Famoso Dragstrip’s place in American hot rod history was secured long before modern sanctioning bodies defined drag racing, but the annual March Meet turned the Bakersfield facility into one of the sport’s most enduring landmarks.
When the track opened in 1954 on a converted POSO airstrip, it became a proving ground for hot rodders eager to test ingenuity and claim bragging rights. Few could have predicted that five years later it would host one of drag racing’s most storied events.
The inaugural Smokers March Meet was contested in 1959, beginning a legacy that has spanned nearly seven decades and touched nearly every significant racer and crew chief in drag racing history.
Nicknamed “The Patch,” Famoso Dragstrip maintained its commitment to quarter-mile competition and nitro racing even when nitro was banned nationally in 1957 due to safety concerns over engine explosions and rising speeds.
While the ban remained in place until 1964, Bakersfield continued pushing performance boundaries, reinforcing its reputation as a haven for racers seeking speed without compromise.
Few careers were shaped more profoundly by the March Meet than Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, who won the event in 1962 at just 20 years old.
Driving a fuel car for Zeuschel and Fuller, Prudhomme’s victory launched a career that would eventually include multiple Funny Car world championships and Hall of Fame induction.
“The first time I was there, it was in 1959 and then in 1962 I was driving a fuel car for Zeuschel and Fuller and won the race,” Prudhomme said. “That was a big deal and people got to know me. You have to remember NHRA was not running nitro back then, so everybody wanted to run Nitro and you had to go to Bakersfield.”
The win carried significance beyond trophies, as Bakersfield served as a focal point for racers unable to pursue nitro competition elsewhere.
“It was at a different time, and the sport was a whole different deal than what it is today, you know,” Prudhomme said. “Bakersfield really put us on the map. That was great race to win.”
Prudhomme said the March Meet continues to offer a direct connection to drag racing’s roots for modern fans.
“It’s great for people that have an interest in drag racing to go there and see what really happened in the early days,” Prudhomme said. “Cars are so much different now. Front engine dragsters and stuff that’s really the backbone of drag racing and you can see that at the March Meet.”
NHRA Funny Car world champion and drag racing historian Jack Beckman said the March Meet’s influence extends beyond competition and into cultural memory.
Beckman, a lifelong Californian, grew up with family ties to the event and later returned as a professional racer.
“For as long as I have known, the March Meet was a big deal,” Beckman said. “It was a big deal in 1959, when one of my idols (and friend), Art Chrisman, outran another legend and friend, Tony Waters, to win the inaugural race.”
He said the race’s importance has remained constant despite decades of change.
“It was a big deal when Bob Muravez came out of a 20-year driving retirement to win Nostalgia Top Fuel, and it was a big deal the first time I participated,” Beckman said. “A lot has changed in the past 67 years, but a victory at Bakersfield today, holding that March Meet trophy in the Winner’s Circle is still a big deal!”
Ron Capps, a Funny Car world champion and March Meet winner, said his connection to Famoso Dragstrip predates his racing career.
His family attended the event long before he ever strapped into a race car.
“I was in my mom’s belly at the March Meet,” Capps said. “It means everything.”
Capps said his earliest memories of the track are rooted in family tradition and fan experiences that later shaped his driving career.
“And as a fan, it’s so many great memories, from my brother and I and our family,” Capps said. “Going up to that track later, and competing there, and not only competing there, competing in a Fuel Altered.”
Winning at Bakersfield remains one of the most meaningful moments of his career.
“And so to go back there and compete and then win the event and have one of the March Meet trophies,” Capps said. “It is right in the middle of all my trophies. It went right in the middle of all 77 of them. It means the world to me.”
Capps continues to encourage fans to experience the event firsthand.
“I still tell people, if you’re going to pick one race to go to, one race period, you’ve got to attend the March Meet,” Capps said. “It is as close as you can get to old school racing.”
He said the diversity of machinery on display reflects the sport’s full arc.
“Also, Famoso Dragstrip is as good as any racetrack that we go down in our cars today, and you can see the vast history of the sport all in one shot,” Capps said. “It’s got gassers, front engine dragsters, and nostalgia funny cars. It’s got it all. It’s everything to me.”
The Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet returns March 5-8 for its 68th installment, featuring Heritage Series racing, Nitro categories, and a full slate of fan attractions.
Promoter Blake Bowser said the event remains uniquely positioned within drag racing’s calendar.
“When you look at the stars and cars of today’s NHRA you have to acknowledge what has happened at the March Meet over the past nearly 70 years,” Bowser said. “Our event is the closest thing to a time machine for long time fans as well as new fans looking for a cool experience with amazing looking vehicles.”
Bowser said few sports celebrate their history in such a tangible way.
“I don’t think there is another sport that showcases its past better than the March Meet,” Bowser said. “The nostalgia cars on the track look almost identical to their predecessors and in some cases, fans are seeing the original race car burn out and fly down Famoso Dragstrip.”
