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The Sixth Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion By: Tracy Porter
Friday June 13th 2008 brought more thrills than chills to the sixth annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion as it made it’s return to beautiful Bowling Green, Kentucky. After resolving many of the issues with traffic flow that necessitated the reunions move to Columbus, Ohio last year, Bowling Green residents welcomed the NHRA and it’s many fans with Welcome Home signs and open arms. The host hotel, the Holiday Inn University Plaza, proudly displayed the Gang Green fuel dragster in it’s lobby on Friday and the staff greeted guests and fans in the official event shirt all weekend long.
At Beech Bend Raceway Park, the ZZ Top Eliminator coupe was on display, direct from it’s permanent home at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Several cars were able to fit in some qualifying passes between the rain showers and track staff did their best to maintain a safe racing surface with plenty of traction. During the periods of rain delays fans and racers were able to shop the large vendor and swap meet areas and pit areas. Many drivers were also on hand; including Larry Reyes, driver of Roland Leong’s Hawaiian funny car, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, Tom “TC” Lemons, Chris Karamesines, Kenny Safford, Chuck Finders, “Ohio” George Montgomery, and the event honorees, willing to talk racing and sign autographs. First lady of drag racing, Barbara Hamilton was on hand and was a hit, especially with many of the young girls. Friday evening drew a large crowd at the host hotel for the NHRR Reunion Reception and auction. Legendary announcer, Dave McClelland served as the emcee and auctioneer for this memorable evening. Bowling Green mayor Elaine Walker welcomed the reunion back and thanked the fans and reunion organizers for bringing this event back to her city. This year’s reunion honorees included Grand Marshall and lifetime achievement recipient Dick LaHaie, who opted not to bring one of his own show ‘n’ shine cars this year, saying that he would prefer to enjoy his weekend without having to worry about baby-sitting his car. Lifetime achievement awards were also presented to Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick, “Gabby” Bleeker, Charles “Boogie” Scott, Bob Stange, and Jim Walther. This group of talented and innovative drag racing legends accepted their awards humbly and graciously, and said words of thanks as they recounted the good old days of drag racing. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits proudly presented the Justice Brothers Spotlight Award to the Ramchargers, who brought a recently completed recreation of their first truly competitive car, the 1949 Plymouth High and Mighty. An emotional Eileen Daniels accepted a specially inscribed bottle of wine from Joe Mondello, of Mondello Racing Heads fame, in honor of her late husband Bob. Another special moment came when McClelland presented Dale Funk with a Wally for his win in the 1975 Gatornationals Top Fuel class. This was made possible by his friend Pat Dakin, after the original Wally was given away by his partner’s widow years before.
After the awards, Dave McClelland auctioned off the donated items that included a bottle of Mondello wine, signed copies of “The Rodder’s Journal” issue 39, featuring the Mondello and Matsubara AA Fuel Altered Fiat, a signed portion of a race used John Force mustang funny car body, and the banner that adorned the podium during the reception signed by all of the honorees. At the close of the reception, the Gang Green fueler was fired under one of the hotel canopies for a mini cacklefest. Saturday brought cooperative weather and eager fans packed the covered grand stands and pit areas. There was a lot of action on the track including a burn out by the High and Mighty, an exhibition run by Arnie Beswick in his Tameless Tiger Pontiac Tempest, a match up between the fuel altered Nanook and Rat Trap, and a fantastic gathering of too many gassers and rails to mention. There were even a few passes that surprised Dave McClelland, prompting him to say in all his years in drag racing he thought that he had seen it all, but that he had never seen a wheel standing custom JCB Backhoe/Front Loader before. Tom “TC” Lemons, who was missed at last years reunion due to health issues, was looking great and found near Garlit’s trailers. “TC” said that he didn’t remember what good felt like, but that he was feeling the best he had in a long time and was enjoying his time at the reunion.
Throughout the day, the familiar train whistle was sounded in the pits each time John Peter’s twin engine Freight Train dragster was started for the crowd. After a long day of racing, reminiscing, walking through the pits and many aisles of the soff seal show ‘n’ shine cars, and shopping for that special remembrance of this years reunion fans gathered trackside for the presentation of the top 50 show ‘n’ shine cars, the twilight memorial, and one of the highlights of the event the cacklefest. During the memorial, which took place around sunset, a few words were said to remember the many people who impacted our sport and were lost since the last reunion. Immediately following the memorial, the fan favorite began as the nitro fed cars lined both sides of the track and triumphantly cackled. Header flames flickered in the darkness while the ground vibrated until the last car ran out of nitromethane and went silent. The fans poured onto the track for an up close and personal look at the nostalgic cars and a chance to talk to the legends of the sport. On Father’s Day Sunday the first 1000 spectators were treated to a matchbox car before they took in the final eliminations, Winner’s Circle awards, and the event closing. This years reunion was full of memories and fun, and I, like many other fans, am counting the days until next years addition.
CLICK HERE for Photo Album with Hundreds of Great Shots !!!
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