The 40th
NHRA World Finals, held at Pomona Raceway on November 11-14,
2004 served as a specular format for the Frantic 4 Racing team
and other legends from drag racing history. This was the last
of 24 races in the 2004 season of the NHRA Drag Racing Series.
As always, the World Finals puts a period on a season and draws
huge crowds getting their last nitro fix until the Winternationals.
This year was no exception but there was even more "butts
in the seats" because of the "bonus show" sponsored
and organized by the folks from the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports
Museum. A huge display of over 30 vintage race cars and exhibition
runs by some of the best Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters and Fuel
Alterds in the world brought out folks who would have passed
on the "Big Show" by itself.
Things
got under way on Wednesday, November 10, 2004. The "Big
Show" cars were just starting to set up their zip code size
pit areas while a hand full of volunteer Cacklecars were putting
on a show for thousands of school kids who were guests of NHRA,
the US Army, and the media. The Frantic 4 dragster was part of
the 9 car show. The photo above has Dennis Prater and Ron Rivero
standing with the car (Norm Weekly in the seat) before they push
started from the top end of the fabled Pomona drag strip (aka
Parker Ave.)
Steve
Gibbs' classic Ford announces, let the games begin.
Norm
Weekly is fired and follows John Ewald down track to their "parking
spots".
On
Friday at the Wally Parks NHRA Museum display area there was
a flurry of activity when the fans had access to some of the
Legends of Drag Racing at a buffet style autograph table..
Jeb
Allen, Jim Green, Norm Weekly, Vance Hunt, Jeep Hampshire,
Larry Sutton, John Bradley, James Warren and many more sat for
hours signing what ever the endless line of fans wanted them
to sign.
Through
out the weekend all the "Cacklefest" cars (and more)
were on display in the huge tent supplied by the NHRA Museum.
Literally thousands of fans spent a great deal of time looking
these cars that molded the history of drag racing.
Norm
Weekly, Betty Rivero, Dylan Rivero and Ron Rivero.
Ron
and Steve Gibbs get ready to give Rivero's grandson, Dylan a
fire up (below) in the Frantic 4 fueler. We're not sure, but
Dylan may be the youngest person to ever sit in a running Top
Fuel dragster.
Obviously
Dylan needs to grow into grandpa's helmet and firesuit but after
his fireup knows nitro is in his blood.
.
The crown
jewel for "our team" at any event is a Cacklefest.
At Pomona they did something different. Instead of push starting
the cars from the top end, the cars were brought from the staging
lanes and placed on the return road in front of the stands. This
all took place while the Pro semi-finals were being run. The
twist was that all the cars would fire at once.
The
Frantic 4 fueler, American flag in the chute pack, is in its
place waiting for the show.
For
this event, Christi Rivero (daughter of Ron & Betty) got
to sit in the car. As Norm says, "She's a lot easier to
look at than I am!"
2004
CHRR Coverage
CHRR
Fire-up Video Clip
Frantic Four Fire Up Video #1
Frantic Four Fire Up Video #2
Check
out a: Frantic 4 Fan Fire Up
For more information
or a press kit, contact:
Norm Weekly
890
S. McCulloch Blvd.
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406
928.505.2517
Booking Info
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