The markers of autumn's start in Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley are evident every year. The leaves are beginning to turn, and the harvest has begun. And unlike the migratory birds that are headed South, Midwest vintage drag racers head North to Rock Falls Raceway and the annual Fall-Out Vintage Drags.
Organized by Vintage Drag Racing 101, the 5th edition of The Fall-Out enjoyed its best car count yet at 160 cars. Unseasonably warm weather contributed to spectator attendance that surpassed all previous years at the spectacularly upgraded quarter-mile facility just outside the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Featuring period-correct pre-1967 dragsters, gassers, and stockers racing in a classification format, The Fall-Out also included a car show, which enjoyed strong participation on both days, and the swap meet featuring many vendors trading in a wide assortment of vintage race car parts.
In drag racing's formative years, car clubs were at the forefront in organizing the sport in the post-war era. The Fall-Out shares that tradition, with several organizations participating, including Meltdown Drags Association, the Brew City Gassers, the Gopher State Timing Association, the Scavengers Car Club, and Who Are Those Guys? Car Club.