DIALED IN
YORK NOSTALGIA NATIONALS
Incidentally , there was plenty of great-looking American steel on the grounds of this event , including Dodge Coronets , Chevy Impalas and many more factory offerings to go along with an awesome lineup of Galaxies , Fairlanes , etc . “ I just believe those days in drag racing were the hit of hits !” says McCardle , who has refined the event to an action-packed lineup of entertainment that attracts enthusiasts of all ages . McCardle continues to tweak the show year after year , but quickly realized it should be a two-day affair as attendance levels rose sharply after just the second running . A recent addition that made a huge impression with fans has been the inclusion of the Ohio Outlaw Gassers , which are powered entirely by AA Supercharged power plants . “ Those guys put on a great show for the fans !” remarked Bob .
Another big hit was a booked-in nostalgia nitro Funny Car match race , which was reminiscent of the most cult-following era of Funny Car racing . Rocky Pirrone piloted the beautiful “ Frantic Ford ” Mach I Mustang against Bobby Toth , who drove the sharp “ Super Camaro ” entry . Pirrone , who took the win on Sunday , dazzled fans with a billowing , smoky burnout that covered nearly the entire quarter-mile . The showmanship resembled something straight out of the 1970s match race circuit .
Also in attendance was a great group of racers from the North East Timing Organization , as well as open-bodied Comp Eliminator cars and even a group of jalopy racers , whose entries dated back to the 1920s and 1930s . The gathering also represents a time to honor drag racing ’ s pioneering stars , as they receive a hero ’ s welcome when Bob introduces them to the crowd moments before the main event gets underway . “ The fans love it and these pioneers of the sport are reminded that what they did truly mattered .” Special guests at this year ’ s meeting included “ Miss Hurst Golden Shifter ” Linda Vaughn , Funny Car legend Bruce Larson , Darwin Doll , Ed Miller , Bobby Fry , Dickie Estevez , as well as famed announcer and flagman , George Nye , to name a few drag racing elites that were in attendance . The 13th running of this event captured a special mystique that McCardle hopes to uncork again at the 14th running in 2017 . “ This was a tremendous show and we ’ re bringing everybody back next year to do this again !” confirmed Bob .
Winners of the 2016 York Nostalgia Nationals include : Bob Roles in Nostalgia S / S , with Joe Midile taking runner-up . Jim Holland got past Billy Neer in Jr . Stock , while Jack Ratston bested Lew Stitely in East Coast Gassers competition . Mike McCraken won in A Modified , taking the win over Warren Ferrese , with Bud Polist getting past Bob Seaman in B Modified . Jerry Deslandes won over John Giambertone in NETO Comp , while Mike Kwiatec won NETO Nostalgia on a single pass . In Comp Eliminator , Tommy Mull held off Dennis Frymoyer . Brian Spotts earned the top honor over Mickey Hale in Ohio Outlaw Gassers . In Pure Vintage , John Loughlin got the win over Bill Karuzis . DI
34 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 116