Perhaps the coolest thing about the 2014 California Hot Rod Reunion is the fact that so many vehicles at Famoso were burning nitro. From the cackle cars to the AA/FA exhibition machines, to the top fuel dragsters, funny cars, and even some of the other class cars, nitro is an ever present part of the CHRR experience. This also means that there is lots of work being done in the pits. Some of this work is planned for an executed on schedule. Lots of this work is not. When a dragster wipes out some pistons, a funny car lifts a blower, or some other catastrophe strikes, crew jump into action and typically pull the engines down to see exactly what happened and what needs to happen to get the car ready for the next run. This is a group of photos that celebrate that process. You’ll see a ton of naked and torn down engines here as well as guys wrenching for their lives on pro mods, dragsters, altereds, etc. If you think you were whipped sitting in the sun watching the action all day, just imagine if you were wrenching, being bathed in hot oil, and handling molten clutch discs as well! It is hard work but these guys and girls love it.

These photos show the “business” end of the crew life. Standing at the starting line and watching the car go down the track is but a brief interlude in what is otherwise a relentless and unforgiving daily schedule of work around some truly fearsome equipment. Here’s to you crew guys and girls!