If you’ve never been to a big-time NHRA drag race, throw it on your “bucket list”. Nothing like 8,000 hp top fuel dragsters and funny cars running side-by-side at 300 mph! Even way up in the stands you can feel the heat as they pass by. The sound is unbelievable…you’ve got to hear it to believe it. We cruised up to Pomona for the last event in the National Hot Rod Association’s 2010 season. Saturday isn’t as crowded and you get to see some runs after dark. One of the best races of the weekend was the last Funny Car race on Saturday…John Force defeated Matt Hagan in a really close showdown between number 2 (Force) and number 1 (Hagan) in season points. On Sunday, John Force won the season championship in Funny Car and then the event itself. Force was joined in the winner’s circle at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona by Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Shane Gray (Pro Stock), and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Larry Dixon, Greg Anderson and TE Tonglet clinched the season championships in Top Fuel, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle respectively. Check out the pictures for a look around in the pits, staging lanes and grand stands. And thank you Carl for the additional pix. -bt

Another installment of JBA’s Coffee and Cars is in the books and we had a great turn out. Check out the pictures for an overview of the cool vehicles that rolled through this morning. Of course, there was more bench racing, more coffee and more donuts! Check out the next one on Sunday morning, December 12th. -bt

Joaquin Arnett was a one-of-a-kind fabricator, designer, drag racer and land speed racer. He was also a family man and leader of the Bean Bandits. His club, family and friends gathered for a memorial celebration on Saturday, November 6, 2010 in National City. We were lucky to be invited and proud to attend. There were lots of hot rods, customs and cool cars to gander at, and tons of nice folk to bench race with. Also, great burgers and dogs on the grill. Joaq’s ingenuity, spirit and enthusiasm will be missed! Many thanks to Bob Mack for the attached pictures. -bt

Mother Nature must have figured that El Mirage Dry Lake needed some restoration work since she rained out both the October and November SCTA land speed trials (see the pictures below). Although it’s always disappointing to cancel land speed events, there are two redeeming factors. The first is that the lake bed should have an even better racing surface for next season after a long winter hiatus. And the second, is that the San Diego Roadster Club was leading the points after the last meet in September and so the club winds up #1 in points for the 5th season straight. Not that the club wouldn’t have done it anyway, but now it’s final and in the books. Congratulations to the SDRC on another victorious season of running fast and safe! And thanks to SCTA secretary Miriam Macmillan for the photos. -bt