Jalopnik: retro:racing

SEMA 2007: Big Daddy and Mopar to Burn Nitro Again

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Big Daddy Don Garlits has always liked his Chryslers. He stuck with the hemispherical variety of engine even when the dark forces of moneyed sponsorship tried to convince him otherwise. Back in May we found out that he continues to enjoy stuffing hemis down into the framerails. The Swamp Rat XII is now finished and rolling out to SEMA from Florida. The vintage 6:71 blower looks better than bitchen raking down on top of the modern 392 mill. Release and specifications after the jump. [Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing]

ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR BIG DADDY

Don Garlits supercharges the new 392 HEMI Crate Engine with a
vintage 6-71 blower and takes it back in time to power his historic
Swamp Rat XII dragster. The Mopar® Wynn's Charger commemorates
his long association with both Chrysler and Wynn's.
The new 392 HEMI Crate Engine is the latest chapter in Big Daddy's
long history with Chrysler, starting with the 331-cubic-inch FirePower
HEMI V8 he adopted in 1956. Then, fifty years ago, he upgraded to the
new 392 FirePower HEMI and started a long series of record-breaking
performances. In 1959 Garlits added the first supercharger to his 392,
and he never looked back. Even when Chevrolet and Ford came
knocking with fistfuls of dollars, Big Daddy stood firm. "I like my
Chryslers," he said. "Money wasn't always everything."
The new Mopar Wynn's Charger also marks the renewal of Wynn's
sponsorship of Don Garlits. The relationship began in 1960 when a
Wynn's decal first appeared on Swamp Rat III. "Wynn's was the first
company to sponsor me," said Big Daddy. "Before that, the only help I
got was free parts." The name "Wynn's Jammer" appeared on Swamp
Rat VII a few years later. The current name, "Wynn's Charger," was on
Swamp Rat X and was last seen on Swamp Rat XXIII in 1977 ... until the
launch of today's historic new Mopar Wynn's Charger.

TECH SPECS:

Engine: ...................... Mopar 392 HEMI Crate Engine, modified by
Don Garlits
Horsepower: ............ Not yet measured, but more than adequate
Fuel Injection:.......... Vintage Crower Four-Port
Intake Manifold:...... Hand-fabricated in Big Daddy's shop
Supercharger:.......... 6-71 with vintage 392 front snout and rare
Reath Automotive rear cover
Compression:........... 7.0:1 (Venolia pistons)
Camshaft:.................. Crane "Nitro"
Crankshaft:............... Mopar 392
Oil Pump: .................. Mopar 392
Clutch:....................... Schiefer multi-disc
Gears:........................ High gear only
Fuel Pump:................ Vintage Mechanical. Driven off blower
rear cover
Fuel:........................... 80% Nitro, 20% Methanol
Chassis: .................... Garlits Swamp Rat 12-A, restored
Wheelbase:.............. 137 inches (200 inches overall length)
Weight: ..................... 1500 lbs

Down in the Grove at Bakersfield

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 16:00:00 EDT

A week has past since we drove into the drizzle with a 207 thousand plus miles econobox to get to Bakerfield for a drag race that also happened to be a swap meet and car show. The roots of the California Hot Rod Reunion run deeper into history than a modern drag racing event. Behind the bleachers at Famoso Raceway is the Grove, in the ground of which trees are planted in honor of those drag racing heavyweights that have passed on. The Grove at the CHRR is packed with those who feel a strong enough connection to the action on the track to fork over a few extra sawbucks to show off their rides - with some spots conspicuously vacant after the call to the staging lanes crackled over the loudspeakers.

Nitromethane Illuminates a Cacklefest Dusk

Mike Bumbeck — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 17:30:00 EDT

The good stuff kept burning long after the last pair of race cars lit up the clocks at the California Hot Rod Reunion. With dusk came the return of Cacklefest to the hallowed track surface of Famoso Raceway. Over 50 restored fuel machines of the slingshot and funny car variety first ran parade in front of the capacity crowd, then put fire into the holes until thousands of eyeballs either watered up the acrid power of nitro, emotion, or a mix of both.

Monterey Historics Can-Am Action Gallery

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT

The 1966-1974 salad days of Can-Am racing were a result of the Sports Car Club of America and the Canadian Automobile Sports Club joining forces. The adoption of Group 7 FIA rules spawned a North American racing class with no restrictions on engine size or boost pressure. Tire size was wide open. Weight was optional. While there were no rules on construction materials, Can-Am cars had to have an open cockpit, two seats, and two doors. Unlimited rules encouraged innovative thinking. The Jim Hall Chaparral 2J featured not one but two engines. A snowmobile mill spun a set of rear-mounted fans that generated over 1000 pounds of downforce without need for drag-inducing wings. We didn't see the 2J or driver Jackie Stewart at the Monterey Historics, but we did catch Chris MacAllister of Indianapolis, Indiana drive his number 5 1971 McLaren M8F to the checkered flag.[Can-Am History via Vintage RPM]

It Was All Part of the Fun

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Chris Economaki slugged it out as an announcer for racetracks across the country before he took the helm of Speed Sport News, or wore the yellow jacket for Wide World of Sports. In the '50s Economaki had followed the promotional efforts of Sam Nunis to Sioux Falls, where he saw a bunch of guys unloading a sophisticated timing device from a truck parked on the infield before the race.

"They struggle to get it up the stairs of the judges stand, and they place it in clear sight of the grandstand. The device has a dial that's about 18 inches in diameter.
Qualifying gets under way and we're really hyping this timing device. 'Breaking the second into one thousand parts, timing these record speeds with absolute precision!'

The dial spun while the clock operated, and stopped when the car flashed across the finish line. The hand on the dial actually spun so fast you couldn't see it with the naked eye. I'm wondering while I'm looking at it, how could the clutch work properly to stop the hands of the dial without slippage? I was curious.
Winkley is sitting in front of the machine, operating the timer, and I'm calling out the times as they're given to me. 'The time, 24 and 232 one-thousandths of a second...' I'm talking away when I look down from the judges stand, and the wires from this timing device are lying in the grass, coiled up and are plugged into nothing.

It was a phony! It was simply something to hype these 'record' speeds, and Winkley was simply winding up the clock mechanism, and making the dial spin while the cars qualified.

Again, it was a little bit of a con. The fans of today simply wouldn't but that sort of thing, no doubt about it. But many people of the era always suspected that the things being hyped weren't necessarily on the level, but there was an underlying chuckle at the same time. It was all part of the fun."

Excerpt from: Let 'Em All Go! The Story of Auto Racing by the Man who was there by Chris Economaki [daveargabright.com]

– Mike Bumbeck

Starion Racing Video Music Contest, Part 2

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EDT

More eighties ~~bombast~~ music and STP helps the Starion slay an onslaught of Ford Sierras, BMW's, and even a Volvo in the second video segment of the contest. We're not sure if Andy Granatelli had anything to do with this STP race car, or what makes this second and near 20 minute video the Hot Version. Wait for it... – Mike Bumbeck

Starion Racing Video Music Contest, Part 1

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Long before editing software made it easy for even Chim-Chim to put together a video of his dancing cousins, it seems Mitsubishi assembled their own quality versions of racing videos. As far as we can determine from the eighties soundtrack, these two rolls were produced during the actual run of the Starion itself. The first person to correctly identify all songs featured in both videos will win a genuine used OEM hydraulic lifter from a 1987 Mitsubishi Starion ESI-R. This is video number one - We Are Fast. – Mike Bumbeck

PART 2; Contest Rules; 523 Horsepower Starion Bar-B-Que [Internal]

Jalopnik Flickr Finds: Motor Racing in Angola, Africa

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:00:00 EDT

Building a race track in Angola seemed like a smashing good idea back when dashing playboys and ne'er do wells cashed in on the benefits of colonialism by way of fancy motor cars. Racing around public Angola roads and the purpose built street circuit was a welcome sunny holiday from the usual drab weather euro-fare. Engine overheating was a minor annoyance compared to eventual decolonization. Ensuing civil war has prevented the return of motor racing to the sandy dunes, but the imagery from the past lives on thanks to a photoset from Nite Owl. – Mike Bumbeck

Car Racing in Angola from the '50s thorugh '70s [flickr.com]; African Motor Racing History [grandprix.com]

Related:
Oh, Group B, How We Miss You [Internal]

Open House of Velocity and Tradition

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:00:00 EDT

The worst of Los Angeles must often be endured to find the best of what makes Southern California great. The reward for fighting a brutal snarl of typical eastbound Friday afternoon Los Angeles traffic was the So-Cal Speed Shop Open House. The history that began with Alex Xydias after World War Two is still being made. The SoCal 800 horsepower turbocharged and intercooled Ecotec-powered 34 roadster carries tradition down the long black line of land speed racing, and Jimmy Shine creations help keep tradition rolling down the boulevards of the basin. As shown by the sheer number of machines and folks that rolled in from as far away as Vermont, the So-Cal Speed Shop continues at the nexus of California hot rodding. While the LA Roadster Show may catch more notoriety, they weren't giving away In-N-Out Burgers. – Mike Bumbeck

So-Cal Speed Shop [so-calspeedshop.com]

Beat on the Berlina 2000

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:00:00 EDT

While looking for a parking space in order that we could make a stop at ~~Rockaway Beach~~ our favorite store full of robots and the like, we spied this well yet exquisitely worn Alfa Romeo Berlina. Melee and other badges indicate road rally action. The miles look as if they have been, and will continue to be a heap of fun. Bonus points for the blue tape racing stripe. – Mike Bumbeck

Related:
1968 Alfa Romeo Ambulance at Fantasy Junction [Internal]

Great Achievements in Motorsport: AJ Foyt Interview

Mike Bumbeck — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT

While there may or may not have been any more Elvis, Beatles, or the Rolling Stones in 1977, it was certainly the year that AJ Foyt won his fourth Indy 500. Tune in as Jim McKay, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Economaki don the mustard yellow sports jackets to bring you the constant variety of sport, then say so long from Indianapolis. – Mike Bumbeck

Superbikers: Father of Supermoto

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 14:00:00 EDT

Just when we thought the origins of Supermoto had something to do with the rolling urban terrain of a euro-centric San Francisco Bay Area, history tells us otherwise. Supermoto, or Supermotard if you happen to be in France, started right here in Carlsbad, California as part of Wide World of Sports on ABC. The guys in the mustard yellow sports jackets incorporated this two-wheeled challenge of off and on road motorcycle skill into the regularly scheduled programming of Canadian Rules Ice Curling and Demolition Derbies, until the wheels fell off the show in the eighties. The Europeans kept the Superbikers flame alive lest it suffer the agony of defeat. Supermoto is now back, with Americans once again able to experience the thrill of victory. – Mike Bumbeck

Related:
Beverly Hills Ducati Hypermotard [Internal]

Say it Isn't So! Jim Nabors Unable to Attend Indy 500

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:30:00 EDT

In a move shocking to Indiana residents and racing fans alike, Jim Nabors announced that he will be unable to attend the Indy 500 and sing Back Home in Indiana due to illness. Race fans in attendance and from around the world will be encouraged to sing in place of the heartland crooner via a live video satellite feed from his home in Hawaii. Brush up on the lyrics now for race day. – Mike Bumbeck

Back home again in Indiana
And it seems that I can see
The gleaming candlelight still burning bright
Thro' the sycamores for me
The new mown hay sends all its fragrance
Through fields I used to roam
When I dream
About the moonlight on the Wabash
How I long for my Indiana home

Nabors To Miss Indy Due To Illness - Fans To Sing 'Back Home Again' [indianapolismotorspeedway.com]

Related:
Parnelli Jones Back at Brickyard [Internal]

Modern Muscle into Vintage Digger

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:30:00 EDT

Something good is bound to happen when Big Daddy Don Garlits gets his hands on a modern Mopar 392 Hemi. Seems Big Daddy bolted up a blower to the top of the mill and dropped it in the framerails of a front engine chassis. Boy howdy! We have what looks to be Swamp Rat Number 35. Swamp Rat Number 1 sits in the Big Daddy Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in honor of huffing nitro through eight modified Stromberg carburetors and taking the World's Fastest Dragster title in 1957 and 1958. Swamp Rats 1-B through 34 are also duly enshrined. And yes, they all had Hemis. – Mike Bumbeck

[Thanks to Jack Pine for the tip]

Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing [garlits.com]

Related:
More Big Daddy Don Garlits

Team Starfish Barracuda

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 04 May 2007 11:30:00 EDT

From the Plymouth compact performance department comes this Barracuda - shown here putting the twist to the front torsion bars and rear leaf springs through the corkscrew at Laguna Seca Raceway. Mike Ritz and Team Starfish have logged over 5000 miles of race track since building the vintage race prepared 1966 Plymouth Barracuda Formula S in 1994. The little fish tosses up door handles with Camaros, Mustangs, and AMC Javelins on the weekends it tears up the track. On those weekends the team burns through around 1200 clams of gas, tires, and entry fee, but manages to keep racing by doing all the mechanical work themselves. Budget performance - from your Plymouth dealer. – Mike Bumbeck

Team Starfish Racing [teamstarfish.com]

That Psychedelic 70s Car Show

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:30:00 EDT

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway itself is putting out the call to all unique and unusual rides from the 70s. Owners are encouraged to roll in and help celebrate the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Psychedelic 70s Car Show, from May 18th to 20th. As a Sunday bonus the entire group will be invited out onto the Brickyard for a parade lap. Brush the dust off that 1976 Mercury Bobcat, break out the 8-Tracks, and register before May 11th. – Mike Bumbeck

[Thanks to Cole Coonce for the tip]

Psychedelic 70s Car Show [indy500.com]

The Red Menace: Zastava-Yugo 750!

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:00:00 EDT

The diminutive Zastava was endearing enough to earn the nick name Nicia, which means Little Fiat in Serbian. As was its Fiat 500 cousin to the west, the compact Zastava was endlessly modified and by way of engine swaps and other creative mechanical mayhem. The final version of the car packed a very close to Fiat 850 engine which belted out 39 horsepower. A glorious day Comrade! We ended up with the slightly more powerful Yugo here in the states, also known as the 2CV of the Americas. – Mike Bumbeck

Zastava-Yugo History [autosoviet.altervista.org]

Related:
You Go, Turbo! Yugo Turboooooooo! [Internal]

Star of Soviet Land Speed Record Car

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 01 May 2007 19:00:00 EDT

To forever put forth the collected might of the Soviet into the history of speed and worker achievement came the mighty Zvezda-1, which means star in Russian. The two-stroke two-cylinder engine at the heart of this 1948 streamliner featured something known as undoubled pistons. This undoubling somehow employed one combustion chamber for two pistons and created a mind-bending 42 horsepower. The Zvezda-1 was not so speedy in itself, yet begat the 54 horsepower Zvezda-6! – Mike Bumbeck

More Soviet LSR Machines [autosoviet.altervista.org]

Related:
Walt & Art Arfons: Jet Car Pioneers [Internal]

Nostalgia Nitro Shootout Listens to Governor

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:30:00 EDT

Even with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declaring that environmentalism in California is officially and henceforth to become hip and sexy, it's easy to forget that the very coolest motor going Californians have been messing around with alternative fuels with great success since the '50s. At the apex of California drag racing, hundreds of professional and homebuilt racecars descended onto quarter mile dragstrips every weekend and burned up some of the most exotic alternative fuels ever run through an internal combustion engine. Nitromethane was the featured alternative fuel of choice this last weekend at the California Speedway in Fontana. While the legendary SoCal drag strips have sadly moved into history, vintage drag racing soldiers on thanks to retroactive adherents to the Governor's new policy.

Nitromethane is an organic brew which contains not one molecule of petro fuel. A splash of methanol alcohol may be thrown into the mix for various reasons, but the true madmen tip in the whole can and run a near 100% mix of the good stuff. Nitromethane also carries along with it a few oxygen molecules in its structure, which when combined with a few atmospheres of boost culled from a roots-type supercharger and crammed through a Chrysler Hemi or Chevy makes horsepower not in the hundreds range - but into the multiple thousands. The Nostalgia Nitro Shootout this last weekend at the California Speedway brought out not only a good number of front engine Top Fuel Dragsters but also a solid lineup of Funny Cars. The rest of the race cars were running either methanol, or an odd mix of race gasoline and nitrous oxide. Always remember to support alternative fuels, and your local dragstrip. – Mike Bumbeck

Nostalgia Nitro Shootout [nostalgianitroshootout.com]

Flying Sikh Begats 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 15:30:00 EDT

While the Mitsubishi Lancer was born in Japan, the man who made it famous was a Kenyan named Joginder Singh. The Flying Sikh piloted a Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR to victory in the brutal East African Safari Rally in both 1974 and 1976. Most lessor cars simply expired long before the finish, or became mired due to their driver's inability to fly over or drive through obstacles. This rally heritage is not lost on the folks who put together the new Lancer site and included a video in the Lancer Heritage section interspersed with plenty of Joginder Singh rally hoonage. The current Lancer does not appear to have the ability to fly, but they haven't let the Flying Sikh have at it yet either. – Mike Bumbeck

2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Microsite [Lancerproject.com]

Spy Photos: Mitsubishi Evo X at Willow Springs; The Exclaimer Understands Past Lancer Glory; SUPER DURABILITY! Mitsubishi Lancer, The Elder [Internal]

The Horrors of Nitro: Bakersfield March Meet

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:36:07 EDT

Every year since 1958 the March Meet has been the big deal in drag racing at Famoso raceway in Bakersfield. After having been to the event over the last ten years under fuel cars with a wrench and out on the starting line with a camera, we went this year to hang out on the grandstand side and take in the show. With driver Tim Gibson at the wheel of his BMW M-wagon and Cole Coonce throwing commentary post-punk Chris Economaki style, we motored up from Los Angeles to the former auxiliary airfield in record time. We were not the only ones. Perfect weather brought a packed crowd to the event, which serves up a unique combination of vintage drag racing, swap meet, car show, and wide-open pits for your greenbacks at the gate. Mark Ribilas captured this shot of Bill Dunlap showing what it takes to keep a front engine dragster on nitromethane together at 240 or so MPH after the Donovan Hemi kicks it and spews oil. For scads of trackside action shots head over to Drag Racing Online. For a few random spectator and swap meet snaps check the gallery. – Mike Bumbeck

MARCH MEET PHOTO EXTRA [DragRacingOnline.com]

March Meet Postponed! [Internal]

TARMAC INDUCTION AMUSEMENT!

Mike Bumbeck — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:39:32 EST

While the sheer terror of Group B Rally machines is documented with well deserved awe we like to root for the underdogs and unsung oddballs of the automobile world - some more oddball and unsung than others. Look not so closely to see numerous Ford Sierra Cosworths laughing like hyenas as they push tarmac sliding power through blow off valves and wastegates. Ford Sierras were hardly sold here in the states as a Merkur Xr4ti with a turbocharged SOHC 2.3L Ford mill under the hood. Look more closely to see a few NSU Prinz 1000's assing their way around corners, openly mocking their inner Bruce. Peer most carefully to witness a Starion wide body run a little wide, and not of its body. – Mike Bumbeck

Mooneyes X-mas Party Show & Drag

Mike Bumbeck — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 22:10:50 EST

The collection of mechanical iconography and fine old junk that determines what is a hot rod and custom is at once ever changing and at the same moment forever etched in time - or sometimes a set of valve covers. A good lot of the very things visually say fast or custom grew from racing jalopies out on the street, dry lakes, or drag strips. A never driven hot rod spinning slowly round on a turnstile, or a once affordable musclecar selling for a bazillion smackers on some crummy TV auction is the unfortunate end result of folks forgetting the whole deal is about driving fast and having fun in whatever wheeled contraption you can find or build. To that end, the 2006 Mooneyes X-mas party at Irwindale Raceway served up drag racing, tunes, pinstriping, jalopies, and a heap of other reasons to be merry this X-mas. Behold just some of the good stuff in the gallery. – Mike Bumbeck

Related:
The 2005 Mooneyes Christmas Party! [Internal]

SUPER HATCHBACK AMUSEMENT! 1994 Starlet Grand Cup

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:00:06 EST

We have long maintained that the reason for motorsports getting worse instead of better is the lack of connection between the fan in the stands and the car and driver out on the track. While manufacturers still attempt to employ the old "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" strategy through the creative use of vinyl letters conveying what kind of car is out doing the racing, if you have to physically spell-it-out-in-letters for folks then the crucial fan connection is gone. Racing fans like to think that the cars they drove in to watch the race could be tossing up door handles with the hopped up versions on the track. The Toyota Starlets in the parking lot at this race might not have been packing hi-po TRD 4K 1300cc pushrod race engines, but there had to be a few of them out there. Behold angry Toyota Starlets and the fans that loved them circa 1994. – Mike Bumbeck

[via KP61.net]

Stout Sighting at Willow Springs

Mike Bumbeck — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:38:06 EST

A corner-of-eye image registered in our periphery after a long day of driving modern machines on the roads and byways surrounding Willow Springs Raceway at the recent Motor Press Guild track day. Closer inspection revealed that that the fuzzy retinal artifact was in reality the oddly placed turn signal on top the hood of another Toyota Stout. This particular Stout was sitting restored in the front office of the raceway, sporting a bed full of straw hats and tires. Hot laps were unfortunately not being offered. – Mike Bumbeck

Related:
SEMA Show: Wicked Stout [internal]

SUPER DURABILITY! Mitsubishi Lancer, The Elder

Mike Bumbeck — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:20:13 EST

Before the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution began evolving there was the Lancer GSR. The original Lancer was built from 1973-1977 and forever etched Mitsubishi into the rally history by taking astounding 1st through 4th place wins in the 1973 Southern Cross Rally. This particular example belongs to one Chito Solomon, who purchased the car from its original Japanese owner with a mere 24K kilometers on the clock. Chito threw a fresh set of dampers, wheels, and shoes on the GSR after taking delivery from Japan and rallied the beastie SoCal style down to the Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach. Behold the stock-down-to-the-last-hose-clamp-goodness in the [Gallery] – Mike Bumbeck

Buzzing Mazdas Return to Hive: SevenStock 9

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 13:09:13 EST

Before SEMA overwhelmed us all with gadget trickery and booty shaking, the ninth annual SevenStock enveloped Mazda USA's HQ in sheer rotary madness. Along with the faithful rolling in rotary-powered rides from around the world, Mazda rolled out some historical race machines from its museum into the rabid crowd. This RX-2 won the first race of any Mazda in the US and was a project car for Car and Driver magazine. Former Chrysler engineer and then C&D editor Pat Bedard piloted the little Mazda in the IMSA "Baby Grand" series as a key part of the project. Rules for the running dictated very limited mods and required the compact and subcompact cars to run on street tires! And no, we still don't know Jay Leno even though he does have a Cosmo. Behold the full SevenStock 9 spread in the [Gallery] – Mike Bumbeck

The Bakersfield Nitromethane Sound

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:04:48 EST

What was quite possibly the last Goodguys drag race went off in grand style last weekend at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield. Top Fuel dragsters and nitro-huffing Funny Cars tossed it up out in the lanes. Along with being famous for Buck Owens and the birthplace of the California Sound, Bakersfield was where Perry Mason always and inexplicably sent a reluctant Paul to do something. We were never sure what. In California, the California Sound is known as the Bakersfield Sound. Nitro is always known as nitromethane, and these guys tip in the whole can to the tune of near 100%. Perhaps a splash of alcohol for good luck. – Mike Bumbeck [Gallery]