As a special treat, this year's event would feature a "Ring of Fire" where 1320 spectators paid $13.20 for the privilege of milling around among about 50 idling dragsters, roadsters, and coupes. According to Master of Ceremonies, Steve Gibbs, 1200 tickets were sold with the proceeds going directly to support the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona. Delays kept the crowd at bay for an additional 45 minutes -- hey, you try to get 40 or 50 race cars together in the daylight let alone after dark -- but when the show finally came together we were treated to a large U-shaped arrangement of vintage funny cars, Willys coupes and pickups, Pure Heaven II, The Winged Express, The Speed Sport Roadster, Mike Kuhl's psychedelic dragster looking better than it ever did in the 70's, The Frantic 4, the Rat Trap altered, and so many more.

Once the countdown began, the motors were fired as the lights dimmed. What an experience, as neophytes choked and gagged, stumbling and bumping into each other in the darkness to get close to their heroes. I spotted Tommy Ivo standing near the starting line with this odd, knowing smile on his cherubic face. I wandered around looking for more and felt like I was participating in some kind of secret society of addicts who were searching for another vein to inject the needle.

As the cars ran low on their fuel supplies and the fumes lifted, a dazed crowd screamed, hooted, and yelled their appreciation for this truly special event capped off with a huge top end fireworks show.

The Vagabond dragster participated in the Ring of Fire. (Zak Hawthorne photo)

We headed back to our pit and on the way heard the sounds of a SoCal favorite... the Neptunas band was playing at the VooDoo Top Fuel Dragster pits in what has become a Famoso tradition. The 30 or so people who gathered together rocked to the female band, after the set, the Neptunas handed their guitars and drummer over to the members of the VooDoo crew who rocked on for another half hour. Leaving around 11:30 I think all of felt like it was time to pack it in after our emotion filled day.

Jack Harris swept Top Fuel "A", running low ET and Top Speed at 5.884/250.62. In the final, Harris' "Nitro-Thunder" was the victor over Glen Hutchison's "Foothill Flyer." It took a 6.07 just to get in the 8-car field. (Tim Marshall photo)

Bill Dunlap and Mike Fuller got the T/F "B" win. (Tim Marshall photo)

One of the highlights of this entire show had to be Tom Hanna's stunning new newstalgia dragster; it is the Lexus of recreations. This deep blue car is striped from nose to tail with swirling gold leaf and this stunning digger sparkles from every surface... one of the most beautiful cars that never ran in competition. (Tim Marshall photo)