"I'm just happy to win an event. That was the main thing," Ashley said. "Being a female, that's exciting as far as the records and everything, but my team, we just wanted to get our first win. We went a whole year last year and got close a few times. To finally get it done, we're just so excited."

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Today's drivers have a different role than in the old days. They have sponsor commitments and race press all week, and then drive on the weekend. Not many of them work on the car. Not only did we drive the race car, we worked on them, and drove the tow vehicles down the highways. Today we race 23 three-day events. Back then we could race 100 one-night stands!

The 16th annual Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Holley, is part of the museum's Hot Rod Heritage Series 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, classics, customs and muscle cars of the historic and present-day hot rod eras.
A three-day credential for admission to all events is available for $55 by calling 800/884-NHRA (6472) or by completing a form found in the Reunion section of the Museum's web site. Auto Club members receive a $5 discount off Adult credential prices. Credentials include a goodie bag with a dash plaque, lanyard and event program. Children 15 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
Daily general admission tickets/pit passes will be available at Auto Club Famoso Raceway gate. Cost per person: Friday, $20; Saturday, $20; Sunday, $15. Children 15 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Auto Club discount is also available at the gate: $2 off Friday and Saturday and, $1 off Sunday.
The Reunion features a wide variety of activities and events, including:
- NHRA vintage drag racing, featuring some of the sport's most famous and historic cars and drivers, racing in such classes at Top Fuel, Supercharged Gassers, classic Funny Cars and Super Stocks.
- Hundreds of gleaming pre-1972 hot rods, street rods, custom cars, rat rods, classics and muscle cars. "Memory Lane" will have a display of nostalgic race cars. The Justice Bros. Spotlight Award will fall on the U.S. Drag Teams that in 1964 and '65 introduced drag racing to the U.K. The teams included Don Garlits and Tommy Ivo.
- Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion Reception, held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bakersfield, Fri., Oct. 12, from 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Open to everyone at no charge, it's a tribute to the Reunion's Grand Marshal, legendary drag racing champion Ed "The Ace" McCulloch, and the other Honorees . The reception offers 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 Manufacturer's Midway are filled with vendors and manufacturers making it easier than ever to find that hot rod part or special souvenir.
- A full activities schedule, entry forms, tickets and more information are available through the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Requests may be emailed to themuseum@nhra.com.
Proceeds of the Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Holley directly benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif. The museum 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, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., PST. Current NHRA members are admitted free. Admission for non-members is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 60 and older, $4 for juniors six through 15, and free for children under the age of five. Auto Club members receive discounts on admission and at the gift shop: show your card and save.
The Museum is also available for private parties, meetings, corporate events, weddings and special group tours. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, Calif. 91768. For further information on special exhibits, museum events or directions, call 909/622-2133 or visit http://museum.nhra.com

Now that BBC Worldwide's signed a deal to allow certain Top Gear clips from the Beeb's vaults see computer screens worldwide via YouTube, we've been treated to all sorts of fun clips from the past. Like this little run-in Richard Hammond had with a Nissan Celery Sunny and a jet car. No, not that jet car. Also, it's a shame we can't embed the content, but the BBC only wants us to watch them on the YouTube page. You know, for the true British experience. – Ray Wert

Top Gear: Jet Car - Nissan [YouTube]

Related:
Danger at 288 mph: Richard Hammond Crash Pics Released; Update! Sky News Reports Top Gear's Richard Hammond Driving Vampire Jet Car At 280 Mph At Time Of Accident [internal]

Nigerian boy genius and motorsports engineer, 'Bisi Ezerioha brought what we've dubbed the Most Unlikliest Dragster to SEMA. The MENSA member's 9.8-second Honda Insight is an odd duck among its fellow Honda import competitors on the IDRA, IDRC and NHRA circuits. But under the hood, the hybrid drivetrain been swapped with a SOHC Honda mill. Maybe his next one will get proper Ben Franklin power — not that the race series boys would allow it.

Getting Bisi [Performance Auto & Sound]

Related:
Honda Kills The Insight — Tens Mourn [internal]

The gang at Winding Road uncovered this clip of a water-pressure dragster in the guise of a Peugeot 206 CC. It's said the thing manages 15,000 lbs. of thrust by way of the same physics as that pump rocket mom said would kill the dog if it fell over when you were trying to launch it. This one would most definitely put out an eye, or keep your suits fresh.

Related:
Now That's Some High Quality H20 — Car Runs On Water! [internal]

A reader from France sent us a link to his Flickr collection of shots from a Bug project he and his compatriots (the Flat Bangers crew of Brach) did in the early '90s. The Salty Bug, as it was named (bogue de sel?) was done up Bonneville style, with a chopped top and air-slippery wheel covers.

I scanned and uploaded a pile of pics taken 15 years ago when a bunch of friends decided to go barn door engineering on a lo-profile beetle dragster. The feasibility study was done on an Amiga 500 computer in my bedroom using a paint-like software. The finished product was intended to raise interest in nostalgia drag racing in a country France were all the available drag strips have curves and corners.

More at Flickr and here.

Related:
Jet-Powered New Beetle [internal]

With Audi making a go at stimulating diesel motorsports with its latest LeMans entry (and speculation of performance diesels for regular folk), the time may be right to see what a diesel-fired dragster can do in the quarter-mile. And even if it's not the right time, here it is anyway.

Diesel Dragster [via Streetfire.net]

Related:
Audi Launches R10 LeMans Racer: Yes, It s a Diesel [internal]