(Photos by Bryan McTaggart) – While the weather was not cooperative during the weekend in Bowling Green, it did not take the wind out of anyone’s sales or dampen spirits at all during the 2015 Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion. The car show was its normal massive self, the drag racing was incredible with Bill Dunlap ending the front engine dragster reign of terror that Tony Barton had presided over for a couple of seasons, and the whole scene at Beech Bend was just as jovial and fun as it always is, even with the grey skies.
Bryan McTaggart was our man on the scene during this year’s event and he did a great job scouring all corners of the historic drag strip, hitting some of the after hours fun spots, and generally yukking it up with lots and lots of car owners and their rides. From the mondo nose high Chevy above or the Corvair station wagon that is dumped into the weeds below, we’re going to have something for everyone over the coming weeks as we run more than 1,000 photos from this great event.
Always a good show, mostly greeat people. Somebody slashed Big Daddy Don Garlits TIRES? WTF!
However, I thought they really did a piss poor job of the Cacklefest this year, so much so we left while it was in progress. The timing and organization was disasterous, especially for a track, that’s entire function is to coordinate the movement of race cars! Come ON, guys, this isn’t rocket science. One other thing; starting the stationary cars first? Takes all of the excitment of listening to the push started cars as they fire up one by one. You can’t hear one single car fire up, so that rising creshendo is lost. I try not to be fussy or critical, I really do. But I brought my wife and two grandkids to see their first Cacklefest, and because of those things I mentioned, none of them enjoyed it. Who do I talk to about making some changes? Volenteering to coordinate the entire process?