Going old School: The 2008 March Meet

Last March, it felt like Bakersfield stepped inside a time portal. It was actually March 2008 but the Famoso Raceway felt like it was in the swinging 60’s. The March Meet is a drag race molded in the tradition of the 60’s, with pits, staging lanes full of front engine disasters. There were funny cars, altereds, gassers and, of course, our personal favorite: hotrods.

The Smokers began racing in Famoso way back in 1951. Back then head-to-head march ups were still in fashion. In fact in 1959, a fella named Don Garlits came all the way from Florida to take on renowned racer Art Chrisman and the rest of California’s best drag racers. Garlits didn’t win, but it marked the first March Meet which eventually paved the way for the annual competition.

Today, the March Meet is organized by Blake Bowser and his father John Bowser. The drag circuit is operated and maintained by the Kern County Racing Association (KCRA). During this year’s March Meet the staff did an outstanding job, preserving the long line of legacy that it stems from.

It is considered by many as the top drag racing event of the year. It relives the past decades of drag racing in America. The last event, marked 50 years of March Meet races. These years have seen the birth of many racing greats such as Garlits, Chrisman, Prudhomme, McEwen, the Smokers, and a host of other hot rodders. And new names continue to be established today like Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "Mongoose" McEwen, along with some of the West Coast's best grassroots drag racers.

This event not only relives history, it also makes history.

Look at the cars. Astounding.

Sources: Rod and Custom