McGee Wins 2009 CHRR - Convincingly Green Runner-up Harris 2009 Hot Rod Heritage Top Fuel Champion       Bakersfield, CA - 10-16-18, 2009: The 18th edition of the California Hot Rod Reunion is in the record books and that goes for car count and fans. In spite of an economy best described as anemic, the hallowed grounds of Famoso Raceway were full of race cars and the stands were packed with fans. Mother Nature was in on the act as well supplying some very nice racing weather that made the Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce proud. The biggest bummer of the weekend was the loss of Steve Gibbs on Saturday and Sunday due to an adverse reaction to antibiotics. His absence was palpably missed. For the Top Fuel cars it ended with a very popular win for Rick McGee who got the best of Troy Green in a close final setting low ET of the event in the process. McGee captured his first win since the 2004 CHRR title with a convincing 5.761 (career best ET - low ET of the meet) at 247.38 by beating the 2008 HRHRS champ, Green who ran a game 5.91 at 252.17. After qualifying #2 with a first career best 5.862, McGee went on beat Ed Schwartz, Adam Sorokin and Rick Williamson to earn a spot in the final. Green came out of the #5 hole to get the best of Denver Schutz, Rick Rogers and Brett Harris to meet McGee for the 6 PM showdown. Rick White entered this final race of the season with a 56 point lead in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series and was an odds on favorite to not only win the championship but the event as well. With only 17 cars competing the very last thing anyone expected was the lone DNQ to be White. With only two qualifying sessions one only had to get down the track with an 8.20 or better but in the first session White got out of the groove and crossed the centerline. With one shot left Big Blue left like a rocket then smoked the tires and broke a rear end leaving White to coast to an 8.36. This left the door open for Brett Harris who was #2 in the standings. After qualifying #1 with a 5.80 Harris went just as far as he needed (2 rounds) to pass White and win the championship by nine points. In funny car it was no surprise to see Kris Krabill in the winners circle but it was a shocker to see both of the Bucky Austin Racing entries go out in round one. However, even going out early didn't deny Garrett Bateman (Plueger & Gyger) the 2009 Funny Car Championship. Now it is our pleasure to present the end results of the efforts of Tony Thacker, Steve Gibbs, Greg Sharp, Wayne Allison, Monique Valadez and the rest of the staff at the NHRA Wally Parks Motorsports Museum. More so to Blake and John Bowser and the Famoso Raceway staff and crew for a superbly prepared facility - especially the track itself. Don Irvin and their Safety Safari is second to none. These folks know how to run a drag race. And of course, many thanks to all our great photographers without whom this whole deal would be moot. Complete Top Fuel round by round coverage starting below. And yes, I use A LOT of photos because WDIFL is the only extensive exposure most of these dedicated racers get. The funny car coverage follows Top Fuel. Enjoy and when you're finally done you'll know why it takes so long to put this together.   Darrell Tedford, Rick McGee and crew celebrated a well deserved win. The "Overtime Special" gang has been struggling for the last couple of seasons but it all came together here.   Photos by: Bob Brown, Arlene Eliason, Stephen Justice, Steven C. Wallace, Dan Kaplan, Tim Hanaseth, Pam Schavrien, Paul Hutchins, Darrell Conrad, John Ewald, Warren Merriman, Howard Hagen and Don Ewald.     Qualifying Session 1 - Friday 3:16 p.m. Morning fog and a long cleanup following an accident combined to make a shambles of the schedule for today. But finally there is "fire in the pipes," "nitro in the air" and the cackle of Top Fuel engines finally echoed at Famoso.   The first nitro car to test the waters for the 2009 CHRR was Mark Hyla in Bob Richardson's "Circuit Breaker".             After a solid hit it sounded like Hyla sawed through the clutch, the engine not loaded at all, and he shut it off after 100 feet or so.           Hyla coasted through with a 10.695 at 76.00.     The first pair pitted Rick Rogers in Butch Blair's "Fugowie" and Ed Schwartz in Don Danhof's updated (and very period correct) 1970 SPE car.                   Rogers had a nice leave and went right down the groove.   After a soft leave, Schwartz got out and started spinning the tires and fishtailing early in the run and he lifted.                         Rogers clocked a baseline 6.111 at 244.43.       Next out was Rick McGee in the Tedford & McGee "Overtime Special" and Terry Cox in the late model hemi powered Cheetah IV. This was the first run on an entirely new tune-up and clutch combo for the McGee ride. They had no clue what it was going to do.                           Both cars had solid moves off the line and racked up decent early numbers.                                       Before the 330' mark McGee was steadily opening up a gap.     After the 330' Cox's car wiggled its tail and got over next to the wall where he lifted.   As can be seen here, McGee clicked it way early and still carded the first five of the weekend. His 5.951 at just 220.10 would cement him into the top half of the field but more so told himself and Tedder that all the effort they had put into the new set-up was showing immediate dividends.             Cox coasted through with a 7.789 at 115.10.       The next pair out was Mike Chrisman in the Paso Posse of John Rodeck and local favorite Brad Thompson in the Thompson & Bless entry.                             Chrisman's ride was soft at the hit but Thompson left with authority.                             By the 100' mark Chrisman had gone into serious tire smoke and aborted the run.                     Thompson clicked it early to a 6.202 at 208.18 to get his baseline.             With the cars being run according to their points standings the fourth pair started the 10 on the list. To take their first shot was Brendan Murry in his new "Rooman" Running Wild Racing entry and Denver Schutz in the Cullen & Schutz "Raisin Express 2".                     Both cars got off the line clean with Schutz moving the hardest.                                   Schutz started shaking the tires hard about 150 feet out and was up in smoke by the 330' mark.     Murry didn't have any obvious problems, but clicked it on the top end after a sub-par first half.           Murry coasted through at 6.356 at 194.13 while Schutz did the same carding a 9.851 at 81.82.               The fifth pair featured 2008 Champ Troy Green in the High Speed Motorsports "Great White" car and Mark Malde in Arnold Birky's distinctive yellow Birky Bunch Chevy fueler.                             Malde left before the green but as long as the tree is activated a red light is not a DQ in qualifying.   Great White bit and jumped at the hit.                                                         Nipping some ring lands in the lights, Green carded a nice baseline 5.975 at 254.45. The tune-up changes implemented since their last outing appeared to be working for Johansen and the gang. After Malde two-stepped the throttle on the launch, killing his ET, he carded a deceptive 6.441 at 213.11.       The next pair to fire were Rick Williamson in the CBS Racing entry and Adam Sorokin in the Champion Speed Shop - RB Entertainment "Batmoblie" powered by a one-of-a-kind billet small block Chevy.                         Sorokin left best and got a 1.04 60' time to prove it. Williamson's car was not exactly a slouch.                                             An apparent good run went south for Sorokin when he smoked the tires at the 330' mark. After oil covered the right side of his canopy he wisely chose to abort the run.     Other than a little smoke out of the pipes, Williamson had no problems to speak of but shut off early after running 204 mph at half track. Incremental times: 60ft-1.095 sec., 330ft-2.728, 660ft-3.956/204.87 mph.         Williamson coasted through with a 5.923 at 220.58 which would hold for the #1 spot after the first session.     Sorokin limped through with a 8.626 at 96.40.       In the next to last pair of the session was Jim Murphy in his WW2 Racing car was paired with Mike McClennan in Mike Fuller's "Forever Young" entry.                     Murphy's car left hard and had good early numbers but McClennan's were better.                                 After the 60' clocks McClennan picked up the pace and looked to be on a number.     But at about 400' McClennan started getting out of the groove and made a move toward the center line forcing him to do a bit of driving to keep from DQing the run.       McClennan reeled it in and Murphy shut off at the 1000' mark and carded a 6.025 at just 219.03.                   McClennan coasted through the traps with a 7.182 at 144.71.       In the final pair of the session, the number one and two drivers in points did their burnouts - Rick White and Brett Harris. It would prove to be one of the defining runs of the entire 2009 championship season.                               Both cars left hard and racked up very good early numbers.                 For the first 500 feet they were both side by side on a solid five second pace.     But at half track Harris experienced a problem and shut down.       At about 850 feet White suddenly got out of the groove and made a move toward the center line.   Unable to reel it back in Rick's left rear tire crossed the center line and took out the 1000' timing block. This was an automatic disqualification.             Even though the run was in the can White got it back in the lane and nailed it again. In this shot the injectors are about half open and there is a fuel fitting wrench exiting the chassis on the left side of the car. Nice shot by Kaplan.         In spite of all his troubles White still carded a 5.941 at 220 which, had it not been thrown out, would have been good for the #2 spot for the session.   Harris coasted through with a 7.171 at 128.40. Both cars would have one more shot on Saturday. And so ended session one which by anybody's definition was not pretty. In eight pairs there was not one where both cars got down the track under power.   Page 2 - Top Fuel Quaifying Session 2 Page 3 - Top Fuel Elimination Round 1 Page 4 - Top Fuel Elimination Round 2 Page 5 - Top Fuel Semis & Finals Page 6 - Funny Cars part 1 Page 7 - Funny Cars part 2 Page 8 - Everything Else     Bakersfield, Calif. (Oct. 19, 2009) – The 52nd running of the March Meet at the famous Auto Club Famoso Raceway is all set to kick off the Nostalgia racing season next year March 5, 6 and 7. Now celebrating 52 years of racing, the March Meet is a three-day affordable speedfest that enthusiasts call ‘the jewel of Nostalgia Racing.’ It attracts drag racers and spectators from around the world and also includes a hot rod car show, swap meet and a vendors’ midway. The Kern County Racing Association (KCRA) operates historic Auto Club Famoso Raceway (just north of Bakersfield, Calif.) and promotes a full schedule of races year round, including the world famous March Meet, Mar. 5-7, 2010, is the recognized Mecca of nostalgia drag racing. Racer entry and spectator ticket information will be available from the website soon, so check back often.  Famoso Raceway Make your hotel reservations NOW!   Related Sites All American Fuel Dragsters High Speed Motorsports Nitro Thunder Racing WW2 Racing Email For Photographer Contact Information     Members Site Map || Visitors Site Map Site Copyright Ewald Enterprises, 1998-2009. All Rights Reserved. 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