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June 16, 2019 - Bowling Green, KY: Every Fathers Day weekend for the past 17 years thousands of hot rodders, nostalgia drag racing fans and cacklecar lovers make their way to Beech Bend Raceway Park for the Holley National Hot Rod Reunion® presented by AAA Insurance. Most noteable difference was the heat and humidity were much less punishing this year than normal.

Since its inception, the cacklecar portion of the NHRR has been an integral part of the show. Amid the quality racing and incredible hot rod displays fans can see these restored and re-created memories from the past throughout the pits. Over the weekend they get to see the practice push starts on the track. Then of course, the event is capped off by Cacklefest® on Saturday evening.

To open our coverage, Friday concluded with the Honoree Reception at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Various hot rods, customs, and Cacklefest cars were on display as the legends were celebrated during the evening. They were Grand Marshall Randy Walls along with 2019 Reunion Honorees Army Armstrong, Steve Earwood, Art Marshall, Richard Maskin and Paul Smith.

Following the awards the attendees got a Cacklefest preview when the Pesek and Lucas AA/FD with J.D. Strawn in the seat did a static start outside.

Now enjoy our coverage of the cacklecar portion of the event.

 

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Fans were greeted by Randy Walls Camaro and MC, Bob Frey.

 

Army Armstrong: A longtime resident of Owensboro, Ky., Armstrong has been a radio and television announcer for decades. His folksy Southern drawl has made him a favorite of thousands of drag racing and hot rodding fans. Armstrong is currently preparing for an attempt to set a Bonneville world record with C/Fuel Ford ’34 Ford roadster powered by a nitro-burning injected Honda four-cylinder engine that is expected to produce speeds in the 217 to 225 mph range.

 

 

 

 

Wally presented by Executive Director Larry Fisher

 

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Steve Earwood holds the distinction of having enjoyed tremendous success in motorsports public relations and racetrack operation/ownership. Earwood worked as the public relations director for NHRA in the 1970s and 1980s. He’s represented many iconic racers including Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein and Rusty Wallace, among others. Earwood purchased Rockingham Dragway in 1992 and continues to operate it today.

 

 

 

 

NHRA Museum Curator Greg Sharp presented the Wally.

 

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Art Marshall has the distinction of being the last driver to earn a major title with a front-engine dragster with his victory at the 1972 Le Grandnational. He etched his name into the history books by defeating the likes of Clayton Harris, Carl Olson and then Jeb Allen to conquer the field. Marshall’s car is currently on display at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Richard Maskin: After enjoying a very productive career as a drag racer and engine builder, Maskin used those experiences to become one of the of the hot rod industry’s premiere aftermarket manufacturers. Maskin played an important role in several performance powerhouses in the Pro Stock category throughout the years including building engines for Jim Yates and Jeg Coughlin, who won NHRA titles in 1996 and 2000, respectively.

 

 

 

 

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Paul Smith is a self-taught racer who used his hard-earned skills to become a formidable competitor on the national event and match race scene and then shared his knowledge to help build the careers of many aspiring campaigners including Jeff Arend, Cristen Powell, Johnny Gray, Clay Millican, Phil Burkhart, Jon Capps and Blake Alexander.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Grand Marshal Walls was not only one of the country’s quickest Funny Car racers during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but he did it with genuine Chevy big block engines at a time when many bowtie teams were switching to the more powerful Chrysler Hemis. Walls returned to racing after he found his 1969 Nova in a barn loft in 1997 and his exhibition runs helped initiate the Nostalgia Funny Car craze in 2004. He was the series champion that year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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OUT AND ABOUT IN THE PITS

 

Back at the track, there was plenty of eye candy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Page Two - Cacklefest Parade

Cacklefest Proper

 

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