Auto Club Famoso Raceway has built one of the best nitro shows on the west coast with their Good Vibrations Saturday Night Nitro series. The Bowser family has nurtured this event to become a hub for competition, inviting every car within towing distance a free entry, provided they burn nitromethane – and it has paid off!
The first Saturday Night Nitro of this year found the Famoso pits a true “fiberglass forest” with eighteen nitro funny cars, a half dozen top fuel dragsters, a handful of wild fuel altereds and even nitro Harleys… almost too much show for a Saturday night!
In the final Saturday Night, Chicago-style money round, Mendy Fry, driving the “Darkside” Dodge Challenger ran a surprising 5.72 elapsed time at 252.05 miles per hour – winning the event from the sixth qualifying slot. The funny car utilizes a unique Arias Hemi-Chevy based engine, one of the best runs ever for the engine combo.
Vid of Mendy Fry’s final run – by Greg Reagan
Earlier in the evening, during the single round of qualifying, Robert Overholser’s 5.858 elapsed time at 251.58 miles per hour in the “California Hustler” Firebird set the pace for the Quick eight funny cars who would come back for the final payout round later that evening. Overholser would come back to run a 5.81 ET at 253 plus miles per hour for runner-up at Saturday Night Nitro.
Rick Rogers in Charlie O’Neill’s “Fighting Irish” Camaro carded a strong 5.872 ET at 240.42 mph.
Marcus Lawson’s Firebird landed third with his 5.908 ET at 236.46 mph.
Fourth was veteran funny car pilot Roger Garten in his “War Horse” Mustang at 5.929 ET at 237.55 mph. Sadly Garten would succumb to injuries in a mid-track crash as his funny car veered right, into number five qualifier Matt Bynum in the final elimination round. Garten who started racing in the 1960‘s died at the Kern County Medical center.
Matt Bynum driving Cecil Mathews’ “Nitro Nick” Vega ran a 5.942 ET at 243.63 mph to qualify fifth. Unfortunately, Bynam’s Vega was totaled in the incident with Roger Garten.
James Day in Gary Turner’s “Pedaler” Dodge Challenger ran a 6.048 elapsed time at 249.07 miles per hour for the seventh position.
Pete Peterson rounded out the eight car field with a 6.137 ET at 228.16 mph. Robinson is replacing veteran driver Dale VanGundy in the “Quarter Pounder” Monza.
In the top fuel ranks, Bill Dunlap in the “High Speed Motorsports’” dragster swept the two-round, winner-take-all Top Fuel Shootout by firing off a sizzling 5.70-second ¼-mile elapsed time at 246 mph to fend off hard-charging Rick White, who runner-upped with a second-best 5.79 at 257 mph.
Six front-engine Top Fuel dragster teams entered their Shootout, whose format was an all-run first round before the two quickest dragsters returned for a first-to-the-finish-line final. Late afternoon test runs knocked out two of the combatants before actual competition even began, as both Rick McGee’s “Overtime Special” and Rick Williamson’s “Team Craig” suffered chassis damage due to severe tire shake.
The fuel altered class was again dominated by Mike Sullivan’s short wheelbase Fiat, running consistent bracket like 6.15’s winning the final on a single.
Rodney Flournoy piloted George Doty’s “Godzilla” fuel altered to some of it’s best performances for the car.
Jeff Utterback was shaking down Big Ray Gandy’s “Black Sunshine” fuel altered. The resurgence of fuel altered competition at Auto Club Famoso Raceway has opened up a new world for nitro racers since the category was added to the legendary March Meet.
The Valencia Brothers fuel altered.
The West Coast Outlaw Pro Mods also made an appearance at the Good Vibrations Saturday Night Nitro with the Camaro of Rod and Meylinda Burbage taking the match.
Always a crowd favorite is the Renteria Brothers awesome Plymouth Valiant Pro Mod.
The Mallicoat Brothers twin-turbo Pro Mod
With the Western Swing of the NHRA Mello Yello Series coming, four west coast Big Show floppers were testing, too. Jim Campbell was licensing in Chuck Worsham’s Mopar-bodied funny car.
Tim Gibbons was licensing in Steve Plueger’s nitro funny car.
If you are around the west coast on September 19th, point your GPS toward Bakersfield for the next Good Vibrations Motorsports Saturday Night Nitro!
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