Race Coverage: Nostalgia Drags at Beech Bend Raceway

The weekend of October 16-18th brought the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association’s Second Nostalgia Drags to Bowling Green KY. For those who have never been to a Goodguys event, they really put on a top-notch show. This multi-event weekend had a little bit of everything for everybody.

There was a swap meet that included a Car Corral with cars for sale, as well as a show and shine that had approximately 72 race cars. Live entertainment was provided, along with several show classes and awards. There were many different classes showcased, including: Ya Gotta Drive ’em; Homebuilt Heaven; Mighty Muscle (’55-72); Goodguys Builder’s Choice; Trick Truck Corral; and Suede & Chrome. Some of the many special awards given out included: 2010 Muscle Car of the Year Finalist; Goodguys Builder’s Choice Awards; Gazette Pick and Street Rodder Top 100 Event; and Best Ford in a Ford. A Manufacturer’s Midway was also up and running, so the spectators could go and check out the latest offerings from some of the biggest names in the performance industry.

The highlight, of course, was three days of Nostalgia Drag Racing, weather permitting – which, at times, it did not. They managed to get about a day and a half of racing in, but the racing that did take place was filled with excitement. The different racing classes included: a couple of 1/8 mile shootouts; Hot Rod Eliminator; Nostalgia Gas; Nostalgia Comp; B Gas; and Pro Comp I and II. The Big Boys were also in town, with both Nostalgia Funny Car and Top Fuel. The highlight of the meet was to be the third match race between Fuel Altereds “Pure Hell” and “Nanook.”

Friday Highlights

Friday should not have been called qualifying day, but the “Race That Never Happened” day, as the unpredictable Kentucky weather struck. There was beautiful weather in 2008 – not so much this year. The competitors and people milling about the pits were in good spirits, even though there there was some disappointment. The cold drizzle that started in the morning never let up enough for the track crew to get the track in race condition.

While there wasn’t any action on the track, the pits were alive, as several teams were working hard to prepare their cars to battle it out the next day. The low hum of the pits was periodically interrupted by the sound of a engine exploding to life. The two Fuel Altereds of Rich Guasco’s “Pure Hell” and Dave Hough’s “Nanook” really woke up the pits, with the starting up and shakedown of their motors. Their third and final match race of the year was being touted as “the race to watch this weekend.”

Friday ended with a visit to the manufacturer’s midway, and walking around to look at all the cars in the Goodguys show area. Everyone was really looking forward to watching some great racing on Saturday.

Saturday Highlights

Saturday started out about the same as Friday. However, the rain finally let up, and the Beech Bend crew got the track ready for racing. It was going to be an interesting day! The first pair of cars started down the track at around 12:30pm. With an overcast sky most of the afternoon and a constant breeze, traction proved to be elusive.

Some classes had time for multiple qualifying runs. The first class to run was the Goodguys 1/8 Mile Street Rod Shootout. Jiggs Lindhorst’s ’34 Pontiac ran a 6.919 @ 98.58mph to Larry Mayfield’s ’68 Olds 442’s 6.865 @ 98.33, to claim his sixth Goodguys Shootout (but his first in Bowling Green). The closet race of the class was between Lindhorst and the ’63 Impala of Ralph Dehne. Lindhorst clicked off a 7.324 to Dehne’s 7.351 in quarter final action.

Next up was the 1/8 Mile Hot Rod Shootout. Chris Cowles drove his ’70 Nova 6.953 @ 96.05, knocking off Darryl Scott’s 7.728 @ 91.84 to repeat as class champion in 2009. Throttle control and patience was the name of the game all Saturday afternoon. The sun even made an appearance for a period of time. As class qualifying started out in earnest, the fans were given quite a show.

With wheelstands, wheel hops, and unexpected lane changes, hats go off to the drivers for their great driving. The clutch dust was flying out from underneath the alcohol and nitro cars as they were trying to hook up on the track. There was only one Top Fueler dragster that took advantage of the late session, and that was Odie Coker in the car of Charlie Smith. The nitro cars were definitely having traction issues. On hand for the afternoon was a field of nine nostalgia funny cars. They hit the track around 3:30, which was just about the time the sun made its brief but welcomed appearance.

The race that everybody was waiting for was the nitro fuel burning Altereds. This was the third and final match race between “Pure Hell” and “Nanook.” They were tied at one win apiece, but alas, it was not to be. The shakedown run turned out to be a one man show, as Vince Generalao shut down in the box because Nanook developed a fuel leak. Jason Richey, on and off the throttle, took Pure Hell down the track, laying down a 10-second run.

Here are Saturday’s final qualifying results:

Nostalgia Top Fuel:

1. Odie Coker, Kieffer, OK 18.365 @ 38.26
2. Dave Miller, Cedar Hill, MO 7.716 @ 156.63
3. Howard Haight, Brownsburg, IN 7.776 @ 141.40
4. Kevin Brewer, Muscatine, IA 9.017 @ 79.60
5. Tom Steed, Billerica, MA 9.479 @ 94.95
6. Joe Krupinski, Salem, IN 10.613 @ 78.67

Nostalgia Funny Car:

1. Steve Nichols, Newark, DE ’70 Camaro, 6.109 @ 231.95
2. Peter Gallen, Broomall, PA ’74 Chevy Vega 6.374 @ 196.73
3. Greg Jacobsmeyer, Florissant, MO ’70 Dodge Challenger 6.382 @ 221.34
4. Anthony Bronge, Chicago, IL ’69 Camaro, 6.398 @ 220.08
5. Kevin Lennon, Merriville, IN ’78 Plymouth Arrow 6.463 @ 221.85
6. John Dunn, Monticello, IL ’73 Duster 6.504 @ 223.99
7. Paul Romine, Indianapolis, IN ’79 Ford Mustang 6.529 @ 197.74
8. Shawn Bowen, Grand Blance, MI ’77 Pontiac Trans Am 6.825 @ 153.53
9. Randy Baker, Waukee, IA ’70 Ford Maverick 8.927 @ 154.02

Pro Comp I

1. Frank Cervelli, Mt Holley, NC 7.130 @ 186.95
2. Richard Edwards, Terre Haute, IN ’48 Fiat 7.138 @ 189.07
3. Steve Walczak, Rochester, NY ’32 Bantam 7.247 @ 181.98
4. Larry Dixon Jr, Plainfield, IN ’27 Ford 7.374 @ 154.74
5. Shawn Evans, Lovington, IL 7.444 @ 183.77
6. Driver Not On File 8.648 @ 187.99
7. Don Slout, Williamsport, VA ’48 Fiat 14.630 @ 99.22

Pro Comp II

1. John Umlauf, Rolla, MO 7.518 @ 148.10
2. David Shaffer, Lincoln, IL ’33 Ford 7.703 @ 171.99
3. Derek McCuiston, Troy, OH 7.717 @ 170.86
4. Pat Malloy, Buchanon, VA 7.799 @ 169.38
5. Dennis Merkt, Ferguson, MO 7.835 @ 176.03
6. Jeffrey Sanborn, Shelbyville, TN 7.863 @ 170.84
7. Tim Schwent, Hillsboro, MO ’32 Bantam 7.907 @ 166.42
8. Wayne Sears, Middleton, OH ’32 Bantam 8.128 @ 183.94

B/GAS

1. Rob Davis, Lawrenceburg, IN ’67 Nova 8.539 @ 158.09
2. Randall Bolles, Slaughters, KY ’68 Corvette 8.540 @ 100.24
3. Darryl Wathen, Utica, KY ’41 Willys 9.061 @ 117.73
4. Paul Johnson, Sheppardsville, KY ’68 Camaro 9.378 @ 121.08
5. Elden Miller, Lawrenceberg, IN ’33 Willys 9.697 @ 98.85
6. David Donaldson, Washington, IN ’48 Thames 10.346 @ 91.48
7. Larry Grenke, Muscatine, IA, ’63 Plymouth 11.701 @ 78.01

Sunday Highlights

What a difference a night makes, as Bowling Green woke up to clear and sunny skies. The temperature climbed into the high 50’s and the ET’s reflected it!! With all the fuel issues taken care of, Nanook and Pure Hell lined up for their match race. What a race it was!!! If you’ve never watched Fuel Altereds run, then that needs to be on your “bucket list!!” It is always worth the wait, as these 2000 horsepower, short wheelbase cars run on the edge of total chaos. Pure Hell took the bragging rights, with a 6.647@ 161.11 to Nanook’s 7.692 @ 141.02. With Pure Hell packing the front wheels to almost half track, the fans got the show they were waiting for.

The racing was really rocking as the track conditions continued to improve. Howard Haight won the Top Fuel title for the seventh time at Goodguys, defeating Odie Coker, who red lighted in the finals. Haight’s “Nitro-Diction” rail was the only Top Fueler to run in the 6s in every elimination round. Peter Gallen’s “Poverty Stricken” ’74 Vega fought through a full field of nostalgia funny cars to win his first Goodguys title.

The ’48 Fiat of Richard Edwards took the Pro Comp I title. The two-time winner in 2008 racked up his first win in 2009, with a 7.088 on a 7.00 index. Steve Knopp won the 7.50 Pro Comp II bracket with a 7.536. The B/Gas class always puts on a good show and they did not disappoint this weekend!!! Running on an 8.50 index, winner Darrell Wathen showed why he ruled the competition Sunday. He ripped off an 8.503 in the semi-finals, then backed that up in the final round. Wathen defeated the show-stopping, wheelstanding ’63 Plymouth Belvedere of Larry Grenke, with an 8.505. It doesn’t get any better than that. Here are the final results from Sunday. Well worth putting up with the weather to watch some great racing!

Official Race Results:

Nostalgia Top Fuel

Winner: Howard Haight, Brownsburg, IN 6.426 @ 234.70
Runner Up: Odie Coker, Kiefer, OK 7.037 @ 204.76 (foul)

Nostalgia Funny Car:

Winner: Peter Gallen, Broomall, PA ’74 Vega 6.107 @ 241.37
Runner Up: Steve Nichols, Newark, DE ’70 Camaro 7.766 @ 205.54

Pro Comp I:

Winner: Richard Edwards, Terre Haute, IN ’48 Fiat 7.088 @ 191.10
Runner Up: Steve Walczak, Rochester, NY ’32 Bantam 7.041 @ 190.40 (foul)

Pro Comp II

Winner: Steve Knopp, Shelbyville, IN 7.536 @ 184.32
Runner Up: Gayle Jenkins, Mt Sterling, IL 12.000 @ 81.97

B/GAS

Winner: Darrell Wathen, Utica, KY, ’41 Willys 8.505 @ 145.22
Runner Up: Larry Grenke, Muscatine, IA ’63 Plymouth 10.000 @ 103.72

Nostalgia Comp
Winner: Tommy Cook, Columbia, KY ’34 Roadster 8.563 @ 147.13
Runner Up: David Seacrest, Austin, AR 8.107 @ 166.52