Traditional Rod & Kulture Illustrated 2010 Dragfest

Here is a rear-mounted 429/460 Ford with a Mooneyham blower in Pick-A-Part's Crazy Horse wheelstander Mustang.

Here is a rear-mounted 429/460 Ford with a Mooneyham blower in Pick-A-Part's Crazy Horse w

"Car Craft? Does anyone still read that?" That was the greeting we got at the media check-in from a dude named Zombie. After about a minute of busting our chops (all in good fun), he granted us full press access to Traditional Rod & Kulture Illustrated's Dragfest at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, California. Hell, they didn't even charge us admission, so we won't take a retaliatory swipe at their greaser mag here. Instead, what we will do is show you some of the '60s-style heat powering the sleds at this year's third annual Dragfest.

Check out the massive setback in this fiberglass-front-end '55.
This event was for pre-'72 muscle cars and vintage drag cars, and there were a lot of famous Fuel Altered cars in attendance. Here is Mike Boyd's Winged Express.
This event was for pre-'72 muscle cars and vintage drag cars, and there were a lot of famo
If you like velocity tubes, there were several to choose from in the swap meet area.

The Shifters So.Cal. were there supporting the Purple People Eater. Power comes from a 450ci supercharged Pontiac topped by eight Stromberg carburetors.
The Shifters So.Cal. were there supporting the Purple People Eater. Power comes from a 450
Kinda looks like this month's Horsepower! picture.

There was also plenty of front-engine dragster action.
The interesting stuff wasn't limited to the parking lots-there was plenty of cool, vintage power to see in the pits. The nosebleed stance of Paul Soliz's '50 Plymouth,...
The interesting stuff wasn't limited to the parking lots-there was plenty of cool, vintage
...The High and Mighty Gasser, offered this interesting view of his big-block Chevy.

The lot behind the stands was full of chopped, channeled, and primered rods. We had to crouch way down for the worm's eye view of Brett Manos' Chevy-powered '28 Roadster.
The lot behind the stands was full of chopped, channeled, and primered rods. We had to cro
One way to spot an early Hemi ('51 to '58) is to look for a rear-mounted distributor.

Nathan LaMar of Bakersfield has Cadillac power for his '31 Model A pickup.
How many Chevy inline-six-powered T-bucket altered dragsters have you seen lately? Ron Anzelone's gorgeous race car runs a Sissel mechanical-fuel-injection system.
How many Chevy inline-six-powered T-bucket altered dragsters have you seen lately? Ron Anz
The Burns Stainless header is a work of art.

The Fuel Altered guys rip their engines apart after each trip down the track. Here are parts from the Hemi in Super Nanook, owned by the Hough family.
The Fuel Altered guys rip their engines apart after each trip down the track. Here are par
That's Kyle Hough in the foreground helping his dad, Rick, tear the engine down. Kyle will be driving the car next season.
That's Kyle Hough in the foreground helping his dad, Rick, tear the engine down. Kyle will

Denise Gilbert of Fresno, California, has a small-block Chevy powering her '37 Fiat Topolino. She is new to the Fuel Altered class, and her best run so far has been 8.20 at 163 mph.
Denise Gilbert of Fresno, California, has a small-block Chevy powering her '37 Fiat Topoli
Dragfest was a three-day event, and the crews worked into the night on Saturday for Sunday morning's races. Pete Wittenberg of Placentia, California, is buttoning up the valvetrain on Circuit Breaker, a Top Fuel dragster. With a Donovan block, Alan Johnson heads, and a 6-71 supercharger, this car has a best run of 6.00 at 240 mph.
Dragfest was a three-day event, and the crews worked into the night on Saturday for Sunday

Jeff Harris of Bakersfield was also racing a '23 T-bucket. His is powered by a 489-inch big-block Chevy, and we paused to admire the discoloration on his headers.
Jeff Harris of Bakersfield was also racing a '23 T-bucket. His is powered by a 489-inch bi