Much as Democracy seems the best system able to handle society, the Cackle appears to be the most accessible arena for showcasing research and reenactment of drag racing history and its finest surviving historical pieces. The coolest event I attended this past year-now-ending was the Northwest Hot Rod Reunion at Bremerton Raceway. My thanks to Barbara Howell for the humbling experience of MC'ing the afternoon Pro Street/Nostalgia bracket runs and hawking local services on the PA sys. What a friendly zoo in a sport that loses its' focus so often out of fear of having the technology we wrap around ourselves taken away. Nice crowd; Nice human-sized gathering that could access hero drivers, tuners and vehicles, alike..

A 10 buck skettifest was the magnet for an autograph session that featured a kindly, elder-statesmen gathering of mostly Top Elim. stars. Ruth, Peterson, Bruins, Wayne King, Randy Bradford and his AA/FA coupe, Dick Kalivoda..guys I've been following since kinderhood.

Jerry Ruth has begun a new leadership role by setting up tuning for Donovan/Firepower based fuel engines...85 percent in the tank and, I've been told, 18-22 degrees of spark keeping these CACKLE engines lit and fascinating as a highlight to nostalgia-based meets..large and small. His advise and motivation is bringing Jim Green (427 Ford showcase digger) and others out for a final bow in the Northwest.

The ability to tailor such a static event to public sidewalk and drag strip alike is doing more to appease folks like me who tire of the corporatization of all aspects of the sport..and, finally, giving the straight press something to write about they can cover on their lunch hour in LA. At the strip, the whole meal can be consumed with the likes of Peterson and Fritz starring in an extended idle down the track, into the box and chirpped to the line...in the dark...! Brings out the weepy in each of us. I can relate to Wally Parks calling such reenactments "the outstanding event" in what should otherwise be gatherings to decide champions. BTW, the NWHHR featured great AA blown methanol coupe and quick prostalgia (6.00-7.99 bracket..) activity, as well.

The Monster-sized Electric controllers (300 volts n' up) driving the 100mph club membeship upwards are essentially the result of one shop in Corvallis OR.- the Zilla boxes are being marketed towards multiuse, with street applications part of their program. Not backyarding, by any stretch- consistant manufact. standards to baseline with makes it digestible. Dunno; having electric car high performance going on as an In-House industry doesn't ring true for me. More networking of individual efforts and trading notes in the pits is more my cupatea. The NEDRA people have the Cafe' contacts..and blog, which I'll be checking from T to T...

I can be mature about this. I really will try for a paragraph or so. I've been disciplining myself not to blow up on this blog until I have a chance to process and let the dust settle on motorsnorts issues. I really wonder how much snorting..or returning to snorting.. some of the drag racing world has been doing this year. As the season for racing is leaving and the one for retrospective returning, I'll neatly sidestep the analogies to Jeb Allen as a 17 yr. old, surrounded by love n' support at LIONS...and just avoid the whole kid in the jet car day from hell in Canada. I'm sure everyone had totally pure motives and no marketing avarice was involved. She was Shelly Anderson-and-more..and the Barbie-i-zation of the sport is now a distant, disturbing part of our history at the end of the last century. Whew. What a relief. Right........

A group of former Tacoma Timing Association members n' friends are reputed to meet once a month for lunch and bench racing. Out of this circle, which seems to include Walt Austin's orig. gang, are reports the vehicle Bob Haines brought out ( for what is well documented by Dr. Post as one of the first full-on tours by a Top Fuel op. from the left side of the country into the midwest) in 1959 with Jack Cross is being readied for well-researched reenactment. If anyone can find the famous "anguished" DRAG NEWS letter JoAnn Haines wrote Doris Herbert in the summer of '60, it would make a great feature in lieu of the usual framed "this car set a record at Desert Drag Strip and was Mr. Match Race #4 overall that year.." stat sheet we usually enjoy at such static resto displays.