He barely fixes one issue before another pops up. Little does he know four others also urgently need to speak to him.

Welcome to the world of Steve Gibbs, who retired as NHRA's Competition Director in 1998, only to accept a role as the original Director of the NHRA Museum, and later became the point man in the NHRA Heritage Series. He unexpected retired again in March, stepping away from his association with the NHRA in March.

One might think Gibbs, who is pushing 80 years old, is ready to throw his feet back and relax.

One might be wrong.

"Make no mistake about it, when I am out here, I am in my element," Gibbs said. "That's just the way it is."

Gibbs, whose veins are believed to flow nitromethane, kicked off the latest chapter in his life with a reunion style event at Barona Dragway, the small eighth-mile strip located outside of San Diego, Ca.

By Gibbs assessment, the inaugural Nitro Revival was a success.

“I guess it depends from what angle you look as to whether it was a success,” Gibbs explained. “I think it was fine. I think from a financial standpoint, it was decent considering it’s a first time event at a small track. I think from an emotional standpoint it was a rousing success. I think we touched a nerve there. I think we got a lot of great comments afterward and I think it’s something to build on. We’re very satisfied with the way it came out.”

In many ways, Gibbs believes he's living out a big part of his life's destiny.

"I guess I was the likely candidate to take on some of these historical aspects of the sport," Gibbs said. "It goes back to experience and having lived in that time frame. The jobs that I had over the years, and relationships with these people and their cars."

Gibbs went to work with the NHRA in 1969, and he says the cars being portrayed in the Barona event and the entire Cacklefest community was at one time part of his job.

"It was just a hobby, it was part of my job," Gibbs said. "I grew up with these guys, the Prudhommes, Kalittas and the McEwens. It was just a natural {that I stuck with this]. They ran the cars, and I was responsible for the management."

Gibbs said one of the reasons for his part in creating the original California Hot Rod Reunion, and now the Nitro Revival was to ensure the preservation of a moment where grandfathers and their grandsons, or great-grandsons, can pass on hot rodding the way it used to be.

The experience, Gibbs believes, makes a better impact than a scrapbook or storytelling could even come close to conveying.

"They can feel the cars, and smell the nitro," Gibbs explained. "Many of the legends are still around with the cars. It's like a living and breathing museum."

Just because there's no real racing doesn't mean the details aren't the devil.

"It's hectic sometimes," Gibbs explained. "It's a million things. Someone always needs something, and they need an answer for stuff."

In the midst of these situations is when Gibbs regretfully realizes his largest shortcoming.

"I probably haven't done a good enough job of delegating to where people know how I think," Gibbs said. "I think I have improves well enough over the years to make things fit when all of a sudden that square peg doesn't fit in the round hole. You just find a find a way to make it all work, and I have been good at it over the years.

"I probably have shot myself in the foot by not relaying that thought process to other people. I'm not sure who is going to pick this up when I croak I hope somebody does. You just can't replace that 50 years of doing something. You accumulate knowledge. It's just common sense; that is a big part of my makeup."

The Nitro Revival was a project Gibbs said was created largely because of issues which transpired at last year's NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion. It's a situation, Gibbs admits, he wishes hadn't happened.

"It seemed like this particular group of cars [Cacklefest participants] was looked upon as not playing as big of a role as it had in the past," Gibbs said. "Limitations were handed down which were hard for some people in this group to accept, myself included. After we had some new rules or guidelines, which were going to be played out, I felt like we needed to do something on our own where these guys were the center of attention. It was just an element which had been greatly reduced. Some guys took it hard when all of a sudden a particular event they weren't welcome anymore. That's what it all boiled down to. It was all unfortunate.

"I'm glad we are doing this. On the other hand, I wish it hadn't been necessary."

Will there be a Nitro Revival 2 or more of the same at other locations?

“I’d say there’s a 98 percent chance next year at Barona,” Gibbs said. “[Barona} still have to look at their calendar, kind of has to fall in line with thing the night before. But I’m almost 100, we’re going to do a function, there will be another one next year at Barona, and I think it will grow from what we did this year. you know the reports that came out of it. As far as other events, we’re taking a look, just kind of weighing all the options, what’s reasonable and what’s doable and how much they want to do it.

Gibbs understands time is of the essence here.

“I just talked to Raymond Godman a minute ago, he’s having some health issues," Gibbs said. "I didn’t realize, I look back in the Garlits Hall of Fame the original 20 inductees in 1991, only he and Tommy Ivo are left out of that 20. So time is taking it’s toll and I think any of these events I think need to be more focused on that part of it, capturing the history while it’s still here, honoring the history and those people and doing the best you can with it, in the right setting.”

And wherever Gibbs goes, tends to be the right setting.