2nd ANNUAL DON CARLTON MEMORIAL NOSTALGIA PRO STOCK EVENT WILKESBORO DRAGWAY 2017
DVD #183
This two hour and fifty-four minute video production covers all the action at the 2nd Annual Don Carlton Memorial Nostalgia Pro Stock Event at Wilkesboro Dragway in Wilkesboro, NC on May 20, 2017.
The video begins by profiling the cars and drivers that arrived at the track for the largest Nostalgia Pro Stock Event of all time. There were twenty-four cars in the pit area and we were able to interview most of the drivers. Some of the cars were replica or tribute builds while others were the original cars that raced back in the day.
The original cars included the Bo Beverly, Jr 1973 Dodge Dart, Joe Lepone Jr's 1988 Pro Stock Beretta, the Machak and Offermann 1971 Chevy Vega Pro Stocker, Akron Arlen Vanke's 1970 Pro Stock Duster, Frank Iaconio's 1988 Pro Stock Oldsmobile, the Bill Jenkins and Larry Lombardo Pro Stock Monza and the 1989 Hipple and Haas Pro Stock Beretta. George Kubis also had an original Pro Stock Plymouth Arrow that now carries the names of Bill The Kid and Ronnie Sox .
The other cars were beautiful representations of the originals and included a Reher & Morrison Lee Shepard Pro Stock Camaro, Tricky Ricky Smith Ford Thunderbird, Bob Glidden EXP and Ford Fairmont, a Sox & Martin Pro Stock Duster, a Terry Adams Pro Stock Pontiac Firebird, a 1994 Dodge Avenger carrying Darrell Alderman , Wayne County and Koffel's Place graphics and a 1984 Pontiac Pro Stocker carrying Gil Kirk's Nationwise Auto Parts graphics. We also had two Chevrolet Camaro tributes to the Pro Stock Team of Bill Orndorff and Jerry Eckman . Tyrone Graham drove the 1981 car and the legend himself, Jerry Eckman, drove the 1986 car. We also had a chance to talk with former Super Stock World Champion Ed Miller about the 1970 Plymouth Duster he brought to the event.
Interviews were conducted with George Kubis with the "Billy the Kid" Plymouth Arrow, James Brown with the Bo Beverly, Jr 1973 Dodge Dart, Steve Ingold with the Motorcraft Parts Ford Tbird, Ed Miller and his 1970 Plymouth Duster, Larry Snead and his 1982 Ford EXP, Shane Westmoreland and his 1988 Chevy Beretta, Mike Ruth and his Ford Fairmont, Steve Stanick and his 1971 Chevy Vega, Larry Gurdo and his Plymouth Duster, Terry Adams and his 1988 Oldsmobile, Mike Snow and his 1989 Chevy Beretta, Tracy Kilby and his 1988 Pontiac Firebird, Gordon Moore and his 1978 Ford Mustang, Frank Teague and his 1994 Dodge Avenger, Michael Roppo and his 1984 Pontiac Firebird, Mark Pappas with his 1981 Camaro and Jerry Eckman with Jeff Rudisill's 1986 Camaro.
We also included some flashback footage from our Bee On Video library showing Joe Lepone, Jr competing at the 1986 NHRA Winternationals at Pamona, Ca, Jerry Eckman winning the 1986 NHRA Summernationals at Englishtown, NJ, Ed Miller winning the 1967 Super Stock Championship at Tulsa, Ok and the namesake of the event, Don Carlton , racing at York US 30 Dragway back in 1971.
We have included some coverage of a small car show that was a part of the event as well as a group of race cars that did not participate in the drag racing program. We talked with McGrath Keen who had the Arlen Vanke Pro Stock Duster and a Bob Glidden tribute Pro Stock Pinto on display. Very cool cars.
Out on the track we covered the time trial round when the Pro Stockers got to make a test pass to establish their elapsed times. It was really cool seeing some of the cars doing long smokey burn outs and little dry hops up to the starting line. Others even did long dry burn outs across the starting line. I was loving all that and I am sure you will also. From a performance stand point the cars were running very strong. Several of the cars were in the four second zone for the eighth mile which translates to mid seven second runs in the quarter mile.
After the time trial round all the Pro Stock cars participated in a Pro Stock parade on the track and it was well received by the event attendees. It reminded me of how they used to do in back in the day.
We also covered all the racing action for the Pro Stockers. They ran two competition rounds and an overall event runoff between Terry Adams with the Frank Iaconio Olds and Shane Westmoreland in the Joe Lepone, Jr Baretta. We also show two of the bracket class championship runs.
I had read about the first annual Don Carlton Nostalgia Pro Stock event at Wilkesboro back in 2016 and I just had to go and see the 2017 edition for myself. I am sure glad I did because it was an outstanding event. Special thanks goes out to the Southeastern Outlaw Pro Stock Association and the Mid-West Nostalgia Pro Stock Association for bringing out a terrific group of cars and to Phil and Pat Halbadel of Wilkesboro Dragway for providing the perfect place to hold the event.
They often talk about the next big thing and from my standpoint I think Nostalgia Pro Stock racing could be it. Not only do these cars bring back memories, they really perform on the track. There is noting like watching 500 cubic inch, 2350 pound Factory Hot Rod Pro Stockers do their thing. Get your copy of the video today!
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The attached YouTube video clip is a low resolution sequence from the 2nd Annual Don Carlton Memorial Nostalgia Pro Stock Event video. Keep in mind the full 2 hr and 54 min video is in broadcast quality digital video.
