(Being that we are one week and one day away from the beginning of the 2014 Bakersfield March Meet at Famoso Raceway, we’re going to start getting you pumped up by running some of last year’s most popular March Meet items again for your viewing pleasure. I hope to have a fresh new list after the 2014 March Meet!) – Chad and I are two of the few people who can honestly claim to have seen every single car at the March Meet make a pass at some point during the weekend. Chad filmed nearly all of them, I shot photos of the vast majority, and we were on the scaffold for days on end next to the track. I want to say that while these 20 photos represent a collection of awesome cars, they aren’t my only favorites from the event. Hell, this would have been about 200 photos if I wanted to go down that road. You’ll notice that no nostalgia funny cars are included here. That’s its own subset in my eyes because I adore those machines so much. They’ll get a dedicated list next week. I promise!
Scroll down to see a collection of photos representing 20 of my favorite cars at the 2013 March Meet in no particular order and with captions!
This little altered used to belong to the late Kay Sissell and it is packing one of the legendary straight six engines that made Kay so famous. This was a low-mid 9 second performer with a (I believe) 292 straight six mill, naturally aspirated. This car was a beauty and it yelped like a scalded dog on the way down the track!
This Vicky with its eight individual pipes sounded amazing and looked like something a car club of the 1950s or 1960s would have competed in. Very historic and period correct looking hot rod. I was loving it.
You’ll see several GTOs in this collection of photos. I love them and they look meaner than hell when lowered down and set up as full tilt race cars. They also look a mile long and three quarters wide.
This Nova with its vicious blow big block hammered the starting line on every pass. I forget what it runs now, but I loved the look of that blower and big injector hanging out in the breeze.
Like I said, the Pontiacs will be well represented here. This Goat painted in what looked to be “Carousel Red” was missing a hood, but not a pissed off attitude. How can you not love this?
The simplicity of this one had me gaga. It is a fairly straightforward altered but once you add the injected Hemi into the front of it, things take a turn for the awesome. Neat little car.
Famoso Speed Shop had a few killer cars at the race but this little competition coupe was my favorite. Very classic in look and sporting some amazing green paint, the blown SBC and white headers in a psuedo weed burner style turned me on.
Injected nitro burning A/Fuel cars are some of my favorites. With an Arias Hemi in this car, it vaulted to the front of the pack for me.
Small block Chevy engine, canopy over the driver area, and a paint job that rules. This is the Champion Speed Shop Dragster. No win for them but it still is one of the coolest slingshot dragsters ever made.
Tony Bartone made the quickest lap in the history of front engine dragsters with a 5.56 on Thursday. That in itself makes this car one of my favorites.
Boy was this coupe all pissed off about stuff! Looks like a hot rod, runs like a dragster. The perfect mix of new and old here for me.
The hue of red this car is slathered in will burn your retinas if you stare too long. It is clean as a whistle and the engine is as well. Love it.
Do I really need to justify this one? A freaking incredible car that I would kill to own!
A traditional body 1957 Chevy drag car ranks up at the top of my favorites list anyway, but adding in how clean and nice this car is, along with the fact that it was scorching fast made Chad and I shed tears of joy on the scaffolding.
This Camaro struck me as classic and modern at the same time. The paint colors are definitely current as are the black wheels, but at rest the car has an awesome old school pro stock style stance. Another one I want to own!
The big blue GTO in A/Gas was a fantastic car to watch because it made the right noises and ran right into the 7s like it needed to its class. Not sure what power was coming from under the hood, but it is a fine machine.
Everything about this one is BangShift approved. The body style, the stance, the fact that it hasn’t been painted yet and the big blown motor. You don’t see many of this style Barracuda on the track, especially in blown and wild trim like this.
While I am not a Ford guy per se, I have always had a fascination with their 1960s super stock offerings like this Thunderbolt. Such a cool car with a mighty 427 under the hood.
Again, this thing is FE big block powered, fast, pulls the wheels, and has the classic looks that I love. Do want.
Believe it or not Chad the Chevy guy said he loved this one as much as I did. It would require a cage fight to the death to decide which of us would be taking it home. For this car, I am not going down easy!
Always had a SOFT spot in my Heart for the 66-67 Fairlanes. My 1st new Auto was a ’67 390 GTA painted the same Lime Green Metalic as the one shown.
The 427 Factory hood along with the 69 Mopar 6 Pac hoods just never seem to go out of style.
Jim
Nice job Brian!
Brian, in case you didn’t know, the [heavily metal-flaked] green competition coupe in pic #8 is owned by Randy Winkle. He rescued Chad’s $200 Hauler after the theft last year.
Pic #19 is of Dan Ficher’s BBF Fairlane. He’s a hitter from the San Francisco Bay area peninsula. ‘Seems to me, anytime there’s a race of any consequence in CA, he’s there!
What, no A/Gas or C/Gas Henry J’s? Three Fords…yikes! It was great meeting you at the Meet Brian.
The VW’s are coming for you this year Guys,,,, One guy from England even, racing his RHD convertible. I believe he’ll be slowing it way down so he can run the 10.60 class with some of the other Dubs.
I’ll take an altered please, any altered