The folks at Goodguys have more than just a knack for car appreciation and preservation. They have fun, too. One of the more exhilarating of these little activities is the periodic “Nitro Thunderfest” Exhibition held at certain events around the country.
Celebrating the beautiful little cars of yesteryear, the Nitro Thunderfest is a special attraction combining the thrills of seeing, hearing, and feeling the rumble of the flame-spitting dragsters, with an overwhelming air of respect and nostalgia for vintage Top Fuel vehicles. Pretty as they look here, however, that wasn’t to say that these cars were lacking an investment in the power department–back in their heyday, these cars were some of the fastest in the world.
For fans new and old who remember them, as well as the former racers themselves, these cars are a real treat to see fired up and revving. Sam Chastain, aka Iron Horse, is seen in the video above giving some more details on the cars.
“You’re looking at the last year of the front engine car–a 1971 SPE Top Fuel dragster. Tony Nancy seat, Tom Hanna body, this was pretty much it for 1971 which was the last year that we ran the engine in the front on the fuel dragsters. This car ran 6.50 elapsed times at about 220-225 miles an hour.”
Cars like these deserve more love and attention, and Goodguys is going to deliver in 2014 with their schedule for showgoers. The following are dates when you can see these machines in action:
Goodguys Meguiar’s 14th Del Mar Nationals
- April 4-6, 2014
- Del Mar Fairgrounds
- 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar, CA 92014
Goodguys 17th Colorado Nationals
- June 6-8, 2014
- The Ranch Events Complex
- 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland, CO 80538
Goodguys 28th West Coast Nationals Presented By Flowmaster
- August 22-24, 2014
- Alameda County Fairgrounds
- 4501 Pleasanton Ave., Pleasanton, CA 94566
Stay updated on these and other Goodguys events by visiting the company’s website and Facebook page. Rock on, gents, and keep those steel-bodied beauties mean and clean.