Bakersfield,
CA - November 03-05, 2006: The 8th Goodguys Fuel & Gas Finals
will prove to be a subject of great interest, conversation and
debate over the winter and possible for years to come. Overshadowing
a convincing Top Fuel win by Rick White, the 5.703 pass by Adam
Sorokin and a crash by Ron Capps is the fact it marked what could
be the end of an era for Nostalgia Drag Racing. Unless 2008 brings
some major changes, this F&G Finals could have literally
been THE final drag racing event for the Goodguys/VRA West Coast
Championship Series.
After 19 years
of more often than not successful Goodguys/VRA WCC series events,
the Meadors family has made the decision to bow out of the west
coast part of Goodguys Championship competition events. Goodguys/VRA
will not stage a West Coast Championship Series in 2007. This
is because an agreement was reached between Auto Club Famoso
Raceway and Goodguys/VRA which turns over ownership of the March
Meet to the track.
Their decision
was based on pure business sense and not for lack of love for
the sport. According to a Goodguys staffer, it was not their
intention to alter the scope of vintage drag racing in the west
or make changes or get out of the West Coast Series promotion.
Had it been up to them - they would have continued on like it
has been for many years to come.
It should also
be noted that this is not the final event for the Goodguys/VRA.
They will continue to stage vintage drags each June at the Hot
Rod Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, as well
as Friday night hot rod drags in Columbus, Ohio and Pacific Raceways
in Seattle.
Over the years
since the Goodguys picked up the ball dropped by NDRA and formed
the VRA there are volumes of good and bad - happy and unhappy
- agree or bitch from racers and fans alike. However, no matter
what anyone's personal opinion of the way the Goodguys ran their
racing programs, the fact is that without them nostalgia drag
racing would not exist as we know it today. And now the $64,000
question is where will it go from here?
The only thing
for certain is that the Bowser family and Famoso staff with the
help of The Smokers will host the 2007 Bakersfield March Meet
and a final in November. After seeing what they've done to improve
the fabled Bakersfield facility over the past year there is little
doubt they will do a an excellent job of holding these events.
But what will be sandwiched between March and November other
than the NHRR and CHRR? It's going to be an interesting winter.
What ifs and
speculation aside, the 8th Fuel & Gas Finals was a pretty
good drag race filled with incredible times, several upsets and
no major accidents. The weather was cooler than normal and the
track was as good as they get. The car count was down and in
hide site that was why the event basically stayed on schedule
in spite of numerous oil downs by the fuel cars on Saturday and
Sunday.
It was also a
chance for two of the NHRA "Big Show" funny car pilots
to come out and play in Nostalgia Funny Car competition. Neither
Ron Capps or Del Worsham had the kind of weekend they'd hoped
for but one seldom does in drag racing. And then there was the
drama of Brett Harris winning the Nostalgia Top Fuel Championship
by 7 points - not by winning rounds but by setting top speed
of the event. And consider this - ALL the 2006 VRA Champions
may be able to say they were the last.
All of us at
WDIFL thank Gary & Marc Meadors, John Drummond and the entire
Goodguys VRA staff who, to the best of their ability, gave us
many memorable drag racing events and we wish them continued
success with whatever develops in the future.
Enjoy more of
the story and race photos below.
Photos by: Bob Brown,
Steve Justice and Don Ewald
