10 Things to do at the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15

Grab the family and head to Beech Bend Park for three days of roddin', racing and fun

3. Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion Education Day, Fri., June 13, 10 a.m.: Call it Hot Rod U. as the Holley Performance Products facility becomes a classroom for Bowling Green Technical College students, as well as the public. A tour of Holley's production facilities and an engineering workshop is followed by a trip to Beech Bend Raceway for a lesson on vintage drag racing and a Hot Rod Basics workshop led by Ron Hope, driver of the famous Rat Trap fuel altered race car. Participants will learn about the industry's evolution, carburetor applications, speed and drivability theories, building horsepower, as well as evaluating fuel, ignition and brake systems.

4. Honoree Reception, Fri., June 13, Holiday Inn University Plaza Hotel and Sloan Convention Center Ballroom, 7 p.m.: Open to the public, this free event is what the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion is all about: honoring hot rod heroes of the past. This year's Honorees are Arnie Beswick, Gabby Bleeker, Charles "Boogie" Scott, Bob Stange and Jim Walther, along with Justice Brothers Reunion Spotlight Award winners, the Ramchargers, The Grand Marshal of the Reunion is Dick LaHaie. Event is sponsored by the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bowling Green Area Lodging Association and South Central Chapter of the Kentucky Restaurant Association.

5. Nostalgia Drag Racing, Fri-Sun, June 13-15: This looks to be the biggest and most competitive National Hot Rod Reunion when it comes to racing. Showcased on the track will be Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, competing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others, plus and a variety of exhibition entries. A record 460 cars are registered. All the top names in nostalgia racing will be competing, including Brad Thompson, Adam Sorokin, Brendan Murray, Roger Lechtenberg, Howard Haight and Troy Green.

6. SoffSeal Show 'n Shine, Fri-Sun, June 13-15: The weekend Reunion program also features a giant hot rod festival with more than 1,200 pre-1972 street rods, customs, classics and muscle cars competing in the SoffSeal Show 'n Shine. The top 50 winners will be announced Sat., June 14 at 6:30 p.m., receive awards and parade down the track. All winners and entries will be invited to the NHRA Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (Aug. 27-Sept. 1) at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. There the vehicles will be displayed in a special area presented by Hot Hues Custom Finishes by DuPont, receive a special memento of the occasion vie for the inaugural Bob Daniels Award of Excellence courtesy of SoffSeal.

7. Street Rodder Tour and Display: Speaking of rods, the 2008 PPG Street Rodder Road Tour is traveling from San Antonio, Texas to the Reunion, bringing more than 50 super-cool cars as part of the Vintage Air-sponsored tour. Street Rodder also has a display at the Reunion featuring famous hot rod cartoonist Tom Medley, who will be signing autographs and drawing pictures of his iconic 'toon character, Stroker McGurk.

8. Cacklefest, Sat., June 12, 8:35 p.m.: This is the highlight of the Reunion. To car folks, Cacklefest is the sweetest sight and sound in the world: 30 or more vintage front-engine dragsters and funny cars fire up and "cackle" 10 gallons of nitromethane fuel in less than five minutes. The sound of that exploding nitro will be music to the ears of thousands of fans at Beech Bend. Among the legendary cars cackling will be John Peters' Fright Train, Larry Reyes' The Hawaiian, Bruce Larson's USA-1 Camaro and one of "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' Swamp Rat fuelers.

9. ZZ Top Eliminator: Straight from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the iconic Billy F Gibbons' ZZ Top Eliminator '33 Ford Coupe will celebrate its 25th anniversary at the Reunion. Made famous during its namesake's '80s music videos, its appearance at the 3-day hot rod festival also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the legendary '33 Ford, a favorite car platform for rodders. Built for ZZ Top guitarist and hot rodder Billy F Gibbons in 1983 by Don Thelan, it was featured on the cover of the group's aptly titled Eliminator album in the same year. The car, permanently displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, became famous by appearing in three MTV award-winning rock music videos. The car appears courtesy of Gibbons, the Museum, Intercity Lines and Hot Hues Custom Finishes by DuPont.

10. JCB GT Backhoe: Ever see a backhoe do wheelies or go 150 mph? Now you can. The JCB GT, the world's fastest backhoe loader dragster, with driver Neil Smith behind the wheel, will be speeding down the track at the Reunion. A crowd favorite, the "backhoe on steroids" is powered by a 1,300-horsepower engine, is capable of speeds more than 150 mph and lights up the sky with its flame-shooting exhaust.

The 6th annual Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, June 13-15 at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, Ky., is a 3-day festival of speed, hot rods and American automotive enthusiasm. Produced by the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California and located in Pomona, Calif., the Reunion is part of the museum's "living history" philosophy, which works to bring to life the sights, sounds and people who made history in the early days of drag racing, land speed racing and the golden age of American car culture. 

Unique among motorsports events, the Reunion honors some of the top names in hot rodding from the past and features a fabulous array of cool drag cars, street rods and customs of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.
 
Those purchasing their credentials at least three weeks before the event receive significant added value including a "goodie" bag, Reunion program, commemorative dash plaque and a colorful and collectible plastic souvenir credential. Three-day credentials ($55 each) are available at 800/884-NHRA or through an application on the Museum's web site at http://museum.nhra.com. Individual tickets are available day-of the event. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.
 
The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:
 
-   Hot Heads Eliminator NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Nostalgia Top Fuel, Funny Car, Altereds, Supercharged Gassers, Classic Super Stock, Hot Rods and others.
 
-   Street rod "show 'n shine," presented by SoffSeal, with thousands of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, custom cars, classics and muscle cars. "Memory Lane" will have a display of nostalgic race cars.
 
-   Open house at Holley, Thurs., June 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., followed by the Heacock Classic Insurance Show 'n Shine cruise to the Holiday Inn University Plaza, the host hotel. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 5 p.m.
 
-   National Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the Holiday Inn University Plaza's Sloan Convention Center ballroom on Friday evening, June 13. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's Grand Marshal and Honorees and a chance for fans to meet some of drag racing's heroes.
 
-   Cacklefest on Saturday evening, where nitro-burning historic, front-engine top-fuel dragsters and other classic race cars are push started just like in the "old days."
 
-   The Swap meet and Reunion Midway filled with manufacturer exhibits and demonstrations
 
-   A separate amusement park with rides and games for all ages adjacent to the park.
 
Information, including a full activities schedule, entry forms and tickets, is available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum at http://museum.nhra.com or by sending a post card or note to NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion, 1101 McKinley Ave., Bldg, 3A, Pomona, Calif. 91768.  Requests can be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.
 
 Proceeds of the Holley Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Celebrating its 10th anniversary and named for the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, the Parks Museum presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California houses the very roots of hot rodding. Scores of famous vehicles spanning American motorsports history are on display, including winning cars representing 50 years of drag racing, dry lakes and salt-flat racers, oval track challengers and exhibits describing their colorful backgrounds.
 
The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free and Auto Club members enjoy a $2 discount. Admission for non-members is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 60 and older, $5 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. The Museum is also available for special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. in Pomona. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com

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