NHRA POWERade nitro funny car pilot Ron Capps will return to the Automobile
Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion again this year, but this time
behind the wheel of the new Nostalgia Funny Car owned by Gary Messenger. In
testing, Messenger's newly finished 1972 Dodge Charger-bodied funny car has
covered the Auto Club Famoso Raceway quarter mile in 6.26 seconds shutting
off at 1,100 feet when it was driven by Crew Chief Zane Messenger.
Capps is one of more than 300 racers who will compete on the
quarter-mile dragstrip in ten classes at the 16th Annual event, presented by
Holley. Racers are coming to Bakersfield from as far away as England and
Australia. Media and racing fans are coming from the four corners of the
Earth.
"We're getting ready for the biggest Reunion yet," said Tony
Thacker, executive director of the non-profit Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports
Museum, presented by the Auto. Club of So. Calif., which produces and
benefits from the event. "Some cars never before seen in the United States
will be competing against the best in the business. Since the NHRA POWERade
Drag Racing Series has the week off, we know already that many of the
racers from that series will be joining us in Bakersfield. We've also got
previous champions in Top Fuel who want to add another trophy to their
cases."
In the hotly-contested Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster class,
2006 California Reunion winner Jim Murphy could easily repeat, but Troy
Green, who won the Holley NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion in Columbus, Ohio on
Father's Day weekend would also like to double his pleasure. Also expected
are Brad Thompson, Rick White, Brett Harris, Adam Sorokin, Jason Richey and
Jack
Harris. The ever-popular Mendy Fry is expected along with Shannon
Stewart, Rick Rogers, John Shoemaker, Mark Malde, Bill Dunlap – filling in
for Brendan Murry – Pete Kaiser, Rick Williamson, Scott Mason, Mike
McClennan, local Rick McGee, Howard Haight and Denver Schutz.