It has been a very, very long time since a drag strip in SoCal hosted a race that involved an open AA/FA field. Of course by “open field” we mean one that gets populated with racers who pull in off the street and qualify for eliminations, but just get paid to show up and run. As best we can tell, the majority of such events dried up in the 1970s and by the time the early 1980s rolled around, there were a handful. We have heard that Carlsbad Raceway (RIP) held an open field AA/FA race in the 1984 time frame and that’s the absolute latest we have heard of a non-booked in show for AA/FA cars in that area of the world. Of course the AA/FA Nationals in Tuscon were going strong through the 1980s but we’re not talking about Arizona here. The rumor mill has been buzzing that the 2014 March Meet is going to have an eight car open, qualified AA/FA field. The entry form below seems to bear that out…kind of.
The first copy of this entry form that we spied a week or two ago had the class designation AA/FA listed under the “Race Classes” heading. It has since been replaced with N/FA (Nostalgia Fuel Altered?). This does clear up a few of the questions we had regarding what types of fuel altereds would be allowed to run. It seems that only “old school” AA/FAs like Bradford’s The Rat Trap, The Winged Express, etc will be allowed. Modern “transformer” cars that are essentially funny car chassis with hot rod bodied on them won’t qualify. That of course is only truce if they are simply using the “N/FA” designation to say that these are “old school” cars because they have old 23 T bodies, Bantam bodies, Fiat bodies, etc on them. The good news is that it does seem like there will be an open AA/FA eliminator. We’re just not sure who is allowed or will be coming out to Bakersfield to compete. If the field allowed the more moderns chassis cars we were going to start a letter writing campaign to get Tom Motry’s “Drastic Plastic” from the Chicago area out to Famoso because of the titanic 5.29-second lap he laid down at Route 66 Raceway this summer with a single mag, small blower engine with no electronic data acquisition on it.
If this race is “limited” to just the old school altereds running by the rules they ran by in say, 1968 it will still be beyond awesome. As much as we dig seeing the Winged Express, Rat Trap, Nanook, and others running exhibition passes it isn’t nearly the same as it is watching them race head to head. It will be the stuff of legend to see these asphalt chewing, sideways sliding, ill-tempered bastards running in anger against one another instead of just making a good show for the crowd. Head to head action trumps all.
WE’RE GOING TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THIS STORY TO GET YOU THE INFORMATION YOU WANT ABOUT THE FUEL ALTERED CLASS AT THE MARCH MEET. WE CAN’T WAIT TO BE THERE BROADCASTING IT TO YOU!
I make the trip to see the real, old school fuel altered race. I wouldn’t walk across the street to watch the 125 inch modern ones race…
o hell ya,ill make the trip over the moutain for this
i second that motion!!! too kool…& ta hear nanook might be run..outstanding!! & shoud be run’n da hot juice….very good news….
I will travel over the hill for this.
We’ve been waiting for a “Real Fuel Altered” show for a long time.
Can’t wait!
Wow! It is about time, after being put in the back pocket of the “old guard”(NHRA) for so long. I say let the old and new battle it out; there will not be an empty seat in the house for this one!!!
Just missed the CHHR in October. Told myself “maybe the March Meet…” This will seal the deal. Too cool.
I would be willing to drive all the way from Minnesota to see a full feild of Fuel Alterds Race! Keep us posted, please.
The last AA/FA race I saw that was a real eliminations race, not exhibition runs was the first Drag Fest held at Famoso back in 2008. In fact that was the last and only one I’ve ever seen. It was freaking AWESOME!!! I can not wait for this to happen again. I hope the car count is good. If it is this will be epic! Everyone needs to get on their computers to put fires under all the AA/FA teams to show up for this. If this works out like it should the next CHRR will be mind blowing with both Fuel Alterds, Pro Mods, Funny Cars and Top Fuel. Next Nostalgia Pro Stock!
Fuel altereds are the Punk Rockers of drag racing. And just like the Punk bands of the 70’s had to show everybody what real rock and roll still was, the Fuel Altereds are gonna show today’s drag world.
The Fuel Altered Revolution is at hand!!!!
This is a British fan saying, yes, I want there to be a fuel altered class in 2014! The Nostalgia (mixed fuel & alky) altered class in the U.K. is down to a sickly 4 cars this year. Believe it or not, in 1969 I attended a rare SIXTEEN car open AA/FA show at Orange County. Really hope to hear more of this. Also, the guy who brought a British AA/FA to Bakersfield about three years ago had a rookie crewman, Tom Watts, who lives fifty yards from me. Fuel Altereds for ever!