The Sunday static starts were somewhat anticlimactic as this was the smallest turnout ever... just five cars.

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As told by Bob Brown: The 1964 Goodnight/Keith/Williamson - Dos Palmas Machine car. They didn't push start the car but they did a push-down and back with Ray Evernham (owner) at the wheel on Saturday. It is the ORIGINAL car that went to England with the ‘64 U.S.Drag Racing Tour. Sold while in England, then lost for almost 50 years until a couple of years ago when it turned up in a warehouse in a Southern U.S. state in rough shape.

Ray Evernham of NASCAR fame bought it, not knowing what he had. After its history was discovered, Evernham decided it would be best to send it out west and he hired original owner and engine builder Arnold Chaves to restore it at his shop in San Jose. Arnold built the replacement SBC as part of the job. Original Ivo Chassis, Hageman body, wheels, even the 1960’s M/T slicks. The car was finished just days prior to the CHRR.

Evernham was beside himself with the finished restoration that he'd funded. They filmed a series for his AmeriCarna TV show while Chaves and others were restoring it, and capped it off with pit interviews at the CHRR for the final episode of the TV show. For me, this car was THE inside story of the entire CHRR. I saw it run at Fremont in ‘63 when it was new. Here's a pic (courtesy of Gil Rothweiler) copied from Chaves’s shop wall, taken in England, 1964:

The Goodnight Keith & Williamson - Dos Palmas Machine SBC AA/GD that went to England in 1964 as part of the U.S. Drag Team has been found and restored. The car was finished just in time for the CHRR and was placed in the Grove for display. This is the real deal folks, original wheels, Ivo chassis, Hageman body, even sticker M/T slicks from the ‘60’s. Although a new engine had to be put together, it was constructed by Arnold Chaves, builder of the car's original SBC back in the day.

More of the story linked below photos.

Ray Evernham conducts an interview with a British fellow in a black shirt (large microphone above his head). As a young man, this gent witnessed the 1964 U.S. Drag Team when they brought their show to England and he remembered the car. Ray’s crew picked up on his story and it became part of the footage for his AmeriCarna TV episode they were videotaping.

Steve Goodnight, Arnold Chaves, Ray Evernham, Chris Goodnight, Gil Rothweiler. The Goodnights are the brothers of Gary Goodnight, a principal on the team in the ‘60s.

Tim Love, Terre Rothweiler, Steve Cancilla (Chaves’s ass’t), Randy Rothweiler, Gil Rothweiler, Arnold Chaves, Chris Goodnight, Steve Goodnight & Greg Goodnight.

Click below for the PDF article by Ray Evernham (current owner of the Dos Palmas AA/GD). It’s a brief one page magazine article that Evernham wrote. From the filename, it appears that it might have been published in a Hagerty company publication. It gives some description of how Ray found the car and its eventual trip to the west coast for restoration.

PDF article by Ray Evernham

Some of the very cool memorabilia that went to new homes after the 2015 Nitro Alumni Auction to benefit the Wally Parks Motorsports Museum. Cindy Gibbs and her crew did a great job pulling this off. Over $25,000 was raised.

Some random pits shots. You'll see several cars that did not participate in Cacklefest for whatever reasons as they have in the past.

Jerry Ruth's Don Long business coupe, one of the very few cars he had without a nose.

Robert Morris (yellow shirt) making the debut of his recently finished Beebe Bros., Vinson & Sixt restoration. Though he tried, the car wasn't ready to push start.

From the Bucky Austin camp, the Dailey & Johnson AA/FD and the Grassi Fuel Cuda

The famous Cook and Bedwell "Isky-Ufab" Special from 1957 recreated by Dode Martin and owned by Ray Lake".

Just in time for the CHRR the Dunn & Reath "Rainow Car" restoration. Pete Eastwood and Derek Bower did a perfect job on this beauty.

Roger Lee’s impeccable Masters & Richter dragster. Note the LF wheel off for a tire repair.

Oldest dragster on the premises- the Mike Hegerty owned “Silhouette”, an original car from 1954 that has been restored with a Rich Guasco built flathead for power.

Making the debut of Rod Hodges's "Royal Canadian" AA/FD got even better when chassis builder Don Long (did restoration as well) graced the rearend housing with his official Don Long Chassis sticker.

2015 CHRR Racing Coverage   Volumes 1 & 2 --- FREE SHIPPING