.

My ride to Bakersfield was this Inferno Orange 2010 Camaro SS. I'll have more on my experiences with the 'Maro later, but I thought it was a choice machine to take to a gathering of quarter mile addicts. I couldn't convice anyone to let me have a go on the track though…

Even the ticket for the event had a cool, retro feel to it. I'll be adding this to my collection for sure.

Once I got in, I found that the lineup of cars was very similar to that of the Hot Rod Reunion in October. That means everything from funny cars…

…to front engine rail dragsters…

…to door slammer muscle cars like this wicked looking Dodge Charger.

By the time Sunday rolled around a lot of the racers had already loaded their cars up for the the trip home, but the pits were still packed with race cars. It was one of the biggest competitor turnouts I've ever seen – drag racing or otherwise.

The pits and staging lanes were beehives of activity with race cars, support vehicles, and motorbikes moving in every direction.

And that brings to me one of my favorite parts about these sort of events – checking out the strange contraptions people use to make their way around the track.

Like the Hot Rod Reunion, there was also a swap meet with people selling everything from t-shirts and stickers, to complete vehicles. Is that "yard art" or the start of a really sweet project for someone?

You don't by chance have any intake manifolds for sale, do you?

Lots of vintage racing magazines available here as well. There really are few things better than old car mags from the '60s and '70s.

Walking through the pits, I spotted some pretty wild cars such as this '64 Pontiac Tempest (or LeMans). It looks like your typical drag machine here…

…but just have a glance at the snail that lives under the hood. That is pants-soiling power.

Hey, it's a V8-swapped Pinto. Cool. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the original paint there…

And the Pinto's rival from GM – the Vega. This car is SO 1970's, down to the slotted mags and all. I love it.

It looks like some of the racers had better weekends than others. Could be a lot worse than some front end damage I suppose…

If you wanted a break from the action on the track or spending your cash in the swap meet, you could also take a swing through the car show behind the main grandstands.

Drag racing superstar John Force served as the Grand Marshall for the event. This just goes to show the sort of reputation the March Meet has.

I'll wrap up this post with a bitchin' gasser from the Famoso Speed Shop. As a central valley boy, I'm always proud to see cars like this.

Ok, much more from the March Meet to come.

-Mike Garrett

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1

More on the 64 Pontiac?

2

Sickkkkkkkkkkkkk Love all the old tin

3

so cool...

4

More info on that LeMans!!!!

5

Very cool. I usually vend at this show but I didn't go up because of the rain. Looks like it still pretty good though.

6

Hey Mike, is there any chance of speedhunters making an events calendar? I would love to make it out to some of these california hot rod events, but I just don't know when they are happening.

7

i was there, it was ridiculous. seeing hot rods run low 9's is beast.

8

Lets hear it for the 'Old School' the 'True School'.. - i love the retro mag stand & the Wonder Wagon - cool - just needs a Steve McQueen look-a-like and its over..

9

if John Force was there, where was the rest of his family?

10

yes we need more on the Tempest

11

Great post. Front engine rail cars are my new favorite thing to read about online. People or should I say "old head draggers" are coming out of the dark ages and putting a lot of great stuff up online now. They are kind of a forgotten art form IMO. Plus they were built during at time when nobody knew what was going on in the engines, crazy boost, real engine blocks, etc.

12

That Charger looks mean! Great post, looking forward to more coverage like this.

13

That '64 Pontiac is awesome. I love events like this.

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