The latest update as of March 3, 2022
Even though the dates on all the schedules indicate that the Good Vibrations March Meet starts today, it actually got underway with a test 'n tune session for the Group 2 cars yesterday, and we've got a handful of photos of those runs. It's just the start of what will be a veritable plethora of photography over the next week. Stay tuned for updates as they come in. Today's first installment is courtesy of our Colorado correspondent, Dale B. Fackler, who made the trek to Bakersfield for the second time and is shooting from the grandstands on the motorhome and camping side of the track.
Our first pair are both unidentified at this point. On the left it's a Jr. Fuel car with the driver making a license pass, while on the right it's a very familiar looking old-school blown 392 (or 354) Hemi in a shorty body front-engine dragster.
These cars are easier to identify thankfully. On the left it's Sabrina Pecora in her '37 Fiat Topolino, running in Nostalgia Eliminator 1 (NE-1), and on the right it's Ken Upton in the near lane, and Chad Camping in the far lane. Both cars are running in NE-1, a class with a 7.60 index.
(LEFT) More NE-1 cars here, with Shannan Cottrell (possibly related to NFC pilot Bobby Cottrell?) in the injected Small-Block Chevy dragster.
(RIGHT) Showing more of the diversity in the NE-1 class, Bill Workman launches in his beautiful blown early Hemi-powered '32 Ford Victoria.
(LEFT) From nearby Visalia, Garret Crisp, running in NE-1, stages his injected 568cid Big-Block Chevy '23-T roadster.
(RIGHT) The "Killer Crower" car of El Cajon, CA's Eily Stafford, is shown here preparing to launch her blown BBC '01 Tuttle-built dragster.
(LEFT)It's 7.0 PRO's Brad Peters burning out in his long wheelbase '19 Haase-built dragster, sporting a supercharged late-model Hemi engine. It looks very much like an A/Fuel Dragster (a class that allows blown alcohol or injected nitro) in disguise.
(RIGHT) In the near lane, it's Brad Peters and on the far side it's Cedar City, UT's Ken Fullerton in his 23-T Ford powered by a blown early-model Hemi.
(LEFT) A pair of 7.0 PRO cars with Dean Nilson in his blown late-model Hemi (lots of them running in this class!) '18 Comstock-built dragster paired up with Las Vegas' Vince Generalao Jr. in his '32 Bantam roadster running a blown big-block Chevy.
(RIGHT) A good looking blown big-block Chevy-powered dragster with a clearly identified number but it's "not on file" at this point.
(LEFT) A pair of cars that show the diversity in the 7.0 PRO class, with Steve Faller in his "Bad Moon" '32 Bantam roadster in the near lane, paired up with Ralph Fox in the "Fox & Goosela" 2016 Dave Tuttle-built supercharged Big-Block Chevy dragster.
(RIGHT) Here's a closer look at Faller launching with the wheels coming way up in the Bad Moon (Rising) altered.
Burning out and launching in his 7.0 PRO dragster, it's Long Beach, CA's Dave Rosenberg in his '94 DRE-built dragster.
It's Mike Cross from Culver City, CA in his blown small-block Chevy "Flashback" dragster.
We finish this installment with a couple of Group 2 cars, Junior Stanley in the near lane in his D/Gas Ford and in the far lane, Bryson Kleeman in his C/Gas '69 Camaro.
Much, MUCH more to come throughout the weekend. Stay tuned!