Paul Grant's blog

Are You Serious?

March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, CA - March 7-9 2009

The Northwest had a great showing at the 2009 March Meet, the 51st running of this iconic event. Fife, Washington's Bucky Austin wheeled his super quick Plueger Plymouth to another win in funny car and Brett Harris continued the family domination of Top Fuel at this event. These were just two of 500 cars entered at this event, with 31 funny cars on the premises and 18 top fuel dragsters you just knew this was going to be big.

As a March Meet rookie, I was completely unprepared for just how big this event was. I arrived still living my drag racing high, having had to consecutive weekends enjoying both NHRA's pro's and sportsman, I was so hopped up I got excited just driving past Pomona, Glendale, and of course with the geeking out I'm doing I just had to call in at Yorba Linda for a visit to the King's palace.

So here I am pulling in to Auto Club Famoso to shoot some images of the famed March Meet. This was a race that had been at the top of my list for a long time, and for that I was totally excited, but take it from me, you have to experience this 'event' as there are no words for what you will take away with you after this weekend. In I walk with my cameras on my shoulder and my head immediately starts to spin, in one direction might be a cool hotrod, in another there could be a fire breathing dragster or funny car, a gasser or some iconic car and driver from years gone by. Friday was a great day, my first day in drag race heaven, I was thinking is was very cool and considering the economy, it was quite busy. I had been blown away by the amount of photog's there, the size of the car show and swap meet and the amount of folks, my wife had come with me that day as well and was equally impressed. We had experienced, for my money, drag racing at it's best and it couldn't get any better right?

The next day I figured I would have breakfast with my good lady, as she elected not to come along, and cruise in mid morning, parking had been tight yesterday but it should be alright, or so I thought. As I drove toward the track there were cars parked up and down the road approaching the track, I'm thinking okay, so there's a few more fans here today. Well, after circling the parking lot for 30mins, where even though I had a pass, I soon realized it was every man for himself and ended up leaving my rental in a fairly precarious position so as not to miss too much more action. Once in the pits, it was crazy, there were people and cars everywhere. Show cars, rat rods, old racers, young guns and all in this one area. You had to keep your head up to miss oncoming cars and people but keep an eye down so as not to trip on the many tow straps pulling the competitors to the line.

Once I made it down to the start line I took one look at the 'mosh pit' that was the crowd of photographers and headed up to the finish line. A pretty cool spot to see cars bounce through the lights as they hit a bump in the track just after the lights and the first top fuel session saw a ton of carnage as these front engined rails crossed the finish in a cloud of steam and oil vapour. I had my first real wake up call at the drags up there when Tom Padilla's Plymouth decided to fire it's entire body about 80ft in the air, I had been shooting Kris Kabrill in the far lane and heard a large sound and as I swung my lens around I saw Padilla's car heading right for me, flame coming out of the side, so right away I took a lunge to the side as he was hugging the the wall I had been shooting over. The car passed by in a mass of flame and smoke kicking up a bunch of debris, phew that was close I thought as myself and another photog gather ourselves together, what I hadn't clued into in all the action is that the Plymouth body was completely missing and as soon as the thought entered my head I saw it out of the corner of my eye and once again found myself leaping out of the way as it crashed down on the track a few feet away. What did we learn here kids? Well I have always thought you should never turn your back on any action and always have an exit, I learnt this as a race car mechanic many times in my career, and I was once again reminded of that in Bakersfield.

After shooting a couple more rounds of cars I headed back down to the start line and got with a newspaper guy and we worked in tandem to maximize our little piece of real-estate amid the craziness in the starting area. While I was there the cacklefest arrived and man what can I say, I was standing amid a collection of pristine front engined racers from yesteryear with guys like 'TV' Tommy Ivo and Art Chrisman sitting in the hot seat, and the very lovely Cindy Gibbs wetting the pipes. Shortly there after I finally got to see the fabled burnout of the wild 'Winged Express' altered, I had seen it in many images with tire smoke pouring off the big slicks and I was finally going to get to see and feel on right in front of me - frickin awesome!
Note - I must admit to missing some shots as I was 'watching' and completely forgot I should be shooting, when you are there amid so many cool race cars and drivers it's hard not to just stand and watch as it happens right there in front of you.

Away from the track there wasn't anything you couldn't purchase in the vendors area, there was a car show in 'The Grove' with some of the baddest and craziest cars this guy has seen in a long time and a collection of some very cool people all having a great time.
Yes you could question some of the aspects of this event, but at the same time the March Meet is a wonderfully politically incorrect event that does not apologize for what it is. I am already planning a return trip and I will know this year to get up early, to pack lightly, and to bring a smile

As a technician I was impressed at the engineering elegance of the cars, as a fan I am still geeking out at seeing so much cool stuff, as a photographer it was an absolute pleasure to shoot this festival of incredible imagery, and as a person I met some other great people all of whom were equally excited and happy to be there. It was a wonderful experience. I really hope you enjoy my images, as I'm sure by now you know I had a great time trying to capture them.

Trusting in God

Mark Maulde launching his Top Fuel, just made the field on the bump spot

Nostalgia - nuff said!

Beauty and Drag Racing, that's Cindy Gibbs

Lee Paul Jennings is an American Patriot this year under a Camaro body, seen here doing one of his exciting warm-ups

Very cool B/Gas Camaro of John Saliani

Mike Adams had his recreation Coors 'vette out and running hard

The Bomb Squad has been called and they're responding

'Rookie' Garrett Bateman out of Tacoma, WA was the only real challenger to the might of teamate Bucky Austin, as he wheel the Mustang to a 5.80 for the #2 qualifier spot and runner up in the event final.

Cool shot of Dave Ward in his Topo

F/C driver Craig Micheal warming up the Vegas Heat

Some cool retro pin strip and paint

Adam Sorokin in his version of 'windows on the world' , his drag racing world. This is the latest Champion Speed Shop racer with a funny car style hood on the cockpit for that slippery aero look.

Old school Jnr Fuel ready to go

If Jeff Utterbeck was in a stare down, the race would be over!

Smokin' Canadian A/Fuel

High speed pursuit

The engine gods claim another Top Fuel soul by taking Terry Cox's Hemi

Nate Bugg shutin' the 'Cuda down

Brendan Murray showing off with his chutes in Top Fuel

Claude Lavoie from Sherwood Park, AB just missed the eight car field with a 7.39 for 9th spot

Tommy Ivo having fun with the 'cackle'

Mendy Fry in her office in the 'Bomb Squad' 73 Duster, she qualified #12 which had her with lane choice in round one of the consolation F/C race. As she adapts to a new car/team, watchout as she will be going much quick and further in the races.

If ever you could have a crush on a driver it would be Mendy Fry, she drives the wheels off a funny car, she is a very nice person and a smile that will melt the hardest of hearts, a very cool person.

Steve Romanazzi just missed the top eight in his '77 Firebird. Apparently he does not like the color now he's driven it and it was going back to the paintshop after this race.

Mike Halstead burnin' the big bad Daytona, he was best of the rest with #1 qualifier in the consolation funny car race which he turned into a win and his first five second pass

This very fine young lady was anything but what her shirt tells

Nick Norton wrinkles his A/Fuel tires on a hard launch

The event A/Fuel winner was Kin Bates, he qualified #2, got top speed and low e.t. in a dominating weekend

Ronnie Lennon in a '32 Bantam put on a great show with quick runs and awesome burnouts, a definite favourite.

Mike Smith was your 7.0 Pro winner

Ah, the sweet smell of 'A/Fuel' at sunset.....

Terry Capp out of Edmonton wrestled the Roland Leong tuned, Hodgson '77 Firebird to the #3 qualifying slot

The Pisano Vega in the lanes on a picture perfect day

Bob Godfrey is 'Burnin' Money' as he gets his wheels up on a good launch in the Camaro funny car

John Powers is seen here doing a decent burnout in his '77 Camaro but didn't end up qualifying very well

With her Mustang sidelined due to money, Leah Pruett was wheeling the 'Holy Toledo' Jeep which proved to be quite the handful and she did a pretty good job by qualifying 19th with a 6.30. I wouldn't mind seeing a match up with Ashley Force in equal cars, I'd put my money on this young shoe.

Ed Dougan in the 'Fighting Irish' 74 Camaro ran right down the middle, trouble was it was the center line in the middle of the track and his run was done. He ended up qualifying a very strong fifth in a huge field of quality cars

Jeff Utterbeck smokin' up the joint in the Pisano Vega

Tom Padilla blew the whole body off of his Plymouth funny car, easily 80ft up

Steve Nichols didn't show too strong in qualifying this weekend, seen here slowly up along side Kirk Kuhns in his new Camaro funny car

Tucson's Mike Savage is now running the C&H colors, the car looks great, but the performance still needs some help

The 'Lil'Nate' Barracuda rips up the strip at sunset

The very cool funny car style '38 Chev of Howard Anderson didn't make the field on this ocassion

Jirka Kaplan out of Calgary, AB has been the class of this field in the past, but had met his match on this weekend with a mid pack qualifier and losing to event winner Renteria in round 2

Cecil Mathews had one of the most gorgeous cars at the track but could not translate the good looks into a place in the top eight qualifiers

Mark Mahood brought his beautiful camaro form Yorba Linda to run in AA/Gas

Sean Renteria was the man in AA/Gas, taking #1 qualifier, top speed, and finally the race win.

Surely the 'Golf Cart Nationals' must be just around the corner

Gary Reinero lines his '48 Austin up as the sun sets on Famoso

"Have you AAA membership cards at the ready, and line 'em up!"

Dan Horan readies himself for his first run in Top Fuel. It would go well, as he colided with Mike Chrisman just past half track and ended up being flown to hospital (as a pre-caution) after hitting the wall quite hard and running all the way to the sand trap at the end. Chrisman didn't fair too much better but did avoid the trip to Hospital.

Rick White does one of the best burnouts of the weekend in Top Fuel

Seeing these sweet Topolino drag cars brought back so many great memories from my younger years visiting Santa Pod Raceway in the UK. This great example was being wheeled by Dave Ward.

Oakland, CA's Rick Mcgee has one of many engine failures experienced by the Top Fuel class in the first qualifying sessions

Jim Murphy bounces through the traps after losing the motor in qualifying

Troy Green making waves (of heat) in Top Fuel. I really like this shot even though the car is not tack sharp, between the heat, the tall slicks and the wings bending down, it's a shot full of energy.

A beautifully restored 'Big Daddy' Swamp Rat

The iconic 'TV Tommy' Ivo reliving great runs of the past in one of his old fuelers during the cacklefest.

You know when you see a car in a magazine or on TV a few times and you end up thinking to yourself; it would be really cool to see that car in real life. Well I got to see the 'Winged Express' at last and it was really cool!

Friday was a much more laid back day with less folks around so I was able to get some nice atmospheric shots like this one.

The hot rod class was full of a wide variety of cars and it would take a lot of imagination the think about how cool it was 'back in the day'

Kelly Harvey in his 7.0 Pro dragster, it's a cool shot of a cool car, in a cool place!

Phil Lukens slowing up the beautiful red Topolino, another personal favourite car from this race

Chris Bates smokin' the hides of the Rolling Stone '23 T altered as twilight sets in and offers some lovely backlight

Jim Godec burns out the Warlock '37 Chev in fine fashion.

Dennis La Charite's crew have their focus on the job at hand as fans were treated to a nice fireworks disply.

Next up for me will be the opening races at Mission Raceway Park, it should be a great season and I can't wait to get started. See you at the strip!

For more images, please check out the gallery at 330images by clicking here. And be sure to visit Horsepower Heaven, without whom some of these images would not be possible.