BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Aug. 20, 2008) : California Hot Rod Reunion Honorees will now have a special area to meet and greet fans, thanks to a new sponsorship deal with Dynamat and the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Dynamat, a manufacturer of noise and heat reduction materials for automobiles, will serve as the official sponsor of the "Dynamic Legends" VIPs and Honorees Site at the 3-day event, Oct. 10-12, Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, Calif.

The Dynamic Legends VIP and Honoree site will be a gathering place for past and present Reunion Grand Marshals, Honorees, special displays and, of course, a place for fans to meet face-to-face with the Honorees. This year's Dynamic Legends headliners include Grand Marshal Junior Thompson, along with Honorees Steve Davis, John Edmunds, Georgia Seipel, Walt Rhodes and Butch Maas. The Dynamic Legends area will be located in the Grove at Famoso Auto Club Raceway below the Auto Club sign and alongside the Justice Brothers Car Care Products Reunion Spotlight area, which this year shines on Gas Ronda.

The Parks Museum is also working with Dynamat and other sponsors to bring the Dynamat Vintage Dragsters display to the Reunion. The display includes Al Bergler's Gratiot Auto Supply Competition Coupe, Larry Payne's Gang Green Top Fueler and Ed Golden's Probe III Top Fueler.

Dynamat will also sponsor a similar area at the 2009 Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, Ky., June 19-21.

"We're excited to team up with Dynamat as the headline sponsor of the Dynamic Legends at this year for the California Hot Rod Reunion, and we look forward to a continued relationship with them at future Reunion events," said Greg Sharp, curator of the nonprofit Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, which produces the Reunion.

"The California Hot Rod Reunion is a terrific venue to interact with our most valued customers," stated Scott Whittaker, president of Dynamat. "Our participation as a sponsor allows us to provide education of our products and learn from our customers."

The 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, Oct. 10-12 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. It's also the season finale of the inaugural NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage nostalgia drag racing series.

Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, and located in Pomona, Calif., the Reunion is part of the museum's 'living historyâ' philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a “goodie” bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential. Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available by calling 800/884-NHRA (6472) or by completing a form found in the Reunion section of the Museum's Website (http://museum.nhra.com). Auto Club members receive a $5 discount off Adult credential prices.

Daily general admission tickets/pit passes will be available at Auto Club Famoso Raceway gate, (www.famosoraceway.com). Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Auto Club discount is also available at the gate: $2 off Friday and Saturday and, $1 off Sunday.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:

- NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Fuel Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others. It's the grand finale of the NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage Series.

- Hundreds of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, street rods, custom cars, rat rods, classics and muscle cars. "Memory Lane" will have a display of nostalgic race cars. The Justice Bros. Spotlight Award will fall on drag racer Gas Ronda.

- California Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield, Fri., Oct. 10, from 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's Grand Marshal, gasser great Junior Thompson, and the other Honorees. The reception offers a chance for fans to meet some of drag racingâ's heroes.

- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push started just like in the "old days."

- The Swap meet and Reunion Midway filled with hot rod and automotive related vendors. Something for everyone!

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to California Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768. Requests can be emailed to the museum@nhra.com.

Proceeds of the California Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.

06/31/08 Memphis, TN - It was confirmed today that Preston Davis will be bringing Raymond Godman's Tennessee Bo Weevil AA/FD and AA/FC to the 2008 CHRR. Along with Godman's beauties, the trailer will include the recent NHRR "Belle of the Ball" Stephens & Venables AA/FD restoration owned by Rip and Natalie Wiley from Eads, Tennessee. This will be the first appearance of the cars on the West Coast and having seen them at Bowling Green, they will be stand outs at Bakersfield. For all of us who know these folks you can rest assured that a great time will be had by all.

It is also rumored that Al Burgler will bring his stable of restorations from Michigan for the event. They enclude his More Aggrigation AA/MFC, the Probe AA/FD, the Gang Green AA/FD and maybe a surprise.

The 2008 California Hot Rod Reunion is shaping up to be yet another record breaker where we may see as many as 64 fuel cars push start for Cacklefest from the fabled top end of The Patch. Can you say - WOW! More coming soon.

CHRR Registration Form (pdf file)

Everyone:
It is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you that Auto Aficionado magazine is no longer.. The owner has decided to go back to being a doctor. The attached is a piece I did that was going to be in the October (CHRR) issue. The issue will not be printed, so I send it to you for your entertainment.

PDF File: Gutsy Geezers - aka the California Hot Rod Reunion.

Don Prieto

Auto Club Famoso Raceway Hosts Oct. 10-12 Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Hot Rod Reunion, Oct. 10-12, Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, Calif.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - (July 18, 2008) - Another stellar group of Honorees have been chosen for the 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The 3-day festival of speed and rods takes place at Auto Club Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield, Oct. 10-12.

The Honorees are Grand Marshal Junior Thompson, Steve Davis, John Edmunds, Georgia Seipel, Walt Rhoades and Butch Maas. The Justice Brothers' Reunion Spotlight will shine on Gas Ronda.

"This year's Honorees are a highly eclectic group of deserving individuals who have dedicated their lives to hot rodding and drag racing," said Greg Sharp, curator of the nonprofit Wally Parks NHRA motorsports Museum, which produces the Reunion. "I'm glad we can honor folks like this who have meant so much to the sport."

Junior Thompson (Grand Marshal): The gasser great is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of his Little Eliminator victory (the first ever contested) at the third NHRA Nationals held in Oklahoma City. From a '40 Ford convertible in the early '50s to a Corvette alcohol funny car, Thompson enjoyed a 30-year drag racing career as a driver and is still actively involved as an engine builder for nostalgia vehicles.

Steve Davis: An incredible craftsman who restored the legendary Greer, Black and Prudhomme fuel dragster, as well as Art Chrisman's famed #25 dragster. He honed his craft while working with the legendary Tom Hannah and Li'l John Buttera. He drove Junior Fueler dragsters, owned a CRA Championship winning sprint car and is the lucky driver that gets to be in the seat of the Greer, Black and Prudhomme car during Cacklefests.

John Edmunds: Hails from Fresno, Calif. and raced throughout the 1960s as "The Black Knight." During one period, he drove his 240 mph Bonneville Studebaker, Tony Waters' Top Fuel dragster and a Blown Fuel Hydro drag boat all at the same time.

Georgia Seipel: Has been the drag strip manager at Infineon Raceway in northern California for many years. Her life revolves around drag racing, and the entire Seipel family has been heavily involved in Super Gas racing since the category began.

Walt Rhoades: A journeyman southern California dragster driver of the'60s and '70s who drove such legendary entries as the Gas House Gang, John Peters' "Freight Train" (in which he won Top Gas at the '71 Gatornationals and set low e.t. on gas at '71 Indy), as well as the Buehl, Cirino and Rhoades AA/FD, one of the quickest of the mid-'70s.

Butch Maas: Another journeyman driver whose career spanned 25 different race cars from the Scotty's Muffler roadster through the Don Garlits streamliner. He won the '71 Winternationals Funny Car final driving Roland Leong's "Hawaiian."

Gas Ronda (Reunion Spotlight winner): One of the most famous door car drag racers of all time. But for a brief time early in his career in the Bay Area, he raced Fords exclusively. From 390 Galaxies, through AFX Thunderbolts, and on to blown Fuel Funny Cars, his performance along with his demeanor and dapper appearance made him extremely popular with the fans.

The 17th annual California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, Oct. 10-12 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. It's also the season finale of the inaugural NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage nostalgia drag racing series.

Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, and located in Pomona, Calif., the Reunion is part of the museum's "living history" philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture.
Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.

Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a "goodie" bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential. Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available by calling 800/884-NHRA (6472) or by completing a form found in the Reunion section of the Museum's Website (http://museum.nhra.com). Auto Club members receive a $5 discount off Adult credential prices.
Daily general admission tickets/pit passes will be available at Auto Club Famoso Raceway gate, (www.famosoraceway.com). Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Auto Club discount is also available at the gate: $2 off Friday and Saturday and, $1 off Sunday.

The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:

- NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Fuel Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others. It's the grand finale of the NHRA's Hot Rod Heritage Series.
- Hundreds of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, street rods, custom cars, rat rods, classics and muscle cars. "Memory Lane" will have a display of nostalgic race cars. The Justice Bros. Spotlight Award will fall on drag racer Gas Ronda.
- California Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield, Fri., Oct. 10, from 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's Grand Marshal, gasser great Junior Thompson, and the other Honorees. The reception offers a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing's heroes.
- Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push started just like in the "old days."
- The Swap meet and Reunion Midway filled with hot rod and automotive related vendors. Something for everyone!

Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to California Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768. Requests can be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.

Proceeds of the California Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.

The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com.