2005 California Hot Rod Reunion: Two NitroGeezers in Paradise

by Steven Justice

Head Nitrogeezer: Fred Farndon (67 years young)

Path to the "Promised Land"

First, some geography. Is it Famoso-Woody Rd. as long believed, or simply Famoso Rd.? It seems the State of California wants you to think the former when in reality it’s the latter. Exiting Hwy 99 (north or south) one is confronted with the prominent green sign announcing Famoso Woody Rd. But, the county road signs never include a Woody Rd. Hmm, this appears to be a job for Inspector Gadget. Starting at the junction with State Hwy 46, I proceed due east past the race track until it meets State Hwy 65. Shortly after that intersection, Famoso Rd. serpentines northeast until it dead ends with Granite Rd. 15.7 miles from State Hwy 46. At that point Famoso Rd. is finished; done; over. Yet, continue onto Granite Rd. and Woody Rd. appears immediately to your left with a sign proudly announcing that the hamlet of Woody is a mere 11 miles away. So, there we have it. Two separate and entirely distinct rural roads that never shake hands. Another myth debunked. Sigh!

Read Inspector Gadget’s report

Now, let’s get on with the drag racing. Intrepid Nitrogeezers.com reporters Steve Justice and Bob Runne have been assigned to cover the race for our readers. The CHRR will also be the debut for the Farndon-Morton AA/FD aptly named "Nitrogeezers". Thanks Fred: George and everyone here at NitroGeezers can surely dig it. Upon arriving at the track Thursday evening, we find the will call booth closed. Being unable to convince the "event staff" to clear us through despite a plethora of IDs documenting our media status, we spend the night outside the gates with the other unfortunates.

We rise with the sun and queue up with the other "Les Miserables" hoping for no further snags so we can receive passage onto the sacred ground. Finally, anointed with our CHRR badges and permits, we roll onto the holiest of the holies, Famoso Raceway, with Bob’s state-of-the-art 1977 Commander motor home. Important things first: load the camera, program the voice recorder, and grab the notebook. Then, it’s off to the Farndon-Morton top fuel pit to get our first look at the Nitrogeezer dragster. What a piece! It is a 2000 Uyehara (the Cadillac of nostalgia top fuelers) chassis with a 398 cid Donovan between the rails. Besides Fred and Al (Morton) the crew consists of M. L. Smith, Dave Carter, Dick Harvey, and Jack Myers. With the first round of qualifying scheduled for 3:00 p.m., the pace of activity in their pit is pretty hectic. Complicating the situation is the fact that Fred and Mike Lockman have been tabbed to be the first pair to run. They have lots to do so we tour the pits to inventory the cars that are "in the house".

Farndon-Morton; I told you it was nice

The layout of the pits is somewhat different from past years in that some of the cackle cars occupy spaces previously reserved for the top fuel boys. But, in the end, we locate 24 top fuelers which accounts for just about everybody except Blanchard (fire damage at Seattle), Birky Bunch (??), and Patrick-Ferry’s iron 354 cid from Arizona. Well, Phil Ruskowski and Dale Carlson were also MIA, but it’s a long tow down from the Northwest. It’s just past 1:00 pm and time to return to the Farndon-Morton camp to watch the guys light it off. This is the best part; watching a 3800 HP nitro motor come to life. Emerging from its slumber, the engine responds, first to alcohol and then to that magical witches brew known as nitromethane. A deep visceral growl resonates from the engine and fans scramble to get the best view and camera shot as the crew chief works his magic. Then, as quick as it all began, the beast is silenced. With all the maintenance completed, it is time to pack the chutes, re-fasten the body panels, fill the fuel tank with that 98% concoction, and get ready to rumble.

Light the candles: M. .L behind the cage and Dave Carter getting his nitro fix for the day

Fred giving the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval

As 3:00 pm rapidly approaches the level of energy escalates dramatically. The tension and electricity in the air is everywhere. The teams know that with just two qualifying shots, the margin for error will be miniscule. All the cars are stout, but eight will be turned away with no place to play. Engines come to life and the unmistakable sound of the nitro motor resonates throughout the facility. It’s burn-out time with its billowing trails of smoke and nitromethane vapors wafting ubiquitously over the stands. The staccato-like pulsing of the pipes signal clean burning cylinders; the engine’s serenade. When the pandemonium created by twenty four nostalgia top fuel dragsters finally subsides, a bump of 6.39 (Mendy Fry) has been established. Two dragsters test the 5-second stratosphere with Brad Thompson leading the way with a 5.95-232 run. This would be an ominous omen of things to come for the other top fuel teams. With Friday’s qualifying done and the track secured, it’s time to change hats and rush off to Bakersfield for the reception and awards banquet at the Doubletree Hotel. The place is abuzz with activity even though the awards banquet recognizing this year’s honorees is still two hours away. Thanks to the intervention of the Bushmaster himself, Bob and I secure a fat parking spot near the front of the hotel. We’re here to do, among other things, present a drawing to Tommy Ivo courtesy of George Crittenden and NitroGeezers.com. It’s a pencil drawing of one of Ivo’s last FEDs, a dazzling and accurate rendition of the actual car. NHRA has arranged a generous spread for us media types and when not taking advantage of this generosity, we cruise around and chat with a bunch of the sport’s storied legends: Ron Rivero, Shirley Shahan, Kenny Safford, and, of course, T V Tommy himself.

Don Prieto, T V Tommy Ivo, and Kenny Safford; happy guys

Jeep Hampshire and Jesse Schrank

Back out in the lobby, it’s time to mingle and circulate. We first bump into Jesse Schrank of the famed Schrank Bros. from Belmont, California. Old geezers will remember the Schrank Bros. as a bad-ass 1320 record holder in B/FD with their 276.1 cid Algon-injected Desoto-powered dragster. Also, right at hand is both Jeep and Ronnie Hampshire. The guys seem pretty stoked about our proposal to bring their respective drag racing stories to the NitroGeezer site. So, stay tuned because in the near future we expect to present to you, "Jeep and Ronnie Hampshire-No Lift Heroes" and "The Schrank Bros.-The Boys from Belmont". With work obligations done, we take a path opposite the foot traffic to get the best viewing spot for the highlight of the evening; the 9:00 scheduled firing of Jerry Ruth’s and Herm Petersen’s restored top fuelers in the parking lot of the hotel. A perimeter has been established around the dragsters as the fans pack in with cameras and video equipment to get their nitro fix. The crews light off Ruth first and those immediately behind the top fueler scramble for a safer vantage point although a few intrepid souls brave the fumes and decibels. Then, with the overhead lights turned off, Petersen’s fueler comes to life. It’s an awesome portrait of yellow-green flames painted on a black background. The concussion from a couple hard whacks of the throttle gets the desired affect; the fans go berserk. Simply stated, this was a great appetizer for tomorrow’s Cacklefest. How about four fuelers next year?

A beautiful girl and a fast race car; the lovely Michelle Martinez gracing the side of Herm’s fueler

Michelle getting cozy with Ruth’s cackler

Jerry ‘The King’ Ruth disperses the peasants

Back at the track after a very long day, the prudent man would have retired. But, the temptation to cruise the pits and see who’s doing what is just too much. One of the best things about nostalgia drag racing is all the activity that continues long after the last car has gone done the track. Yes, some of it is mechanical in nature, but there are those recreational diversions, too. Those with a discriminating nature and a taste for the finer things in life know that the Rick Rogers top fuel pit is the place to go for post-race partying. Oh god, Rick McGee is already there and those two together can make for a long, and can we say, spirited evening. I give up at midnight but the Ricks are going strong.

Saturday morning brings bad news from the Nitrogeezer top fuel camp. Friday’s pass blackened the crank. For Fred and Al, this injury is fatal. Running on a limited budget, they simply can’t afford to take a chance and damage any more parts. Fred explains, "If it was Sunday and we were going rounds, then we would definitely do it. But, considering the circumstances, we’ll just have to wait ‘til the next drag race". What a bummer for all of us; no playing in the Nitrogeezer pit today. So, it’s off to see J D Zink and Doug Timmons. You don’t remember J D or Doug? Can you say, "jet car driver". I think you can. J D drove jet dragsters for Romeo Palimedes from 1964 through 1969 and Doug campaigned a top fueler in the late 1960s. Both are Chico natives and have teamed up to compete in junior fuel today. Their story will be up on our site in the near future. In the meantime, here are pictures of their bad little boy:

Doug Timmons; there’s a problem with #8 hole

The piece of paper one needs to drive a jet dragster

The last round of top fuel qualifying is scheduled for 2:00 pm. Some good teams are going to go home disappointed. In the second pair, Chuck Tanko rips a crisp 6.14 alongside Murphy’s 6.04; just a precursor of things to come. In the next pair, Pete Kaiser ups the ante a bit with a stunning 5.95-249. Close qualifying continues as Rick McGee and Lee Jennings Sr. record 6.11 and 6.12, respectively. Another side-by-side silhouette is Scott Mason and Brendan Murry with a 6.10 and 6.11. We are just mid way through the group when Sean Bellemeur and Adam Sorokin lay down Herculean runs of 5.86-253 and 5.93-234. The crying towels are about to come out and when it’s all said and done, the bump is an all time best of 6.119 (and this is excluding Richey’s 6.01 and McGee’s 6.11-both had to bow out). Usual players Mendy Fry and Howard Haight, among others, will have to dance another day. It’ has been an exhausting day and we still have round one of top fuel and the cacklefest remaining on the day’s agenda. At 5:30 pm the top fuel teams start to pull into the staging lanes. The excitement and energy in the pits builds to an almost uncontrollable crescendo. It was like waiting for Mt. St. Helens to erupt. Relief would only come with the "fire the first pair" command. Eliminations pick up where qualifying left off: tight, side-by-side racing and plenty of 5s and 250s. Murphy smokes the tires at the hit and is gone for the weekend; Denver Schutz nudges out Dunlap by .02; and then, the barrage of 5s begin. Sorokin at 5.96-244; Bellemeur over Hyla with 5.94-248 to Mark’s 5.96-226; Kaiser’s 5.93-253 blast; Brad Thompson’s titanic 5.82-251; Rick White at 5.97-242; and for a grand finale, Rick Rogers over Terry Cox 5.97-247 to

Jennifer calls it "the car that squats"; nonetheless, Rick Rogers runs a 5.97 and claims the last spot in the 250 MPH club

5.99-243. That was without a doubt the best eight rounds of racing ever in the nostalgia top fuel class. Now, with the place packed to the rafters, the cackle cars begin their stroll down track in front of the adoring fans. With Dave McClelland ID-ing each car, they turn around and start the old style push start that we all, fan and driver alike, relish today. Check it out:

What better way to start than with the Speed Sport roadster

We will never tire of it

No way we can have a NitroGeezer story without Wayne "the Peregine" King

Steve "the Mandrill" Carbone in the Creitz-Donovan restoration

Beebe-Mulligan and Tom Hanna

Crosier-Baltes-Lovato (1963 come to life)

At the conclusion of the Cacklefest, the fans are allowed to view the cars up close and personal. What a great deal!

If Saturday feels like a wedding, Sunday morning is more like the funeral. What was done at a gallop now continues at a trot. The nitro pits are half empty and where 24 steeds previously roamed, only eight remain corralled. Today will be a stroll in the park compared to Saturday’s rush hour traffic. With the first round of top fuel not scheduled until 11:00, what better time to check out the A/FD, junior fuel, and nostalgia eliminator pits, or take time and give the cackle cars on display a thorough once over.

NGs Bob Runne and Beebe-Mulligan

Albertson Olds; Hustler I; Sour Sisters; Chris Karamesines; Jerry Ruth; and Herm Petersen

Dode Martin’s and Jim Nelson’s recently recreated "Two Thing" AA/GD

With eliminations now imminent, we beat it back to the stands. No pressure on resources today as the stands are half full. Things get weird real quick. After Sonoma winner Rick White ends up on the losing end of Mark Hyla’s (Circuit Breaker) 5.92-234, Rick Rogers and Brad Thompson pair off. In a great race, Brad unleashes a 5.94-251 to Rick’s losing 5.99-251!! Then, chaos begins. Rick gets a full face of oil from the left bank. Blinded and thinking he’s steering it straight, he drifts toward Brad in the left lane. As he crosses over in front of the Agent Orange car, the pilot chute on Rick’s car actually brushes against Brad’s helmet. Hard on the brakes Brad reacts intuitively and switches in behind Rogers. Meanwhile, Rick collects the guard rail and rides it down a ways, the left slick absorbing most of the energy. It was unbelievably cool and professional driving by both guys, but way too much excitement for us geezers. As eliminations progress and down time opens up, the opportunity to see exhibition cars increases. And, how better to address this agenda than with the "Winged Express". As he’s done numerous times before, Mike Boyd starts dancing the wheels at 500’ and then again at 1000’ taking it through the lights on two wheels at 7.14-198.71. After being held breathless with such dare devil driving, every fan in the place explodes in a loud and appreciative uproar.

The wheels are on the ground, but not for long

Just when we think the excitement for the day is all over, the Nitro Thunder and Cox-Rodeck top fuel dragsters come to the line for a run. With Jack back in the seat for this pass, and we geezers watching from the last set of stands directly across from the finish line, the pitch and zing of that engine tells us that this is not just another test-n-tune. Terry has to click it, so there is nothing to distract us as this red rocket approaches us at a breath-taking pace. We knew it was a barn burner, but are not prepared for what the announcer would soon be telling us over the loudspeakers. Harris has just run an earth-rotating 5.72-265.09. For dessert, Scott Mason joins the 5-second club with a commendable 5.97-241 with his Sudden Impact dragster.

The lawman is back-the launch of his historic 5.72-265.09 run

It’s early afternoon and we are down to the semis: Brad Thompson vs. Rick ‘Williamson and Denver Schutz vs. Mark Hyla. Due to a dwindling inventory of parts for all the racers, the fives from the prior rounds prove difficult to come by. But, Brad Thompson coaxes a 5.98-234 out of Agent Orange to defeat Rick Williamson’s 6.38-171, and Denver Schutz out jousts Mark Hyla, 6.06-223 to 6.14-220. We are down to the final pair and it will be contested by two central California teams. It is over it a heart beat when Denver lights the red bulb and Brad clicks it early to save the parts. Though anti climatic, it is fitting that the top fuel car that was never out of the fives, wins the event. We should have known because earlier in the weekend, Henry Charest, Agent Orange’s crew chief, predicted a win.

Henry Charest calls it Agent Orange; but, maybe Clockwork Orange would be a better name; whether it’s sinister or not, it’s your winner! Brad Thompson won at his home track.

The race track is now empty and calm. Tractor and trailer have long since departed. The moment has come and gone. Like the school yard, Bob and I like the race track teeming with noise and energy. Whether it is little kids running around at recess or race cars roaring down the quarter mile drag strip, it just seems eerily sad when both places are vacant and quiet. Having spent a lot of time in both the school yard and the race track, we know that even without the bell, it is time to go home. That large orange obelisk in the sky is making its deliberate and unwavering path across the heavens beckoning us to follow. We have spent four delirious days in what will always be the only true home for a nitrogeezer.
 

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