NHRA Motorsports Museum
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The 11th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance promises to provide its annual offering of vintage show cars and high-horsepower side-by-side nostalgia racing at Beech Bend Raceway Park, June 13-15. Some of the finest classic cars and custom hot rods from across the country along with thrilling nostalgia drag racing will highlight this unique family-friendly and tradition-rich event.
The Holley National Hot Rod Reunion kicks off Thursday, June 13, with AXALTA Show ’N Shine participants filling the historic facility with their immaculate showroom conditioned machines. Judges will have the painstaking task of awarding the winners an exclusive AXALTA award and a chance to display at the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis during Labor Day weekend. Admirers of these incredible machines will have acres of polished chrome and detailed paint schemes to ogle during their time at the event.
The nostalgia racing action takes to the track on Thursday as well with Hot Heads Eliminator qualifying and exhibition runs taking place during the day. The day concludes at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel and Sloan Convention Center parking lot for the Heacock Classic Insurance Cruise In and Kick-off party.
Friday features legends of drag racing with Grand Marshal Preston Davis all the 2013 honorees at the Dynamat Legends tent for meet and greets. Davis has long been considered one of the Southeast’s best fuel racers from the 1960s and ’70s. When Raymond Godman switched to Top Fuel racing he hired Davis to drive his Tennessee Bo Weevil. When Funny Cars took over match race bookings they built a Bo Weevil Funny Car as well. He won two Division Top Fuel Championships, a Division Funny Car Championship and is a member of the Division 2 Hall of Fame.
Also honored during the event will be Alan Bockla, the original king of the Rockies who won back-to-back West Central Division Top Fuel titles and was the first of the so-called mile-high drivers to run 170, 180, 190 and 200 mph. Lynwood Dupuy is one of those rare officials beloved by drag racers coast to coast and before computer technology evolved, Lynwood’s attention to detail found him keeping official records and figuring handicaps by hand. Melvin Heath built his fuel dragster in a shed on his Oklahoma watermelon farm and in 1956 he was first to win two NHRA Regional championships in a single season. Jon Lundberg, who at 16, stood on an oil drum and announced his first drag race using a megaphone. By 1962 he was announcing at three Michigan tracks. He expanded to national events in 1963 including the legendary March Meet in Bakersfield, Calif. Nicknamed the “Voice of Drag Racing” and “Thunderlungs,” he appeared at more than 120 different drag strips between 1964 and 1978. Tom Prock has been involved in drag racing since the early ’60s. He began with gassers and in the early ’70s switched to Funny Cars. He retired from the wheel in 1979 to became crew chief for Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen. After six years he left the road to work for Venolia Pistons.
The weekend concludes on Saturday with a full day of action including the Hot Heads Nostalgia Drag Racing final eliminations, awards, honoree presentation and the AXALTA and Street Rodder parade of champions. The Grand Finale will see the 2013 Reunion of Champions crowned, jet car exhibition runs and an NHRA exclusive Crower Cams Cacklefest featuring nitro-fueled vintage dragsters.
• SCHEDULE: The event begins at 8 a.m. each day with racing beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 13; Racing kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 14; pre-finals start at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday June 15.
• TICKETS: Single day tickets are only $25, $65 for a three-day credential, and children 15 and under are free accompanied by paid adult. For tickets, call NHRA at 800-884-6472. Tickets also are available online at www.NHRATix.com.
• ON THE WEB: For more information about the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, please visit www.nhramuseum.com.
Click on the links to all the Press Releases on the Reunion from Hotrodhotline
https://www.hotrodhotline.com/nhra-museum-news-tickets-sale-today-2013-holley-nhra-national-hot-rod-reunion-presented-aaa
https://www.hotrodhotline.com/nhra-2013-holley-national-hot-rod-reunion-grand-marshal-honorees
https://www.hotrodhotline.com/nhra-2013-holley-national-hot-rod-reunion-racing-classes
https://www.hotrodhotline.com/nhra-museum-news-legendary-tennessee-bo-weevil-driver-preston-davis-named-grand-marshal-national-hot
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, long a dream of NHRA founder Wally Parks, opened to the public April 4, 1998, after years of planning and months of hard work cataloging and arranging the exhibit. Housed in a 28,500-square-foot building on the edge of the historic Los Angeles County Fairplex, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum’s mission is to celebrate the impact of motorsports on our culture. We collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret the vehicles, stories, and artifacts that represent our affection for, and the influence of, automotive speed and style in all its forms. We are the place to view and learn about hot rods, customs, racecars and speed records, and the West Coast’s role as the historic center for their past and present development.
The Museum features an impressive array of vintage and historical racing vehicles –- nearly 50 at the Grand Opening — along with photographs, trophies, helmets and driving uniforms, artifacts, paintings, and other memorabilia chronicling more than 50 years of American motorsports. A gift shop offers a wide variety of souvenir items. The Museum is open during the annual Los Angeles County Fair. Please check the Fairplex website for hours of operation and admission prices (www.fairplex.com). Museum admission is just $1 with regular paid Fair admission ticket.
HOURS: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Extended hours during the NHRA Winternationals and NHRA Finals. Also, hours change during the annual Los Angeles County Fair.
HOLIDAYS WE ARE CLOSED: Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
ADMISSION PRICES: Current NHRA members are admitted free. Admission for non-members is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 60 and older, $6 for juniors 6 through 15, and free for children under the age of 5. AAA discount available.
HOW TO GET HERE: From the 10 fwy east, exit White Avenue, proceed North, turn left on McKinley Avenue, enter Fairplex Gate 1. From the 210 fwy, exit Fruit Avenue, proceed South, turn right on McKinley Avenue. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue in Pomona. Call us at (909) 622-2133.
Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum
1101 W. McKinley Ave.
Building 3A
Pomona CA, 91768
Museum Main Number: 909-622-2133
Museum Fax Number: 909-622-1206
Reunion Hotline: 909-622-8562
[email protected]
