Fontana 2008 Super Chevy Show - Flippin' Out In Fontana

Leaping lung butter! Dennis Jauregui of Imperial Beach went stratospheric on us when we gave him an Editor's Choice Top 10 Drag Race award. His wicked '55 was running in the DOT class that weekend.

Don't Believe What You See On Your TV.The talking heads and political doomsday soothsayers are akin to maddened prophets wandering the deserts seeking the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They proclaim economic depression and recession and turn it into obsession. The evidence from the Fontana Super Chevy show stands defiantly in the face of their predictions. This year, there were a total of 454 registered racers running down the track. That number was 100 more cars than last year.

Let us digest this for just a minute. One hundred more racers this year than last year, a hundred more cars in a region they claim is one of the hardest hit in this supposed recession. Many of us know racing is not atop the list of affordable sports to enter into. There were 454 cars and crews spending money on fuel, and probably lots of beer, competing against each other and having fun. (Well, maybe the Nova driver, who spilled transmission fluid down the entire length of the track, shutting it down for well over an hour didn't have so much fun once people caught up with him, but I digress.)

As for the car show side of things, it was OK. When the rain clouds rolled in Sunday, many California car owners ran for cover. There were dozens of hardboiled owners who braved the ferocious two-minute drizzle that quickly blew away and instead enjoyed the unusually cool air that day. Still, an additional 37 vehicles showed up on Super Chevy Sunday despite the morning showers. For those who had to wait in the chaotic two-hour-long line to get into the gate, we're working to change that next year so everyone can be in place in a timely manner.

Danchuk brought out its freshly built '57 Chevy and editor Jim Campisano took two passes on Friday's test-and-tune session with the '57. This built-to-the-hilt streetcar ran in the mid...well, we'll tell you about that when we feature the car.

Typical of Southern California, though, the show cars were exemplary with the kind of attention to detail West Coast Chevys are known for. In the Gold Class was a '67 Chevy Nova, as beautiful a custom as we've seen, but it was powered by a Northstar V-8. Can you feature a car in SUPER CHEVY that's not Chevy powered? What do you think?

Also on hand was a Chevrolet Hydrogen Fuel Cell Equinox, courtesy of General Motors. Editor Jim Campisano got a turn behind the wheel and reports that it was near silent inside. "Except for the fact that it burns no fossil fuels and makes no noise under acceleration except for a muted turbo-like whine, it felt like a regular Equinox," he said. "Very interesting, but this type of vehicle is still 10 years down the road from an infrastructure standpoint. But the concept is intriguing."

True Street participant Jim DeLorenzo is seen here in his 572-powered '69 Nova leaving some tires behind him on the track. Jim's average time during the True Street passes was a 10.964, making him the fastest True Street participant that weekend. He also took home an Editor's Choice Top 10 Drag Award.

Seasoned drag racer Jess Tyre shows us he can still meet the pretty ladies at the track. Way to go, Jess!

Jim Basset, another True Street participant, ran an average time of 11.489 in the quarter-mile. He, too, won an Editor's Choice Drag award, not to mention the cash for having the lowest 11-second average.