2010 Cacklefest Parade 1

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Cacklefest Parade Part 1

In years past the Cacklefest was a one shot program held on Saturday after the first first round of Top Fuel. To try and make everyone happy (impossible) it started to combined the original format push start cars with self start cars that soon got too far away from dragsters. As the years went on the car count steadily grew until in 2009 it imploded. The show had simply gotten too big and the confusion surrounding it too great and the time span too long. At the end of the 2009 show, for the first time, there were many unhappy fans and racers alike, some swearing to never come back. A change had to be made for the event to survive.

And it did. For the 2010 event new, unflexible rules were in place. They had to be done for the fans first (who overwhelmingly came for the push start cars), and the racers who were sick of the dual format. It was set in stone that the push start cars and ONLY the push start cars would be in the Saturday parade and Cacklefest. All the self start cars had to wait until Sunday to do their show.

In a nutshell the results were immediate and positive. The program went off without a hitch, the fans were thrilled and the racers felt like the circus was over. Back to the original intent of Cacklefest was just what the doctor ordered. Thanks to those who made this happen - you know who you are and thanks for the car owners and drivers who followed the new safety rules and presented a great show Saturday night.

Here is just a slight look at it in photos.

After the somber reading of the family members we lost since the 2009 CHRR, Cacklefest kicked off with the presentation on the Honorees.

Dave McClelland was once again recognized for his contributions to the sport.

This year Jon "Thunder Lungs" Lundberg was coaxed out of hiding to help Mike English introduce the cars/drivers in the pre-Cacklefest parade.

All CHRRs are full of special recognitions and tributes. With the passing of the legendary Joaquin Arnett just weeks ago, the entire Bean Bandit clan came to honor one of the true pioneers of drag racing.

Thankfully Steve Gibbs was not laid up this year and was doing his job as cat hearder. And he did it well.

Out first was Norm Weekley in the Frantic 4 (Weekly-Rivero-Fox-Holding) machine. Norm is traditionally the first car out for the parade and first car down the push road to fire.

This car may not have a racing history but its Cacklefest driver sure does. Paul "The Kid" Sutherland was back in the "The Old Timers". It's a car Sutherland, Don Prieto and Pete Ogden built in the 60's but never ran. Sutherland had his signature pointy-nose face mask remade for these events.

Harry “Hairy” Burkholder in the Burkholder Bros. AA/FA

Tom McIntyre in his Weiss & Larkin AA/GD.

Before he was "240 Gordie" a young Bonin got his start in the seat of this Canadian Jr. Fuel car.

Jim “Skinhead” Kirby in Bob DeBurn's Paradise Alley.

Pete Eastwood debuted his spot on restoration of the Old Master car. Although the car would go on to have a full body, several drivers and eventually become Bruce Wheeler's "Wheeler Dealer", Eastwood chose to go with the original configuration driven by Mike Snively.