As can be read, it's one thing to have the cars on the grounds, but an entirely different deal to have them running their collective butts off, and that's what happened.

Garlits and Muldowney were a part of an interesting approach to staging a match race show. In a different twist, Cordova management brought the big hitters out on the pad during the early part of the Saturday pro show. Nostalgia race cars the Barnes & Gladstone (whoops, almost said "Barnes & Noble") "Michigander," (photo above) an authentic as in the Real McCoy, 1964 Wayne Farr-chassised, full-bodied fuel dragster, was pushed up to the starting line alongside the "Speed Sport II" roadster formerly owned by Lyle Fisher and "Red" Greth, but now (I think by Rex Stevens or the Stevens family or whomever) to begin the pro action. I don't think they want to be ID-ed anyway, that poor old jalopy was never in the vicinity of a Bracket 3 run all weekend, but what the hell? It's the thought that counts.

Then to this reporter's complete surprise, Gardner brought out the car that usually closes the show, Nielsen's Mercedes Jet Limo, and the move worked. There are always first-timers at a race that on Saturday drew 12-13,000 people (in a place that seats 8,500) and Nielsen's fiery act has a tendency to grab one by the necktie. It was a smart move, as the fire that followed kicked the crowd's energy level into the stratosphere.

After that bit, the two pair of nitro funnies were brought out with Lawson's 5.69, 191.40 cleaning out a shutoff Jack Wyatt, and Wilkerson's Levi-Ray-Shoup entry hitting low E.T. with a 5.15, 266.00 to cover the Creasy Family's 5.52, 196.00.

The 50th Anniversary World Series Funny Car title eventually went to Wilkerson when he took an off-and-on-the-throttle 5.51/224.46 win over a shutting off Lee.

In the consolation bout, Wyatt's 5.42/253.85 nudged out Lawson's 5.86/174.46 in a race that featured the right feet of both drivers doing the St. Vitus Dance.

I don't know why the Funny Cars couldn't get a grip on the Cordova surface. Shirley cranked an E.T. that will always qualify in the top half of an NHRA field, but the "floppers" struggled with the track like Granny Clampett gagging on a fishbone.