Funny Car Nationals at the Nostalgia Classic
Sunday, May 29th: Quaker City Motorsports Park, Salem, OH
The 9th Annual Pace Performance Funny Car Nationals at Quaker City Motorsports Park’s Nostalgia Classic was a fantastic event once again in 2016. The weekend started out on Saturday morning rolling out of the Pocono Mountains to traverse the Appalachians all the way across Pennsylvania just into Ohio. We made our way in around 1:00 and unloaded the car servicing it for running late that evening. With help from friends we discovered a couple problems with the car and fixed them before firing. The injection was way off and the QP was running rich for humid air at the event. We tweaked the tuneup and just missed a test run. Oh well.
Sunday morning rolls around and all of the funny car teams are pulling their beasts onto the track for a once a year photo. Denny Salzwimmer lines up these into a fiberglass forest on the track reminiscent of the big funny car meets of the 1970’s.
First Round
Once the photography session comes to an end there is a driver autograph session conducted back in the pit area. The crew services the car, fueling it up and checking fluids and final checklists and it’s off to the lanes to get ready for round one. We’re paired up with Drew Sweetman and the Sweetman Brothers 1980 Chevy Citation. Drew is a veteran driver and is consistent on the tree . After a near-half track burnout to smoke the hides of the Trans Am and make the fans happy we line up. We’re off and Drew drops back after half track with a problem. It’s a slow pass after launching the car poorly but it’s a win nonetheless.
Second Round
We head back to the pits to get the car ready for the second round. After fueling up and setting the valves we tow up to the lanes. After a minor rain delay we are lining up against Mark Horvath and the Gold Coast Charger. Mark is another veteran and multiple race winner in the GLNFCC. We take the tree and Mark is out like a banshee and takes the win easily over us. Done for the weekend but no ones is unhappy. This is a weekend about family – our families and our extended family: all racing fans!
Photography credits and special thanks to Rick Lee, Dave Ferrin, James Maher, Jerry Ohmer, John Kilburg & Mike Costic.
