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For 55 years, the greatest drag racers in the world have been descending upon Bakersfield, California and the Auto Club Famoso Raceway for the one and only March Meet, and this weekend, flocks of retro nitro-burners, drag racing legends, classic automobiles, and the fans who still long for yesteryear have returned for another edition of drag racing’s ‘Woodstock’. The March Meet is the vintage drag racing scene’s U.S.Nationals in Indy, “The Big Go Old-School” so to speak. Auto Club Raceway Famoso here in the orange groves 10 miles north of downtown Bakersfield has seen it’s share of huge events in the past, that’s for sure, and its still happening at this, the biggest nostalgia event of the year.
The event actually started on Thursday but was rained out on Friday, and we’re here on Saturday and Sunday to bring the action. The only problem is our “same day” coverage has had major technical issues. For one, there is no internet service at the track and your Dragzine staff does not have satellite upload capability for this event, so our coverage tonight will be quick and to the point. Check back tomorrow night (or Monday morning depending on where you are) for a complete wrapup of the event highlights, which we can do once we get back into “the big city” of Los Angeles.Â
Once again, a special thanks to our same day coverage presenting sponsor, Mickey Thompson Performance Tires & Wheels!
Jim Young put his Neil & Parks front-motored digger on top of the Top Fuel field's qualifying order with a 5.687 at 245mph.
In the second spot in Top Fuel is Denver Schultz, also in a Neil & Parks car, with a 5.736.
The Funny Car field was packed yet again, with 34 of the ground-pounders trying to qualify for a 16-car field. At the top of the heap by the end of Saturday's two rounds of qualifying was Jason Rupert's '69 Camaro with a thundering 5.702 at 254 mph.
NHRA Funny Car racer and past champion Ron Capps loves the vintage scene and wheeled the L.A. Hooker Plymouth Arrow to the second spot on the ladder with a 5.735 at 245. He's one of several NHRA national event heroes doing the vintage thing this weekend.
Here are the final qualifying ladders for Top Fuel and Funny Car, as well as A/Fuel and Junior Fuel.
The March Meet has a large swap meet with pretty much anything automotive related you can think of, from parts to 'glass bodies, tools, wheels, and intake manifolds. It was a bit muddy in spots but should be nice and dry by Sunday.
Just as big as the swap meet at the March Meet is the car show. Saturday's inclement weather kept the participation down, but there were still some great cars there and we expect a bunch more on Sunday. There's a little bit of everything, from vintage race cars to musclecars, customs, street rods, and trucks. Top Left: At the end of the tree-lined grove where the show is, which is also at the end of the spectator grandstands, is the usual spot of a group of hardcore original rat rods/trad rods.
