Nostalgia gallery

Over the past several years, there has been a growing popularity for all things nostagia. As the baby boomers age (me included), we all want to relive our childhood and nowhere is that stronger than at the drag races. It seems that both drivers and fans can't get enough of these cars and consequently there has been an explosion of nostalgia AA/FD, AA/FC, BB/FC, AA/FA and AA/GS as well as more and more venues to run these machines. The attraction is huge and races like the famed Bakersfield meet continue to grow bigger and better every year.

Unfortunately, I did not attend many of these races last year. I missed the Nitro Funny Cars at Mission because I was attending the National event in Sonoma. It sounds like it was an awesome event and from of the shots I have seen from fellow photog Paul Grant, it was a perfect weekend for shooting. You can bet I will be at this years race as I understand there is a possibility of a 16 car field of Nitro Funny Cars and upwards of 30 floppers on the property in total. Did I tell you funny cars are one of my favorite categories?

Anyway, I did not have much to chose from, so here are a few of my favorites from '08. I hope you enjoy.

	Here is the launch shot of Mitch Chamberlin's car racing against Brent Harris on the very same pass before crashing. It is a really beautiful car and I hope to see it back this year.
Mitch Chamberlin was in the left lane making a hard run against Brent Harris. After taking a starting line shot I turned around just in time to see Mitch get sideways and begin to get airborne. Now, usually I stand there and watch this happen, but this time I said pull the trigger you idiot. You are a photographer so do your job. This series is part of the photo sequence that resulted. Later I talked to the lady who shoots video of all of the AA/GS cars and asked her if she got the footage. She said she forgot to as she was too busy watching. Mitch was o.k. and the car came out of it with minor damage all things considered. These were the only shots of the crash.
Another very cool '33 Willy's AA/GS doing a burnout at MRP. How can the stands not be full during a race like this?
	Just like the old days, the short wheel based, high horsepower AA Gassers are more than a handful to drive. In the first photo, I caught Mad Mike Molea's '33 Willys get out of shape, cross the centerline and then follow Anderson's car down the left lane. After witnessing this, I told myself to smarten up and pay attention down track. These are AA Gassers and anything is bound to happen. And happen it did on the very next pass.
Perhaps my all time favorite car on any circuit today. This awesome yellow and purple AA/GS Willys is owned and driven by Alberta's Brent Harris. Hot rods just do not get any better than this. Period! I love shooting this car and would some day like to do an entire gallery just on it. Seen here with the wheels off the ground at the 60' mark at MRP
	A second photo of the car as it heads straight down Castrol Raceway. Brent does everything first class, including his hand out hero card. The artwork was done by none other than the iconic car artist Kenny Youngblood. How cool is that!
The Mr. Explosive Nitro Funny Car was seen many times testing at MRP prior to competing at some of the Nostagia races around the Northwest, I nice launch shot of the car during a solo run.
	The very colorful Mr. Buffy's Toy is the only funny car that I know of running in Top Dragster. Somehow there is something a little strange about that, but oh well, it sure looks great doing a burnout.
Dean already posted this shot with the alcohol funny car blog, but here it is again with the rest of the nostagia floppers. It is really something to see a race car with all four wheels off the ground at over 200 MPH.
	The afternoon sun catches the bright colors of this green cuda during a burnout at Castrol Raceway. We photographers often go to great lengths and take our lives in our own hands in order to get different angles of race cars. This shot was taken while balancing precariously on a 6 foot ladder which is shimmed up on one side with a 2' x 4' because the ground slopes away into the ditch at the side of the track. I have come close to killing myself several times on this ladder.
Jason Bussey drives this 548 cubic inch Camaro bodied flopper. The paint on this car just glistens and really shoots well, especially on a sunny day like this.
	Another top end shot of a 7.50 nostagia funny car. This time it is Tim Boychuck in his beautifully prepared Mustang. Tim stepped up big time last year, taking over the driving chores of the Paton family's Top Fuel dragster.
Darrell "The Burnout King" Webb from Edmonton, Alberta flies past me with the chutes out. Darrell is famous for his 3/4 track burnouts and often donates 50 cents per foot to a charity of his choice. He is a great guy and has been the driving force behind the IBAA 7.50 class of nostalgia funny cars. Note the 6 FOOT 6 license plate on the car. Yes, both Darrell and his brother Bob are really tall.
	240 Gordie Bonin in the Bubble Up funny car was one of the most competitive nitro funny cars in the '70's. It was also among my two favorite all time Northwest funny cars (the other was Jim Green's Green Elephant). Today's version of the car is driven by another Canadian legend, Terry Capp, and tuned by none other than the legendary Roland Leong himself. Wow!
This final shot says a lot about the passion that goes in to making our sport what it is today. It takes a great deal of teamwork, planning, hard work and experience to pull off a major drag racing event today. The action around the starting line is just a small part of what goes on and my hat goes off to all the people who give their heart and soul to this sport. To the man wearing the NHRA 50 Years of Power jacket I say, keep waving them through and we'll keep coming.
	Fellow photographer Gerry Frechette and I were on the way to the Seattle National event one morning and we happened upon this station wagon driven, no doubt, by a nitro head on the way for a serious wiff of the yellow juice. You have to hand it to drag racing fans. They can be pretty passionate about their sport. What more can I say? The picture speaks for itself. (Below) I thought I would include these two shots of the ever popular Shockwave Jet truck as it puts on an great show at the IHRA Rocky Mountain Nationals. This thing is truly amazing and is a great subject to shoot. That is some serious power and heat going on there. Just ask the people up in the over-the-track spectator boxes. I have seen the vinyl signs literally melt from the heat and I am amazed that nobody has been hurt as a result