2015 NHRA CALIFORNIA HOT ROD REUNION - EVENT NOTEBOOK
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EVENT NOTEBOOK - PUTTING AN EXCLAMATION POINT ON THE SEASON
CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK - The Densham name is well-known in drag racing circles.
Gary Densham began racing a nitro Funny Car in 1979 and has won eight NHRA national events.
Now, the family has its first world championship.
Steven Densham, 33, Gary’s son won the family’s first world championship as he won the NHRA’s Hot Rod Heritage Series Nostalgia Funny Car points title.
“It’s amazing feeling,” Steven said after he won the crown following the completion of the California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield at Auto Club Famoso Raceway Sunday.
Densham clinched the championship when Jason Rupert knocked off points runner-up Kris Krabill in the semifinals Sunday. Rupert clocked a 5.738-second lap to defeat Krabill’s 5.825-second run.
Densham needed help from Rupert because he was upset by Krabill in the first round. Krabill’s 5.702-second run edged Densham’s 5.723-second effort.
“We had a pretty good year all year long and I was glad Jason was there to save my butt at the very end,” Steven said. “We ended up winning the championship and I’m super excited and I’m glad it happened.”
Steven also addressed what his championship would mean to his father.
“Obviously he has done very well throughout his career,” Steven said. “You can’t take anything away from him and how hard he’s worked and how well he’s done with the very little money he has in the big (nitro) car. It’s always great to have a championship and my dad is a big part of that. He’s the one who makes this car run so well.”
DUNLAP WINS - In Top Fuel, Bill Dunlap of Capitola, Calif., raced to the victory when he bested Denver Schultz. In the finals, Dunlap powered to a winning run of 5.695 at 255.58 to the losing run 5.838 at 255.58. Dunlap defeated Brendan Murray, Dave Hirata, and Rick White top advance to the finals. This is the second win of the season for Dunlap at a Hot Rod Reunion event as he won in Bowling Green.
“I was lucky enough to win the inaugural event here in ’92,” Dunlap said. “It is the crew that gets me there. I’m just the lucky guy who gets to push the pedals. The crew that we put together for this race is amazing. I have to blame it all on the crew.”
CURTAIN CALL - Denver Schutz’s performance during his last two rounds was a near-perfect finale to what turned out to be his career curtain call. Moments after scoring his hard-earned runner-up finish at the 24th CHRR, the 70-year-old Schutz announced his retirement from the sport. Among other achievements, Denver was the 1998 CHRR Top Fuel Champion.
“Quitting is hard,” Schutz explained.
SLAYING THE GIANT - Denver Schutz unnerved 2015 Points Champion, #1 Qualifier and odds-on favorite Tony Bartone with a similar mud-in-your eye startling line stratagem, deep staging and then expertly dropping a holeshot. This startled Bartone, who belatedly gave pursuit in a see-sawing battle. Schutz held off Bartone with a 5.90 at 241 mph to Tony’s quicker-but-losing 5.82 at 202 mph.
“You only do it when you have to,” Schutz said afterwards, about the deep-stage. “It kind of a c.s. way to race but we are professionals and sometimes you do what you have to.”
“He threw me off and I was dead late,” Bartone confirmed. “That’s the story.”
Bartone added that a broken fuel line coupled with three dead holes four seconds into his run contributed to his loss.
OTHER CHAMPIONSHIPS DECIDED - Parks, Burlingame, Kan., swept the weekend holding off both J.D. Zink and Wayne Ramay for the 2015 Jr. Fuel point’s championship and then knocking out Don Enriquez in the final to take home the Hot Rod Reunion trophy as well. The win was Parks’ third of the year having won the season opener Good Vibrations March Meet and the Rocky Mountain Raceway event in June.
Kin Bates, Anderson, Calif., scored his seventh Heritage Series A/Fuel Championship having dominated the field since the series started in 2008. Bates won in Sacramento and added a pair of final rounds at the March Meet and in Salt Lake City to set up the series-clinching semifinal round this weekend. Bates lost to event winner Drew Austin, who won the final two events of the year to jump into second.
Redmond, Wash., racer Michael Peck over took former Series Champion Bobby Cottrell to win the 7.0 Eliminator championship. Cottrell lost in round two which opened the door for Peck who advanced to the semifinals to seal the championship. Peck opened the season with a semifinal at the March Meet then added a runner up in Salt Lake before this weekend’s semifinal.
HODGSON MAKES A CLEAN SWEEP - This was quite the memorable weekend for Ryan Hodgson.
The Edmonton, Canada, native qualified No. 1 and went on to win the prestigious California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield.
"I don't know what to say," said a smiling Hodgson after his win. "You just get gritty and get out there and you know it's running good. You just got to try and be in your groove and keep on keeping on and race. I dreamed of having a dominating car like this, but you keep it to yourself.
Hodgson clinched the race victory when he beat Jason Rupert in the final round.
Hodgson clocked 5.722-second elapsed time at 255.63 mph to defeat Jason Rupert who clocked a 5.817-second lap at 249.21 mph.
"My team is everything," Hodgson said. "I just have to drive it down the track and these guys, they bend over backwards. Everytime we race these guys are important to everything. It is not me, it is them. The factor starts now because we won the race. We were still working on the car in the staging lanes in the last round and thanks for all the (other teams) who helped us out."
Hodgson set low E.T. and top speed of the meet with a 5.642-second pass at 262.28 mph in 1969 Camaro.
"We just worked together as a team," Hodgson said.
FAMILY TIME - What would inspire Richard Hartman to build a Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car?
"I didn't have enough to do on my weekends off from racing," said Hartman, 48, who now serves as car chief for Tim Wilkerson.
Hartman is at this weekend's California Hot Rod Reunion with a 1969 Camaro he built in his Williamsburg, South Carolina shop.
"They're just fun to drive, and the atmosphere here at these events is just incredible," Hartman explained. "It's a relaxing kind of racing, the kind where there is no stress. You want to qualify and do your best but if you come up short, it's not the end of the world."
Hartman last drove a fuel Funny Car at the big show back in 2007 when he filled in for fellow South Carolinian Andy Kelley, who was making the transition over into the nitro ranks.
Hartman isn't driving this weekend, relinquishing his cockpit to Englishman Tony Betts who was fulfilling a lifelong dream of racing at the California Hot Rod Reunion.
Hartman said he built his Camaro within the spirit of the rules and he doesn't complain about those who take the design of these cars "too far."
"You're always going to have that," Hartman said. "There are some cars out here I don't particularly like, but the NHRA passed them so whatever. I have nothing against them, and I will be just fine racing with my almost perfectly looking nostalgia car and try to whip their butt. That's all you can do. It's a little more satisfying when you do beat them."
But winning and running pales in comparison to the fun he's having while racing with his dad Virgil again.
"One of the reasons I built this car was to race with him again," said Hartman. "We are not getting any younger and even though we live 15 minutes apart, we don't get to spend too much time together. He's busy; I am busy. We don't see each other as much as I would like. I knew building this car would help bring us together more, and it has."
LIVING THE DREAM, NO CLICHE HERE - For 24 weekends a year, Matt Bynum works as a crewman on the Del Worsham DHL Funny Car servicing the bottom end and rebuilding the team’s engines back in the shop. During his downtime, he assumes another important role -- he assumes another important role. He's a driver.
Bynum pilots the Matthews Motorsports 1969 Mustang in the Nostalgia Funny car division.
"It's a fun deal, something to do on the weekends," Bynam said. "It was something I always wanted to do."
Bynum licensed last year in Jason Rupert's Funny Car and no sooner than he earned his accreditation to drive than he was approached by Cecil and Randy Matthews, who had purchased the former Nitro Nick Funny Car of Nicky Boninfante.
Bynum is no stranger to drag racing having grown up in a racing family where his father Chris campaigned a Top Gas dragster lived down the road from Gary Densham.
"I'm awful lucky to drive this car but if the opportunity ever presented itself for me to drive a big show car, I'd be very interested," admitted Bynum.
Right now, just making passes at the famous track in Famosa is a dream come true.
"Getting to do this is beyond cool," Bynum said.
HERDING THE CATS - Driving a Fuel Altered can be an overwhelming challenge. Getting a group of period-correct cars can be a different story.
"Getting a gathering of this cross section of AA/FAs is like herding cats," said Dave Hough, who campaigns the Nanook AA/FA.
Hough confirmed the group in attendance this weekend represents eight different states including California, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma and Michigan.
"We haven't had this group together since the 16-car Fuel Altered wars at Lions, OCIR and Irwindale. The great thing about this group is that 95% of the cars are being run by the original families. Most of these teams have been running Fuel Altereds for close to 50 years."
Hough said he raced against the legends such as Mike Sullivan, the Pure Hell, Pure Heaven, Winged Express, Rat Trap and Larry Bradford back in 1968.
Hough believes the fact the NHRA can showcase these cars says a lot about the character of these teams and their relentless attitude towards keeping what is easily the most volatile race cars in circulation.
"It shows the appreciation they have for this diehard group," said Hough." We are like cockroaches, other classes come and go, but Fuel Altereds will be around forever."
PASSING THE TORCH - For Dennis Taylor, he's happy passing the torch.
Taylor, more commonly known for his popular Taylor Motorsports Safety Products business, made the transition from Top Alcohol Funny Car Racing over to a Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car a few years ago and never looked back.
This weekend at the California Hot Rod Reunion, there was a Taylor driving the popular Evil, Wicked, Mean and Nasty Ford Mach 1 Funny Car and it wasn't Dennis. His son Justin made his driving debut behind the wheel of the family Funny car.
"I never thought I would want to step out of the seat after all these years of driving," Dennis said. "You live wanting to drive one of these cars and as you get older, you just get to a point where it's not as important any more. Justin has paid his dues."
Justin had worked previously for Roger Garten, where he held the position of car chief and crew chief for five years. Garten died on June 27, 2015, following an accident where his car crossed the centerline and made contact with the car in the other lane driven my Matt Bynum.
Dennis credits the time Justin spent with Garten as the impetus for his advancement in drag racing knowledge.
"He really did learn a lot over there because Roger gave him more freedom," Dennis explained. "I already had a crew and a crew chief, but to see what he learned in his time impressed me."
Dennis said Justin expressed an interest in driving and this was enough to convince him the time had come to pass the torch.
"I had always wanted to do this as a family," Dennis said.
Justin began the licensing process and fared well, achieving his credentials in the minimal amount of runs, six.
"That's pretty impressive for someone who has never raced anything, much less a nitro-burning Funny Car," said Dennis.
Justin made two runs, and ran a 6.21, 230.27 best on a run where he experienced engine damage. However, a broken crank did the team in and was forced to withdraw after only one day.
"That was still his quickest and fastest run by a fair amount," Dennis said. "The nice part is he didn't look like a rookie. He raced unrattled. I am now convinced even more of the second-generation theory that says these kids pay attention a lot more than you think they do. I have got to believe this. It's tough strapping him in the car, but I am not the least bit worried about him."
Justin said he welcomed the challenge of following in his father's footsteps.
"I don't think I was as nervous as I was excited," said Justin. "I think I am more comfortable inside than I am outside of it. I always wanted to drive one of these cars. I made my first run, looked over and saw all of the people in the stands, and it was pretty exciting.
HE'S A RACER, HE RACES - The lure of an off weekend from his occupation doesn’t have much pull for two-time NHRA Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon. If there’s no race on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, he’s going to find one.
This weekend he found the California Hot Rod Reunion. He’s got his 44 foot trailer, no lounge and a laptop on a plastic table tuning his car.
“This is what I do, I’m a racer,” said Pedregon. “And what do racers do but race? This weekend’s race is a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. I always end up running into those people who raced with my dad and fans who watched him race.
“It is a reminder of how good we have it over on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. This kind of race will make you appreciate being organized and regimented.”
Pedregon competes in the Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car division where he pilots a Pontiac Firebird Funny Car built in tribute to the legendary Keeling and Clayton team, an operation known for their incredible craftsmanship to detail. And Pedregon’s tribute is a chip off the old block.
This weekend, Pedregon is running a new chassis, not the one he’s run in NHRA Heritage events past, sporting the trademark Keeling and Clayton blue powder-coated version.
“We have mounted the body onto one of our Murf McKinney chassis, which is actually one of the former Advance Auto Parts chassis,” said Pedregon. “We are riding a fine line here because the car we had out in March is certainly a show car quality race car. But I am out here to race. This is so close to what we run with the Snap-on Tools car on the NHRA big show. It’s comfortable and I can see well out of it.”
Knowing he’s got a one-of-a-kind body on the car doesn’t deter him from racing the extent and beyond what his car can deliver.
“There’s no points implications and we are certainly trying to run as hard as we can,” Pedregon said. “We don’t worry about the what ifs. We survey the damage and come back next time.”
