March Meet

Woodstock on Nitro
The 54th Bakersfield March Meet

In the weeks leading up to the event, it was all I could think about. Was I more “amped” for this particular event, or has it just been too long a winter? Regardless, we were happy to roll into the gates Wednesday afternoon to find our numbered and reserved pit space waiting for us, just one row behind the nitro funny car pits! The only downside to “arranged pitting” for us was that our VW friends were not able to pit close. Spaces were assigned in the order they were received. We were number 14. Paul Miller was 104, so he was down several rows. The Palmers were unassigned and were out at the tail end of the pits.

Overall, things seemed to go so much quicker and easier. I reckon this was because there was a test session that Wednesday rather than set-up only. No big line of racers waiting to tech. We rolled up and got right through Wednesday evening. We then got our pit situated and watched test runs the rest of the evening.
Pitted two spots away from us was the “US Air Force” A/Fuel dragster on which friend and fellow VW guy Steve Phillips is a crew-member. This gave us a chance to visit frequently. Our other pit neighbors were a B/Gas 67 Nova, and an early ‘70s Dodge Charger that rolled in late with a big rig more suited to a top fuel team than a ten second bracket car. In fact, many of the TF and FC guys had more modest rigs! And across from us was one of my favorite nostalgia event cars. A ’23 T with a straight six with Hilborn injection on alky, candy red and lots of polished aluminum and magnesium!

Our first run came at 9:30 Thursday morning. The density altitude was below sea level and there was a bit of a tailwind. Another VW group, the Podersay boys were also there and as it turned out, they were directly ahead of us in staging. As such, we were in the burn out box when they were at the line in the right lane. They had a couple of their guys there on the starting line, one of which was in the middle next to the starter.

Their car launches and the starter motions for me to begin my burnout. As I come out of the water box, their boy, who was standing in the middle steps right in front of me without looking. I had to abort my BO. The starter hollers at him. After that, I just did a dry hop to clean off the tires.

Damn. Coulda been ugly. We gots to pay attention out there!

Disaster averted, the Blue Car responded with an 11.40 @ 118.60mph. Big wheels up launch, straight and clean! Our VW friends also made their runs, Troy Palmer had a misfiring motor and didn’t have a clean run, and Paul Miller went 11.6x.
We were then free to do whatever till the afternoon. We watched some racing, cruised the midway, spent some money and went around visiting.

We made our second run that afternoon. With no tailbreeze and more normal altitude readings, we went 11.47 @ 117 and change. Troy improved to 12.01 and had some oil control issues, and I think Paul made another 11.6x pass. After that, the drinking lamp was lit, and I cracked open a cold Corona, relaxed and took it all in!
Some “cackling” got my attention, and eighty feet from our pit spot, the Austin and O’Brien fuel Funny Car had been test fired. I walked over and stood just a few feet away and was engulfed in nitro-methane fumes. It was hard to breathe, my eyes were burning, my ears were pounding….it was incredible!

By Friday morning, overall conditions were improving. The chance of showers were pretty much gone and the sun was peaking out frequently. I reckon it just would not be the March Meet without some threat of rain! We made our final time run, and clicked off another 11.47, but this time the time-slip said 134mph! I’m thinkin’ “Wow! It didn’t feel all that different, but that’s a heluva top end charge!” (Most likely it was caused by some debris blowing through the timing lights). Troy had posted an improved 11.87, and was still wrestling a bit with oil control.

That would be our only scheduled run of the day, so we were free to be spectators for the rest of the day. I felt pretty good about things. Car was working good, launching wheels up and straight. My lights were OK. Not stellar, but not bad either, hovering between .03 and .06. Good to go!
For Saturday morning’s first round of eliminations, I had the typical “jitters.” I don’t get ‘em too bad. After all, it’s not a life or death situation! Well, I guess it is in a way.
I was paired with a ten second 68 Camaro. I had a decent .06 RT, but missed the shift to second. It just hung in the "gate". Fortunately, Camaro guy redlit. The missed shift bugged me, but I chalked it up to the “jitters.”

We spent the remainder of the day as spectators again, hanging with friends. My longtime friend Steve Long who races a ’69 big block Mustang was there to spectate, and good friend Mike Herbert made the trek north with an entourage as well! Saturday night we chowed down at Troy’s business associate’s campsite. Like last year, him and his friends prepared a huge feast. It was incredible and very much appreciated! Later that night, the illegal fireworks were lighting up the sky (along with a police helicopter trying to find who was doing it), there were parties in the pits. It was Woodstock on Nitro!

Our second eliminations run came Sunday morning. I was paired with a late '30s Chevy The gold sedan in Sarge's pictures above) dialed in at 9.85. I had a better .04 reaction time, but missed second again. Again hanging up in the gate. Again I got lucky and Early Chevy guy redlights.

Now I was agitated. It was acting the same as did early last year when we had the bent shift fork. With few options, I decided to back off my dial, granny shift it, and try to fender race my opponent for the next round and hope for the best. I backed off from 11.50 down to 12 flat. It did go into gear doing that, and I chased him down, took a .009 second stripe, but I ran under and lost the round. 11.93 on a 12 flat dial.

Still, we were quite happy. We have no grand illusions about racing here at the March Meet. Our only goal is to still be around for Sunday’s eliminations. We achieved that. We talked to a lot of people who were curious about the Blue Car, made some new racing friends, spent time with old friends and were in the staging lanes NEXT TO NITRO CARS!

Upon our return home, I yanked the motor and found a little chunk of “something” had been rattling around in the bellhousing. It musta been small. There was no actual debris to be found. Some of the fingers on the clutch diaphragm were bent down once it was off. I don’t know if that was the cause of the gear changing trouble because the other gears were not affected. So, after talking to Mike Herbert at Rancho Transaxles, we figured it was time to move away from the synchros and install pro rings on second and third gears.
And that my friends, wraps up another great March Meet. It was all worth it and we left pretty happy. One has to experience it and appreciate the history to really “know.”

Next up, the Phoenix BRS event on March 25th. Looking forward to being with our VW friends again!