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The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Fri Dec 26, 2014 5:38 pm
by ukdrn
I will post a few reports over the holiday period featuring some pictures and video clips of my visit to the CHRR. Here is part 1
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So after a few failed attempts in the past due to different reasons and wanting to go so bad for many years I finally got to fulfill a dream and attended the CHRR at Famoso raceway in Bakersfield in October.
With a few sacrifices and a little while to pay it all off myself and the wife included the meeting in the middle of a wedding anniversary holiday.

I didn't take my full DSLR and although I had been granted a press pass at the event before on one of my failed trips I didn't apply this time. For one I didn't want to leave my wife in the stands all day and the other thing was I really wanted to get the flavor of the whole event and not be glued to the track side stuff.
Photographs were taken with a compact camera and my phone so no action shots.

The raceway itself seemed to be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Driving there we passed hundreds of gas and energy extraction machinery but then the track appeared up on the left 8)
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Walking into Famoso for the first time was a little overwhelming to be honest. Seeing so many cars in the flesh that I had seen in magazines and old cine film clips all my life was very surreal but so cool.
I've heard it said before that you really don't know where to look and that's the case and there were classic dragsters and recreations everywhere :)
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Famoso itself is a fantastic venue because you have a top condition racing track with all the extras and care you would expect but at the same time the venue has a real unspoiled (old) feel to it and I think that is whats helps add to the magic.

Running parallel behind the track and sandwiched between the trade area and the pits is what I think they call the grove. A long dusty area which is not only a drive in car show for the best looking rods and customs you have ever seen but also some rare and stunning dragsters.
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There was also some classic drag racing machinery thrown in for good measure.
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After a while it turns in to the coolest auto jumble on the planet.
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Even the root beer van at is cool at Famoso.
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Next time plenty of this .
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And some of this 8)
Watch on YouTube for bigger and HD version.

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Fri Dec 26, 2014 7:32 pm
by timetravel
great pics and vid, good to see you finally got there...

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:10 pm
by eraider
Neat!

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:11 am
by torment
Top stuff jon...i plan on going sometime .

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:47 am
by MrMotormind
Great pics from a great event!
I've been lucky enough to go there four times. In my opinion the evening Cacklefest is the most AWESOME sight, sound and smell experience in all of Drag Racing!
Plus you may get to meet a racing legend...
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...me, Linda Vaughn and the Hemi Under Glass Barracuda around 12 years ago.

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:01 pm
by ukdrn
I see a couple of names.
The Snake pulled up right in front of me and commented to someone how this was much more fun than NHRA.
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Mike Dunn and Darrel Gwynn.
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The Gwynn's were there with an impressive show of Jerry and Darrel old cars.
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Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:09 pm
by plymoutharrow
The americans I spoke to this year couldnt believe how many brits were there.

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:24 pm
by ukdrn
Next batch of photographs. More old stuff.

Old Sunday and before eliminations they cackled the stunning ex Willie Borsch funny car and one of Shirley's championship winning cars by the start line. I did film it but the memory card has died :shock:
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Some diggers 8)
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I loved seeing the Kent Fuller cars. I was always a big fan of those.
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I spent a couple of hours talking to the son of the owner of this while watching the racing.
He said his dad find's cars that have been hidden away, barn finds I guess and then restores them to there former glory.
He then takes them to the reunion, cackles them and sells them for decent profit.
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8)
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Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Wed Dec 31, 2014 10:40 am
by jaytee
ukdrn wrote: I loved seeing the Kent Fuller cars. I was always a big fan of those.
some nice cars there Jon, there's some interesting stuff on the Magicar and others in this series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVm3yb2QbkQ

any more shots of the Anaconda car

Re: The California Hot Rod Reunion. I finally did it :-)

PostPosted:Wed Dec 31, 2014 11:14 am
by ukdrn
jaytee wrote:
ukdrn wrote: I loved seeing the Kent Fuller cars. I was always a big fan of those.
some nice cars there Jon, there's some interesting stuff on the Magicar and others in this series
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVm3yb2QbkQ

any more shots of the Anaconda car
Thanks for the link John, off to view that now.
2 more pictures of Anaconda that are completely out of focus :o