The remarkable turnout for the inaugural NHRR in 2003 proved there was a latent, pent up demand for just such an event. What no one anticipated was the magical aura it achieved that assures its place in history as one of the great all-time events ever staged in the East. Growth was anticipated for NHRR-2, given the reputation achieved by last year’s meet. Managing that growth without losing the relaxed and spontaneous feel of its predecessor was the challenge facing the NHRA Museum staff who organize the event. They proved themselves up to the task. Even those who came with expectations of a drag racing "Field of Dreams" experience weren’t disappointed.

 Beautiful Beech Bend Raceway prepares for NHRR-2004.

An early visit to the Beech Bend Raceway site on Thursday afternoon revealed the pits filling fast with racecars and alive with pre-race preparations. The earlybirds already outnumbered the previous year’s entire field, and a steady inbound flow of participant traffic continued through the evening.. Eventually, unregistered, last-minute arrivals had to be denied entry at the gates, as more than 400 racecars crammed the pits to capacity.

In every other aspect the event expanded as well. Over 1000 street rods and showcars blanketed the shade-treed hillside adjacent to the track for the weekend show-’n-shine spectacle. Restored and re-created historic racecars, many previously unseen at NHRR, packed "Memory Lane," together with many of the well-known personalities associated with them. A fleet of nitro cacklecars lined the midway between the south grandstands and staging lanes, firing frequently through the day and attracting a continuous stream of visitors. The signature "Cacklefest" nighttime finale on Saturday would involve two dozen entries this year....a record high. Most of the fans that attended the inaugural NHRR returned to NHRR-2 as well, together with a bevy of first timers responding to the accolades for last year’s event and eager to check it out for themselves.

The opening day on Friday was oppressively hot and humid in Bowling Green. This didn’t deter a good turnout. Shady areas at Beech Bend Raceway are plentiful and it’s canopied grandstands were a godsend for those intent on enjoying the racetrack action all day. Despite the conditions, many fine performances were turned in, including an impressive check-out run by Sean Bellemeur in the Plaza Casino Top Fuel entry out of California. This was a new car and Bellemeur’s first time in the seat. Sean drove it out about 1000 feet before lifting. A clocking in the six-teen’s on this abbreviated pass confirmed everything was just fine, and elevated expectations for the team in competition. It proved an accurate forecast of things to come. A couple of other fuel cars made trial runs, but the official qualifying sessions weren’t until Saturday. Friday the track belonged to the non-fuel classes.

During Friday night’s festivities at the host Holiday Inn Hotel in Bowling Green, the event honorees were duly introduced and awarded, and the City Fathers expressed an enthusiastic welcome and support for the presence of NHRR in their community. Outside the hotel lobby the "Frantic Four" and "Swamp Fox" nitro dragsters were positioned for the ceremonial parking lot fire-ups that are a kick-off tradition at the NHRA reunions. Bowling Green Mayor Sandy Jones demonstrated the sincerity of her earlier official welcome by taking the seat in the "Frantic Four" for it’s night-splitting warm-up. She handled it just fine, with the wide smile of an instant nitro-convert.

The Chamber of Commerce apparently had a heart-to-heart talk with the Weather Bureau, as much more comfortable weather arrived on Saturday and stuck around for the remainder of the weekend. The ever-present threat of thunderstorms never was a factor, as the raindrops obligingly confined themselves to the overnight hours.

Saturday is an intense day during NHRR. The workweek behind, attendance peaks and the event really gets into full swing. Qualifying sessions in all eliminator categories proceed all day, and conclude with dramatic final qualifying sessions at dusk for the Open Fuel and Top Fuel machines. Under cover of full darkness, the thrilling sensual assault of "Cacklefest" is staged to cap the day with an unforgettable orgy of nitro fire and thunder beneath the stars. The event is really a multi-ring circus, however, with many attractions competing for attention and the throng of visitors divides their attention among them throughout the day.

United once again, the team of Weekly-Rivero-Fox & Holding (r - l) together with the famous "Frantic Four" A/FD reproduction

The term "Memory Lane" was coined at the California Hot Rod Reunion to identify the area at the Fomosa track reserved for the historic retired racecars on display during the event. The same term is used at NHRR, however "Memory Circle" might be more apt as its location at Beech Bend Raceway is behind the starting line in a paved oval area normally used for roundy-round racing! Further adding to the translational confusion is that most of the Cacklefest cars at NHRR are segregated and displayed along an independent midway parallel to the track. Perhaps "Cackle Row" or some such term might someday be adopted to this arrangement at NHRR. In any event, we’ll use this terminology just for clarity in this report.

A number of cars appearing for the first time at NHRR were on display in the "Cackle Row" area this year, including the flawless re-creation of the Tom "Mongoose" McEwen Coors Corvette AA/FC constructed by Pat Foster for Don Trasin. Dennis Fenstermaker also had his fine reconstruction of the Roger Gates Chevy Fueler on display here. (Fenstermaker is the recipient of NitroGeezer’s "Spirit of the Reunion" award this year, as covered in a separate article). The original "Stephens & Venable" AA/FD out of Texas, presently under restoration by Rip and Natalie Wiley, was another first-time display. The "Black Magic" AA/FC, originally run by Al Segrini, then D. A. Santucci and presently owned and run by Lou Sgro was pitted in "Cackle Row," as was the Bob Sullivan "Pandemonium V" Barracuda S/FX machine, making exhibition passes at this event with Cory Lee at the wheel. Mike Kuhl and the vintage "Kuhl and Olsen" California TF dragster were also set up here, as was Jim Green’s fine reproduction of Jim Crooke’s "Assassin" SOHC Ford-powered AA-fueler. The historic, west-coast Safford-Gaide-Ratican "Sour Sisters" dragster also was on display. Returning cars included the "Jade Grenade," the "Swamp Fox," the Barnes & Gladstone "Michigander," the "Rattler" of Larry Dixon, "Speedsport" and "The Probe," among others.

Over in "Memory Circle," it was the same story with many returning classics and numerous first-time appearances. At the bullseye of the oval sat the great restoration of Hugh Tucker’s "Ventura Motors" AA/Street Roaster, the many-time Nationals and Winternationals champion in that class back in the early ‘60s. Also Don Ross unveiled his recently completed and fabulously crafted reproduction of Bobby Langley’s "Scorpion 1" dragster of 1959. The car is simply breathtaking, and NitroGeezers have watched it’s progress from beginning to end here on this website. (CLICK for Scorpion article) The Weekly-Rivero, Fox & Holding "Frantic Four" California fueler was making it’s first NHRR appearance, accompanied by all four of this famed racing team. Goob Tuller and the legendary twin-engined "Freight Train" AA/Dragster was pitted here, along with the "Daddy Warbucks" ‘65 Mercury Comet S/FX car and Ken Kull’s resoration of the Hills Bros. "Red Baron" Gasser. Last year Ray Godman appeared with the restored "Tennessee Bo-Weevil" AA/Modified Roadster, but this year he had the freshly restored Funny Car edition of "Bo-Weevil" along for display and participation in Cacklefest. Also substituting cars this year, Don Garlits brought "Swamp Rat VI" to the event, the car that first cracked 200 mph for the official NHRA record. The list goes on and on....Rocky Pirrone and his beautifully recreated "Boss Hydro" AA/GS Willys as originally campaigned by his father, "Fast Eddie" Shartman’s Comet A/FX car, the "Whipple & Mr. Ed" (McCulloch) Funny Car, etc, etc. It amounts to an open air museum of cars that would otherwise never be assembled in one place. Many of these cars are included in the album section accompanying our report.

Out on the racetrack, a busy day of qualifying sorted out the entries for eliminations in the various eliminator categories. At the close of the sessions on Saturday night, Sean Bellemeur had established the Plaza Casino fueler at the head of the list in the Top Fuel category with a 6.17/223.28 best. He was followed by fellow-Californian Brendan Murry with a 6.23/227.34. Defending champ Roger Lechtenberg nailed down the third spot with a 6.37/164.31. James Day, Dan Rusk and Kevin Lennon rounded out the field of six entries.