An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 fans and about 500 racers gathered at Famoso Raceway from March 9-11 for the 49th anniversary March Meets, known as The Jewel Of Nostalgia Racing.
The first racers took off at 8 a.m. Friday morning to begin the time-trial preliminaries, leading up to Sunday’s final race. Some of the racers and fans come to the event every year, and, for some of them, it was their first time out.
Team Vipers comes out every year led by their captain Francis. “Last year was the only year that we weren’t able to make it out here, because of the rain,” one Viper said. They come out to uphold the tradition of their World Famous Grill, which was set up in what appeared to be an old dragster body.
When asked what the Vipers come out for, aside from doing some barbecuing, they said that usually they come out for the “drool fest,” and to see the “shine and show” cars. However, this year, according to many Vipers, it has been more about racing than usual.
If anyone else came out to do a little drinking and eating there were certainly enough outlets to indulge. Aside from the actual races there was a swap meet style shopping area, and next to that, an outdoor row of quick hot-dog stands and barbeque.
A lot of the racers appeared to be superstitious, and not eager to speak before their race. Tom Moore races every year, and this year had a new car, a dragster that he built from the ground up, with no help from any sponsors.
He spent about $1,400 to get it race ready. It only took him one year to get the car up to 750 horsepower.
When asked if he has ever seen a crash, or been involved in one he said, “Hey! We don’t talk about that at the racetrack, don’t jinx me!”
He went on to say that there have been fatalities in the past that he has seen, but that they try not to think about that sort of stuff on race day.
Rob Greene, a mechanic for JKR Racing from Orange, came out to the races for his first time this year. He was preparing Shannon Spears’ car, Nurse Ratchet, for its first big day out.
Nurse Ratchet is a 1968 Olds Mobile Ambulance,with a 500-cubic inch Chevy engine, with 900 horses to propel its 3,000-pound.
They spent two weeks and $60,000 getting Nurse Ratchet up to racing standards. Not only did this car appear at the Famoso Raceway, you may have caught it on TLC on a show called “Customizer.”