March Meet Moves to May (1 Viewer)

[Cliff]

2021 BAKERSFIELD MARCH MEET MOVING TO MAY | Competition Plus

Auto Club Famoso Raceway management issued a statement on December 16, 2021, confirming the Good Vibrations March Meet in Bakersfield, Ca. has been postponed until May 27 - 30, 2020. "The Pandemic is causing a new wave of issues with regards to case counts, travel restrictions, business closures...

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[n/a]

We should have less chance of rain.

 

[vegasnitro]

We should have less chance of rain.

It will also be 30 degrees hotter LOL.

 

[.]

It will give the nostalgia funny cars the additional time they need to become more aerodynamic and less nostalgic.

 

[mole]

AND WILL CALL IT.......THE MAY MEET.........SORRY...HAD TO SAY IT.......

 

[DixonFan]

AND WILL CALL IT.......THE MAY MEET.........SORRY...HAD TO SAY IT.......

It May or May not happen. Lol

 

[n/a]

It will also be 30 degrees hotter LOL.

I'd much rather 30 degrees than a wet track.

 

[J. S.]

We will be extremely lucky if the Bowsers are able to keep their operation afloat until next May. Thanks to being held hostage by our idiot, moron CA Governor, they, like many, many small business in this formerly great state, have been forced to shut down by wildly inconsistent and irrational executive order-type mandates. Home Depot and Walmart have stayed open and continue to be jammed with people, and we can't go to outdoor events with, say, even 1/3 or 1/2 capacity? Despite the record breaking speed of the new vaccines that are now being distributed - thanks largely to the polices of Pres Trump - I doubt it will make any difference in 2021 to these idiot politicians. They will no doubt find a way to keep their foot on the throat of the state, and the country, and continue to lock things down when there is no rational need to do so. I certainly hope that we will see drag racing at Famoso and Pomona in 2021, but unless the public says enough is enough (hardly likely), I'm not optimistic.

Let's all hope that the 2020 March Meet wasn't the REAL Last Drag Race (in CA).

 

[Cliff]

Jon, agree w/ you about gov grusome. There is a petition in Calif to recall him, so hope that works out. Maybe Calif will have some sanity then.....

 

[glofria]

We will be extremely lucky if the Bowsers are able to keep their operation afloat until next May. Thanks to being held hostage by our idiot, moron CA Governor, they, like many, many small business in this formerly great state, have been forced to shut down by wildly inconsistent and irrational executive order-type mandates. Home Depot and Walmart have stayed open and continue to be jammed with people, and we can't go to outdoor events with, say, even 1/3 or 1/2 capacity? Despite the record breaking speed of the new vaccines that are now being distributed - thanks largely to the polices of Pres Trump - I doubt it will make any difference in 2021 to these idiot politicians. They will no doubt find a way to keep their foot on the throat of the state, and the country, and continue to lock things down when there is no rational need to do so. I certainly hope that we will see drag racing at Famoso and Pomona in 2021, but unless the public says enough is enough (hardly likely), I'm not optimistic.

Let's all hope that the 2020 March Meet wasn't the REAL Last Drag Race (in CA).

The track and the MM is going away anytime soon. In fact, they had a private rental today, as they have a few times so far this month. The track is not a private enterprise, but rather owned by the Kern County Airport Authority and therefore has to abide by what the county says. If needed, the county can tell the Blowsers to shutdown the track operation, but they haven't. Just limiting how many can enter in the gate.

We are entering into the winter months and so far the weather has been mild which could mean a late winter for So. Cal. It is also the cold and flu season, which also means things will continue to get worse before getting better. I think it was a wise decision to push back the race as the weather will be more conclusive for this outdoor event and more people will have taken the vaccination. Also keep in mind that there are other events planned for Famoso that will go on as scheduled like the ANRA Season Opener.

Now as for our dumbass governor, I have signed the recall petition. I have also pushed back at all this lock down nonsense and will continue to go about my daily life as usual.

 

[Cliff]

Gino, how long has Bakersfield been a drag strip? I know it was once a WWII training field and that drag racing has been there since 1950's. Just curious.

 

[Ramjet]

Gino, how long has Bakersfield been a drag strip? I know it was once a WWII training field and that drag racing has been there since 1950's. Just curious.

Famoso is an auxillary landing strip for Minter Field. Technically they have a "30 days to quit" order if it is needed by the military, but it won't ever happen because it is not much good for anything much newer than a BiPlane. The Smokers car club first used it in 1957 and it was always the Smokers March Meet until after Jack Williams quit running it and they moved it back east for a very short while I believe. Then the Good Guys took it over and now NHRA has it. Not really sure if all those changes are upward or downward. It was a Racers race in the begining - Now it is a production.

 

[glofria]

Roger, allow me to correct you. The March Meet is not controlled by NHRA, but the Reunion is. The MM (I believe) still belongs to The Smokers and it is ran by the track. It's the one event that makes enough money to cover the expense for the rest of the year. The exception is the track rentals to organizations ANRA, WCHR and others. Nevertheless, the reasoning for moving the event to May is to increase the odds that spectators will be allowed in. Otherwise, it's very difficult to make up for the lost revenue.

With regards the airport, the east runway is still active (see photo) and it's not uncommon to see someone fly in and out for the March Meet or the reunion. Control tower is either Shafter Airport or Meadows Field in town. I'm not a pilot so I don't know for certain. I seem to recall one year hearing Kalitta Lear Jet taking off from over there during one of the reunions. Everyone was snickering in the stands as you could hear the roar as it was running down the runway.

 

[BigPlanDan]

Fortunately, the 2020 March Meet made it just by the skin of its teeth...I was going to another race the next weekend but it got cancelled due to the shutdown. I am fine with the 2021 MM being in May as a March date seems more questionable every day we get closer to that time.

 

[Raconteur]

Geno,
the Good Vibrations March Meet is owned by John and Blake Bowser. The US Fuel & Gas Championships is owned by the Smokers.

Jon Clark,
have you informed the Blake or John Bowser of the peril to keep their operation afloat until next May? Please let them know ASAP!

Roger Gates,
Jack Williams was the leaseholder of Famoso Raceway until he passed away, at that time it was a sub-lease from the NHRA. As part of Jack's will, the Bowsers were the assigned successors and still hold the sub-lease. Good-Guys held a number of their Vintage Series events at Famoso, but I don't believe they ever held the lease with the Kern County Airport Commission.

Paul Flores,
Heritage Series and United Nitro Funny Cars events are run under the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series rules and carefully checked by assigned Tech Personnel like Ken Gentry who measures every part of the nitro funny car bodies, width, length, spoiler & spill plate areas, injector area, internal supercharger dimensions, overhang, etc. to enforce and police the rigid rules package. One body was approved by Danny Gracia at NHRA, in my opinion was a mistake to approve, but your sweeping statement "additional time they need to become more aerodynamic and less nostalgic" simply is not true. Attending one of the many Heritage-type events might give you a more educated perspective.

Darr Hawthorne

 

[Ramjet]

Roger, allow me to correct you. The March Meet is not controlled by NHRA, but the Reunion is. The MM (I believe) still belongs to The Smokers and it is ran by the track. It's the one event that makes enough money to cover the expense for the rest of the year. The exception is the track rentals to organizations ANRA, WCHR and others. Nevertheless, the reasoning for moving the event to May is to increase the odds that spectators will be allowed in. Otherwise, it's very difficult to make up for the lost revenue.

With regards the airport, the east runway is still active (see photo) and it's not uncommon to see someone fly in and out for the March Meet or the reunion. Control tower is either Shafter Airport or Meadows Field in town. I'm not a pilot so I don't know for certain. I seem to recall one year hearing Kalitta Lear Jet taking off from over there during one of the reunions. Everyone was snickering in the stands as you could hear the roar as it was running down the runway.


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[Ramjet]

Roger Gates,
Jack Williams was the leaseholder of Famoso Raceway until he passed away, at that time it was a sub-lease from the NHRA. As part of Jack's will, the Bowsers were the assigned successors and still hold the sub-lease. Good-Guys held a number of their Vintage Series events at Famoso, but I don't believe they ever held the lease with the Kern County Airport Commission.

There seems to be an overlapping conversation about Cliff's question asking how long Famoso has been a Drag Strip and the March Meets. I was being facetious about it ever being an actual airstrip again. Yes an airplane can land and take off there, but it is in no way a viable strip for Military use. The first time I was there was the 1963 March Meet and the "Guard Rail" was hay bails. Guys were starting cars and making short hits all over the place all night long. It was a Zoo. Jack who was in the Smokers was running the track along with other members. The changes as I remember since 1983 when I moved close are that Marvin Miller (Warren - Cobern - Miller) and his sons took over and ran the track for a while and then Warren Smith took over for NHRA. After that Blake and John got it. NHRA got the master lease because they thaught they might lose Pomona and as Darr said they hold the Master Lease with Auto Club as the naming rights.

 

[J. S.]

View attachment 7116​

Geno,
the Good Vibrations March Meet is owned by John and Blake Bowser. The US Fuel & Gas Championships is owned by the Smokers.

Jon Clark,
have you informed the Blake or John Bowser of the peril to keep their operation afloat until next May? Please let them know ASAP!

Roger Gates,
Jack Williams was the leaseholder of Famoso Raceway until he passed away, at that time it was a sub-lease from the NHRA. As part of Jack's will, the Bowsers were the assigned successors and still hold the sub-lease. Good-Guys held a number of their Vintage Series events at Famoso, but I don't believe they ever held the lease with the Kern County Airport Commission.

Paul Flores,
Heritage Series and United Nitro Funny Cars events are run under the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series rules and carefully checked by assigned Tech Personnel like Ken Gentry who measures every part of the nitro funny car bodies, width, length, spoiler & spill plate areas, injector area, internal supercharger dimensions, overhang, etc. to enforce and police the rigid rules package. One body was approved by Danny Gracia at NHRA, in my opinion was a mistake to approve, but your sweeping statement "additional time they need to become more aerodynamic and less nostalgic" simply is not true. Attending one of the many Heritage-type events might give you a more educated perspective.

Darr Hawthorne

View attachment 7117

Darr:

Maybe I wasn't clear with my post earlier. My concern for the Bowsers keeping their operation afloat until May is their ability to continue paying the lease (I assume they don't get to use that facility for nothing) and upkeep on the facility since their income has most certainly been reduced during 2020 with the cancellation of the CHRR and other smaller events that they otherwise would have held. If the 2020 March Meet did provide enough income to support the facility the rest of the year than that's great and maybe they can squeek by. I wish nothing but the best for the Bowsers and the track but I'm sure running that track is hardly a cash cow in the best of times, so I think we will all be very fortunate if our crackpot CA Governor will "allow" the MM to be held in May. Or, maybe he will be recalled by then.