Nancy Matter Racing - Top Alcohol Funny Car

NEWS ARCHIVE

6/19/08- Nancy Matter Racing Update
The 6th Annual NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion was quite the event.
As always at a reunion event, there were over 1,400 hot rods on display and more than 400 competitors. During the event, we were privileged to help Drag Strip Girl Designs by plugging their merchandise on the ever popular Sammy and Bob Radio Show broadcasted from Houston. Along with Radio Hosts Sammy and Bob, was Will Hanna manning the studio while we were in the Beech Bend Raceway tower doing the remote broadcast. Featured guests included "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Dave McClelland, DSR's Mike Lewis, Reunion Honoree Boogie Scott and more. I was right after Don Garlits which is not an easy act to follow, but it was quite an honor to be in the presence of such great drag racing history and that experience can't be replaced.

Barb Hamilton was in the house as well. For those of you that don't know who she is, she is the first lady of drag racing to earn a competition license from NHRA back in 1962 with a supercharged gasser, a beautiful Willys. As one of the first women who actually built, wrenched on, and drove her own car in competition, Barb set the standard for future lady drag racers. She is an incredible person, and it was an honor for me to be asked for my autograph on our 2008 Speedzone Calendar for her shop. She gave me a t-shirt as well that will go in my archive along with my shirt from my friend Melinda Green-King and our older shirts that we no longer wear.

Next was Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick. I spent about an hour and a half with Arnie. What a Guy!!!

If you ever have the pleasure of meeting him, you will be amazed at the racing history and some of the stories. On one of his passes in Bowling Green, his car popped out of gear, he slammed it back in and still went over 191.00 miles per hour by the end of the quarter mile. Pretty impressive.

Other highlights were meeting all of the Nanook AA/FA crew and my online friend Rapid Randy Baker and his wife, Laura. Great people!!! Adam Sorokin is always one of my favorites as well. Adam runner-up'd at the event in the RB Entertainment AA/FD. Brendan Murray was in the house as well as Brad Thompson (who went on to win the event in Top Fuel), Grand Marshall of the event, Dick LaHaie, Bobby Rex, Horsepower TV and more. If you've never been to an event of this kind, I highly recommend it. It's good fun, full of amazing history, and Bowling Green is the perfect host town with true Southern Hospitality at it's best.

Well, we're in the middle of relocating to North Texas and looking forward to our next two races in Norwalk, Ohio, and Denton, Texas, before taking some time off for the summer. Take care and I hope you've enjoyed our blog of the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion Race.