Moreover, the race was, to quote Herman Munster, "really boss." The featured attraction was a match between "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, the best and most popular driver of the last century, and the star of her own "Last Pass" tour, the most important historical figure the sport has ever produced, the retiring (doggone it) Shirley Muldowney.

In addition, the nitro Funny Cars of John Lawson, Jack Wyatt and Tim Wilkerson, and the Dale & Linda Creasy-owned Craftsmen Firebird driven by Cory Lee (photo above) were in the house, as well as a gaggle of Pro Modifieds, Alcohol Funny Cars, Nostalgia Top Fuelers, jet dragsters, and the usual crazy quilt of strange and/or beautiful race cars the event is noted for.

There was nothing "crazy quilt" about the headliners. Garlits and Shirley first match raced in 1974, and almost without exception, the pair went at it with brass knuckles. Entertaining, side-by-side, all-out drag racing, and thankfully that was the case at Cordova.

The pair have had their differences over the years, but in the latter stages of their careers the pair are like reigning royalty looking fondly back on several decades of history and, in a large degree, fun...except when they actually race.

Point one. The pair tangled near the start of the Saturday pro show and the resultant conflict brought the house down. Shirley's "Terminator 3"/Mac Tools monster charged to an early lead and had Garlits covered at half-track with the the eighth-mile e.t.s reading 3.174 to 3.420. However, just when she was ready to notch the win, the belt whipped off the blower with Garlits going by at the 1,000-foot plus mark for a 5.19/271.73 to 5.42/174.41 win.