CALIFORNIA HOT ROD
REUNION VIII

Atmosphere relaxed, competition serious

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The NHRA Automobile Club of Southern California Hot Rod Reunion celebrates drag racing's textured history, and its hot rodding roots that date back to the 1930s and '40s. Saturday at Famoso Raceway thousands of hot rod enthusiasts and drag racing fans soaked up the laid-back atmosphere while watching hundreds of race teams feverishly work in the pits, preparing their cars for another run down the legendary Central California quartermile.

The headline front-engine Top Fuel Dragsters provided most of the noise and excitement, with 19 of the breed making a run downtrack. When the dust had settled 28-year-old Larry Gotelli Jr. - who was born just as the front-engined dragsters were giving way to technology and the now deriguer rear-engined dragsters - led the pack with a career-best 6.018-second run at 216.76 mph.

"My grandfather, Ted Gotelli, used to race dragsters back in the 1960s and, for as long as I can remember, it has been something I wanted to do," said Gotelli of South San Francisco, Calif. "Last year we ran a Jr. Fuel Dragster, and this year stepped up to Top Fuel. It's been fun, and this is a fun race."

Two weeks ago, at a nostalgia drag race at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., Gotelli beat Santa Rosa, Calif.'s Jim Murphy for the event title. Murphy, who was racing dragsters before Gotelli was born, also likes the Hot Rod Reunion's relaxed atmosphere.

"It's a really neat event," explained Murphy, who qualified his dragster third with a 6.125-second, 236.77 mph run. "You get to meet people you haven't seen for a while, or maybe you've just exchanged emial with them. It's a great meeting place.

"And because there are no [series] points at this race, the racing side of the event is a little more relaxed," Murphy added.

Another racer turning back the clock is 59-year-old Gary Reinero, who drove his 1948 Austin Coupe to a 7.046-second, 196.89-mph lap to lead the AA/Gas Supercharged category. After the 30-year absence from the sport, Reinero returned with his hot rod in March this year and has been beating up on the competition ever since.

"When I gave up racing in 1969 the car I drove would run 9.50s at 155 mph," recalled Reinero. "I kinda dropped out of the sport for some time, but when the nostalgia drag racing program got going a few years ago it caught my interest, and here we are, back at the race track."

Reinero's hot rod, which is one of the least areodynamic at Famoso Raceway, has run as fast as 199 mph. "It's pretty amazing," said Reinero. "This new car goes as fast in the eighthmile as my old car would go in the quartermile."

Activities at the Hot Rod Reunion resume Sunday at Famoso Raceway, with pre-race ceremonies begining at 10:30 a.m. and eliminations scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. with the front-engined Top Fuel Dragsters.

The following are Saturday's qualifying results from the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion at Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, Calif.:

TOP FUEL DRAGSTER
1. Larry Gotelli Jr., South San Francisco, Calif., 6.018, 216.76
2. Bill Dunlap, Capitola, Calif., 6.124, 227.61
3. Jim Murphy, Santa Rosa, Calif., 6.125, 236.77
4. Denver Schutz, Fresno, Calif., 6.134, 238.09
5. Sammy Hale, Novato, Calif., 6.185, 206.94
6. Gerry Steiner, San Jose, Calif., 6.222, 233.82
7. Lee Jennings, Chino, Calif., 6.231, 235.39
8. Jack Harris, Kaysville, Utah, 6.303, 221.07
9. Howard Haight, Upland, Calif., 6.305, 236.22
10. Lance Osborn, Salinas, Calif., 6.327, 223.54
11. Bob Neal, Kelseyville, Calif., 6.407, 213.27
12. John Barrett, North Hollywood, Calif., 6.463, 216.45
13. Shep Ginzburg, Thousand Oaks, Calif., 6.727, 208.47
14. Larry Huff, Bell Canyon, Calif., 6.871, 175.54
15. Dave Rosenberg, Long Beach, Calif., 6.985, 194.59
16. Ty Norton, Exeter, Calif., 7.014, 208.62
 --- Did Not Qualify ---
17. Hans Kuesel, San Jose, Calif., 7.251, 200.17
18. Neil Bisciglia, Kenosha, Wis., 9.178, 109.28

A/FUEL DRAGSTER 
1. Larry Pettit, Hawthorne, Calif., 6.779 seconds, 200.66 mph
2. Jim Paul, Forest Hill, Calif., 6.819, 198.67
3. Mark Mittel, Tulare, Calif., 6.935, 199.33
4. Jason Richey, Pleasanton, Calif., 6.970, 198.06
5. Bill Genco, Los Angeles, Calif., 7.186, 194.04
6. J.R. Bards, Seminole, Texas, 7.302, 196.93
7. Mike Joyce, Chatsworth, Calif., 7.399, 191.16
8. Steve San Paolo, Salinas, Calif., 7.448, 187.07
9. Tom Taros, San Pedro, Calif., 7.514, 175.43
10. Dusty Renteria, Hollister, Calif., 7.529, 178.92
11. Dave Gruzen, Lakewood, Calif., 7.568, 182.81
12. Sean Bellemeor, La Canada, Calif., 7.664, 184.12
13. Gary Corbett, Roseburg, Ore., 7.889, 181.30


JR. FUEL DRAGSTER
1. Bill Wayne, Bullhead City, Ariz., 7.392 seconds, 182.18 mph
2. Ron Pratt, Fallbrook, Calif., 7.431, 178.92
3. Don Enriquez, Mission Viejo, Calif., 7.433, 179.89
4. Stacy Paul, Auburn, Calif., 7.473, 177.58
5. Mike Chrisman, Lake Forest, Calif., 7.489, 171.46
6. Kin Bates, Simi Valley, Calif., 7.518, 178.35
7. Todd Movius, Long Beach, Calif., 7.548, 176.47
8. Wayne Ramay, Davis, Calif., 7.582, 174.45
9. Brad Woodard, Oceanside, Calif., 7.617, 176.05
10. Bud Hammer, Oxnard, Calif., 7.665, 173.24
11. Adam Yashuk, Discovery Bay, Calif., 7.676, 174.14
12. Aaron Benoit, Byron, Calif., 7.729, 173.27
13. Steve Yarborough, Sanger, Calif., 7.782, 174.08
14. Kelly Craig, Campbell, Calif., 7.802, 167.97
15. Bob Killmar, Lakeside, Calif., 7.962, 166.60
16. Cam McCallum, St. Francois Xavier, Man., 7.964, 170.64

AA/GAS SUPERCHARGED
1. Gary Reinero, Merced, Calif., '48 Austin, 7.046 seconds, 196.89 mph
2. Ronnie Nunes, Danville, Calif., '63 Chevrolet, 7.076, 195.10
3. Howard Anderson, Applegate, Calif., '38 Chevrolet, 7.083, 195.86
4. Mel Baryson, Vida, Ore., '34 Willys, 7.148, 190.11
5. Wayne Harry, Vancouver, Wash., '41 Willys, 7.164, 193.42
6. Bret Williamson, San Jose, Calif., '67 Plymouth, 7.243, 189.71
7. Chris Abbey, Clovis, Calif., '57 Chevrolet, 7.416, 186.68
8. Bruce Sherman, Cheshire, Ore., '37 Chevrolet, 7.441, 183.97
9. Rich Roberts, Winton, Calif., '63 Chevrolet, 7.515, 185.26
10. Rick Souza, Campbell, Calif., '61 Chevrolet, 7.563, 181.52
11. Tim Burns, San Jose, Calif., '41 Willys, 7.633, 177.83
12. Steve Wood, Merced, Calif., '53 Studebaker, 7.690, 179.49
13. Jim Pace, Fairfield, Calif., '48 Chevrolet, 7.734, 176.81
14. Bill Fitting, Nevada City, Calif., '33 Willys, 7.735, 168.98
15. Jim Taylor, Mulino, Ore., '38 Chevrolet, 7.745, 172.14
16. Larry Ofria, Northridge, Calif., '57 Chevrolet, 8.181, 167.69

FACTORY EXPERIMENTAL
1. Jess Tyree, Canyon Lake, Calif., '63 Pontiac, 9.156, 148.56
2. Stan Blosk, Riverside, Calif., '64 Falcon, 9.501, 142.04
3. David Franklin, Ramona, Calif., '61 Ford, 9.972, 130.85
4. Richard Walker, San Diego, Calif., '64 Plymouth, 10.084, 135.21
5. Ron Aschtlen, Riverside, Calif., '63 Ford, 12.048, 74.95

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR (7.500 Index)
1. Nick Arias Jr., Gardena, San Jose, Calif., 7.512 seconds
2. Ed Schwarz, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., 7.514
3. Kenneth Kraus, Great Falls, Mont., 7.515
4. Chris Davis, Spokane, Wash., 7.521
5. Jim Archer, Los Alamos, N.M., 7.531 
6. Phillip Ruskowski, Victoria, B.C., 7.532
7. Woody Duke Jr., Pacific Palisades, Calif., 7.535
8. Nate Bugg, Orange, Calif., 7.557