Three Days In Thunder Valley

Year One's Fall Automotive Nationals came back to Tennessee's racing mecca. Over 400 vehicles made it to Bristol Dragway. Rain did end up cutting out most of the events on Sunday, but attendance doubled from last year; word is spreading fast that the Bristol Bash is an event not to be missed.

Amongst a sea of Bow-Tie winners, the biggest catch of the weekend was made by Doug Nichols of Statesville, North Carolina. Doug and his father spent 18 months painstakingly restoring his '67 Nova SS. During that time, they custom-fabricated several pieces and added a 346ci LS1, mated to a T56 six-speed transmission. As the Year One Cup winner, Doug not only won the cup itself, but a $5,000 gift certificate from Year One.

Close competition was present on the dragstrip. Racers "run what they brung" in the Muscle on the Mountain classes and challenge all comers in the True Street class. Muscle on the Mountain racers were split up with each Year One catalog line having its own class in addition to an open class to make sure everyone who wanted to compete had the opportunity. True Street entries were limited to fully licensed and insured street-legal vehicles, including D.O.T.-approved tires and full exhaust--no cars with gutted interiors or non-functioning lights, wipers, horns, and windows. Competitors went on a 30-mile cruise, followed immediately by three consecutive passes down the track. Tire pressure and safety-related adjustments were the only changes allowed prior to any of the runs. Winners in Muscle on the Mountain were determined by the quickest e.t. in each class, while True Street winners were determined by the quickest average e.t. after three runs.

The Factory Appearing, Stock Tire (F.A.S.T.) invitational shootout was a big hit with the Bristol crowd. Cars that appear to be factory stock from the golden age of performance ('55-74) duke it out on the track for top honors. The reality is these cars are highly tweaked with extensive internal engine modifications and porting to extract maximum performance without compromising their stock appearance or sound. It's amazing to watch these cars hook better on narrow repop redlines (chemically treated, of course) than many late models with the latest in drag radial technology. Nitrous oxide is strictly forbidden and punishable by a lifetime ban.

A huge Manufacturer Midway was packed with the latest in go-fast and reproduction parts, while a swap meet held the possibility of yielding hidden gems. The car corral tempted everyone to make a little more space in their garage, and the NASCAR driving simulator allowed people to live out their racing fantasies, if only for a few minutes.

Mark your calendars now for the third weekend in October and check Year One's Web site for updates (www.yearone.com), because the Bash will be back at Bristol for another great weekend.