Our pal Bobby Bennett over at CompetitionPlus.com has had some good ideas over the years. He hired me more than a decade ago and that is just one example. The most recent example of his clever thinking is the Throwback Showdown, an awesome contest that he is running on CompPlus that YOU, yes YOU can participate in. Here’s the jam.

Bennett went to the top 20 NHRA funny car points finishers in 2015 and asked them what their favorite classic or historic funny car was. These are guys like Matt Hagan, Blake Alexander, Cruz Pedregon, Bob Bode, etc. They have all loved this sport for a very long time and they all grew up idolizing funny car racers and specific cars. After getting their picks, Bennet turned all the information over to Greg Russell designs and had the talented Russell do renderings, applying the old school paint schemes to the modern bodies of the cars these guys actually drive.

The result? The result is a look that NHRA should embrace once a year for a throwback weekend where the cars hark back to the legends of the past. The stock car guys do it, right? Nitro burners should be in on it as well in our opinion, but that’s just us.

So we have provided you with two samples here and there are 18 more of these cool renderings and links to vote the ones that you really dig at the link posted just below. Qualifying is in session right now so that means on Friday the 16 top vote getters will move onto eliminations and four cars will not make the cut. Are you going to let the freaking Chi-Town Hustler miss the field? The Ace McCulloch tribute? Are you out of your mind? Failing to vote for the Ace car may result in him coming to your house and kicking your ass. We’re not kidding!

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL CONTESTANTS AND WHERE TO VOTE