Nostalgia Nationals Caps Goodguys 2010 Racing Season
Bowling Green, Kentucky – The Goodguys 3rd Nostalgia Nationals, which blasts off this Friday at Dallas Jones’s Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green Kentucky will serve up a heavy dose of drag strip yesteryear giving both fans and participants one last chance to revel in nitro fumes and tire smoke before winter sets in.
The Nostalgia Nationals is two events in one with a full scale vintage drag race as well as a rod & custom show & shine for vehicles 1972 & earlier, sprawling throughout the scenic grounds of the historic facility on the outskirts of Bowling Green. Manufacturer’s exhibits, an auto parts swap meet and cars for sale corral will also be featured. NHRA Funny Car stars Cruz and Tony Pedregon will serve as event grand marshals. The Pedregon’s will be on hand all day Sunday the 17th to sign autographs, mingle with fans and fire up their late father “Flamin’ Frank’s” Fiat bodied nostalgia dragster. It promises to be a full weekend for any gear head!
Full fields of nostalgia top fuel dragsters and nostalgia funny cars are expected. In top fuel, defending event champions Michael Sexton (2008) and Howard Haight (2009) will look to repeat their success on Beech Bends sticky track surface. Their plight won’t be as easy with the likes of Bob Bradley and his small block Chevy car, Charlie Smith, Tim Steed and the “Mr Boston”, Joe Krupinski, David Pace in the “Backyard Guys” special and others lining up to do battle.
In Nostalgia Funny Car, some of the best retro floppers in the Midwest are expected to do battle including Shawn Bowen’s Michigan based “Violator” ’77 Firebird (winner of the Goodguys Blue Suede Cruise in August), Justin Grant’s “Stardust” hemi ‘Cuda (to be driven by Don Schumacher Racing VP Mike Lewis), Troy Martin’s “Chi Town Hustler”, Danny Miller’s “Rear Gears” ’70 Maverick, Troy Ray’s “Wildfire” Mini Satellite and others.
Three exhibition classes are on the docket including the popular new Nostalgia Pro Stock class as well as the always entertaining Geezer Gasser’s and Nostalgia Super Stockers. In Nostalgia Pro Stock, Mark Pappas will bring out his spot-on recreation of the 1981 Reher Morrison Pro Stock Camaro driven to the 1981 NHRA World Championship. In Nostalgia Super Stock, over 42 entries have streamed in for the last Goodguys race of the year!
Out in the rod & custom show & shine, spread throughout the scenic Beech Bend– acres of classic cars and hot rods will be on display. A midway full of vendor exhibits will offer the latest products and tech support while a vintage auto parts swap meet and car corral will offer cars and parts for sale.
The weekend comes to a climactic close on Sunday, October 17th with the event awards ceremony as well as the final drag strip elimination runs. Final eliminations begin at 10am in all classes. The car show awards ceremony takes place on the drag strip starting line at 2:22pm showcasing the event’s top 100 cars.
Event hours are Friday and Saturday 8am to 5pm and Sunday 8am to 3pm. General admission is $20 per day. Kids 7-12 $6. Kids 6 and under are FREE. A three day weekend pass is available for $55. Tickets are available at the event gates or online at www.nostalgianats.com. For additional event information, contact the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association at (925) 838-9876.
