Gone Racin� to the 14^th Annual CHRR

The California Hot Rod Reunion (CHRR), sponsored by the Auto Club of Southern California, was originally conceived as a one time event that would bring together all the original hot rod and drag racing enthusiasts for one last party. But an idea that has merit can not be stopped, and the demand for more reunions became a thundering appeal. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum located on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Fairplex in Pomona, California, and the Auto Club of Southern California, now work diligently to make this a continuing annual event. The CHRR seems to have a mind and will of its own. The event is scheduled for three days on the first Saturday of October. This year the CHRR opened on Friday, September 30, with class inspections, qualifying and exhibition runs, a regular workday for the nostalgic racecars, crews and staff. The festivities begin in the evening as a long line of hot rods leave the track and head into Bakersfield, for the reception at the Double Tree Hotel. Hot Rodders simply overwhelm the hotel parking lot, with some of the best street rods and hot rods around. Inside the banquet hall, fans, drivers, owners, sponsors, manufacturers, rodders and just about anyone and everyone in the sport of drag racing and hot rodding gather. They are there to honor the men and women who have been chosen as the 2005 CHRR Honorees. This year they are: Dale Armstrong (Grand Marshal), Leon FitzGerald, Dick Landy, Shirley Shahan, Bill Simpson, Dave Uyehara, and Dave Wallace Sr. The banquet room holds about 400 guests, with Dave McClelland holding court as the emcee. The hallways are jammed with just as many people who are meeting friends and rivals from long ago. In the parking lot there are another 500 hot rodders who forgo the speeches inside, in order to concentrate on the fabulous array of cars on display.

On Saturday, the crowds return to the Auto Club Famoso Raceway bright and early to watch the beginning of the qualifying runs, and to go through the pits and see a dizzying display of activities. The Swap Meet is on the East Side of the track and appears to be growing larger every year. Bob and Eileen Daniels� offered us a ride on their cart and took us through the pits. They came all the way from Leesburg, Florida, in their black �39 Ford Deluxe 2 door Sedan, caravaning across the country with their good friends, Linda and Larry Long. On �a cruise of a lifetime,� they went north to the NHRA Nationals, over to the Navy Pier in Chicago, and followed old Route 66, the Mother Road, all the way to the beach in Santa Monica. They stayed in the Wigwam motels, and other offbeat places that give Route 66 so much charm. The Daniels� are long time NHRA track operators and officials. Jack McClenathan represented the Bean Bandits of San Diego, and stopped by to say hello. George Phillips, race director at Pomona Raceway was on hand to help the reunion. Sam Jackson, director of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, and Greg Sharp, museum curator, are responsible for organizing the reunion. Bob Daniels pointed out the rat rods parked among the hot rods. Rat rods are hot rods who sport no adornment at all. They are a throwback to the days when a hot rod was all muscle and stripped down of any excess weight, in order to go fast. Rat rodders prefer primer or bare metal, and chrome is anathema to them. Daniels said that the CHRR has increased the rat rods by at least three times over the last year.

I left the Daniels� when we came to the Nostalgia car section. The Drag CARtoons tent beckoned and Orah Mae and Robin Millar showed us what they have been doing. Before Pete Millar passed on, he accumulated his work and put it on 7 computer disks, some 2200 pages of drag racing cartoons that Pete or other cartoonists drew over the years. The Millar�s donated a 12 page CARtoon Newspaper, free of charge, to every person who attended the reunion. Next door was the 1320 Club tent where committed drag racing fans hang out. Paula Murphy, 2004 Grand Marshal, and her best friend, Suzy Beebe/Kelly were there to greet us. Paula had a storied career in motor racing, driving anything with wheels, and pioneering the way for women to follow her into drag, land speed, Indy and other motor car racing. Suzy wrote a racing column for National Dragster and is the widow of legendary drag racer Tim Beebe. Bill Holland and Dan Kaplan, among others, came by to say hello. Ed Justice Sr and Jr were working their tent, promoting the benefits of JB Products. They are a major sponsor of the reunion and many other racing events around the country. Thomas McKernan was there to represent the Auto Club of Southern California, the CHRR Reunion�s main sponsor. McKernan has repositioned the ACSC and brought them back into auto racing in a big way, since the 1950�s. All of Motorsports has benefited from ACSC�s efforts to get kids to do their racing on the sanctioned racecourses and not on the streets. Louie Senter, Bob Leggio and Jim Miller were on hand to represent the land speed racers. Tim Huddleston was working the Justice Brothers tent. He is the new Irwindale Late Model Stock Car West Coast Champion, his first in 17 years. But he won with a flourish, as his 2-car team won 13 of the 16 events contested this season. He brought his children, Hailey, Tanner and Trevor with him to enjoy the reunion, and to see the races. Tim said that he doesn�t want to go back east to race in the NASCAR series. Racing on the West Coast allows him to bring his family along, and to invite his customers to see him race. He is the JB Products sole distributor for California. Tim is also the son-in-law of Roarin� Oren Prosser, who has won over a thousand races in the last 50 years and is still active in racing. Tim said that it is sad to see western racetracks, like nearby Mesa Marin, close down. �All the racers are going to Irwindale now.� 

A special place at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, is Memory Lane, where trees have been planted in memory of so many great people in drag racing. Each one bears a plaque with the honoree mentioned. Between the trees were nostalgic drag cars from the past, such as: Bill Pitt�s Magicar, built by Kent Fuller; Larry Anderson�s Vagabond; the Shubert-Herbert TFD; Jim Frye�s Olde Timer; Big John Mazmanian�s Fuel Altered coupe; the Weekly, Rivero, Fox & Holding Frantic 4 TFD; Martinez and Miller AA/FD Poison Ivy; Dennis the Menace A/GS; Mondello & Matsubara AA/FA; Marcellus & Borsch Winged Express AA/FA; Rich Guasco Pure Hell AA/FA; Justice Brothers Special; The Samurai; the �57 Bob Estes Special Indy 500 car, owned by Tony Martinez, and many more. Gorgeous hot rods, race cars and specialty cars lined Memory Lane and spilled out into the pits, and then into the parking lot. You can rent a golf cart for the day, and it will save you a lot of walking, for the exhibits went nearly to the end of the track, about a half-mile. Walking back and forth to see everything will give you a serious workout. You should rent a cart early before they are all gone. Bring comfortable shoes and shade protection. Leaving Memory Lane I came to the tents and the vendors area. Nearly all of them told me this was the best reunion yet, both in numbers, cars, spectators, and they were buying. James Ibusuki was displaying his acclaimed hot rod paintings. David Dovidio, owner of Double D Enterprises, came from Arizona and was pleased with the event. He said that with the history of the area, it is a must for vendors and spectators alike. Bob and Debra Walker came all the way from North Carolina to display their early Hemi parts. Called Hot Heads of North Carolina, Debra said that most of their business comes from the west and they need to be here. Bob said that he came for a vacation and the CHRR is a working vacation. They also attend the Eastern Hot Rod Reunion at Bowling Green, which is much bigger than the West Coast reunion in size, although the heritage of the western reunion is very special. Hot Rod Memories is owned by Ron Martinez, and he said that he has over 500 movies on video for sale. If you want to relive the �50�s and see those fabulous B movies of hot cars, fast guys, bad girls, sand, sun and fun, then you have to stop by Ron�s tent.

Jim Deist walked by with his famous cigar, which he never lights up. His well-known safety apparel goes back to the early dry lakes. A favorite among racers for his help and assistance, Jim can be found anywhere a race is being held, even on a remote desert dry lake. Jim, David May, Mousie Marcellus, David Parks, and others were discussing the news and rumors going around the area. Mesa Marin Speedway may or may not get a two-year reprieve before closing. Irwindale Speedway may be sold to a group led by NASCAR racer, Kevin Harvick. Action Die Cast was being sold. Fontana Dragway may have a new look. Will Ventura get another extension or not? Meanwhile the drag cars were roaring down the track as the stands were full of spectators, the sun set, and nighttime racing took full force. Later that evening the Cacklefest of nostalgic cars lined the track and started their engines to the roar of the fans and the power of the Hemi engines. Sunday, racers and fans opened the day with a prayer service, then watched a full day of racing, the way it was when we were young, and the way it will always be. In the Finals, Brad Thompson beat Denver Schutz for the Nostalgia Top Fuel crown. In other categories; Mike Austin defeated Kin Bates in A Fuel, Sean Renteria edged Ed Moss in AA Gas, Rich Raymond took the Nostalgia Eliminator title over Bobby Runyon,  Mark Mahood won in A Gas over Steve Castelli, Jon Haire outran J.D. Zink in Junior A Fuel, and Bud Hammer got by Don Enriquez in Junior B Fuel.

Gone Racin� is at www.oilstick.com

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