Marveling at the Past with the Holley National Hot Rod Reunion

It was wheels up for the Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Among the peaceful rolling hills of southwestern Kentucky sits the historic Beech Bend Raceway Park. Since the 1950s, Beech Bend has hosted countless drag racing events, with some of the biggest names in the sport doing battle. Every year in mid-June, the raceway comes alive with the sights and sounds of drag racing history. The 2023 installment of this event was rechristened the Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals presented by Holley.

The event featured some of the top nostalgia drag racers in the country. It was like stepping into a time machine and being transported back to an NHRA nationals event in 1970. There were fire-breathing nitromethane classes such as front engine dragsters, nitro funny cars, and the wild and crazy fuel altered.

Classes from the Nostalgia Drag Racing League filled out the racing lineup. Over 300 vintage race cars competed in this three-day event.

The Grand Marshall for the event was drag racing legend “Big Daddy” Don Garlits. Garlits is often considered one of the most influential legends in drag racing. One of his greatest contributions to the sport was the development of the rear engine dragster.

Don Garlits chimed in on the advances of NHRA racing since his glory years. (Photo: Wayne Riegle | The Podium Finish)

Garlits, speaking of the importance of this development, said, “Six guys were killed in the two years leading up to that car development. And we haven’t lost six in the 52 years since then. It was probably the most important safety innovation in racing. Period. Not just in drag racing.

“Who would have ever thought that every dragster in every class would be rear engine? I was just shooting for top fuel, where it was so dangerous. It’s quite an honor.”

Along with the racing, the event featured a car show, which brought hundreds of classic cars, street rods, and rat rods from all over the United States and Canada, one of which was a rat rod coming all the way from Alaska.

The Wally Parks NHRA Nostalgia Nationals presented by Holley benefitted the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California.