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More than 20 Nostalgia Funny Cars Entered in the May 26-72 NHRA Heritage Rockabilly Rod Reunion at LVMS

The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will play host to the annual Rockabilly Rod Reunion and NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series on Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-27). The ninth annual event will include: a traditional car show (nothing newer than 1964), rockabilly bands and DJs, two pin-up girl contests, a burn-out contest on the drag strip, swap meet, vendor midway and nostalgia drag racing featuring nitro-burning Nostalgia Funny Cars.

More than 20 NHRA Nostalgia Nitro Funny Cars are pre-entered for the event, which also is the first race of the 2012 Mickey Thompson Tires DragRacingOnline.com Funny Car Challenge. The Nostalgia Funny Cars – nitro-burning racers with pre-1980 bodies – will make three qualifying runs on Saturday in attempt to earn a berth in Sunday’s eight-car elimination field.

“This event is shaping up to be a classic in the world of nostalgia drag racing,” said LVMS Vice President of Racing Operations Chris Blair. “This year marks the first time the Mickey Thompson Tires DragracingOnline.com Funny Car Challenge is in Las Vegas. The best Nostalgia Funny Cars from across the country will let it loose for a full quarter mile of drag racing action. That intense racing, as well as the car show and rockabilly music, will make this year’s show better than any we’ve had in the past.”

Pre-entered Nostalgia Funny Car drivers include: 2011 Las Vegas winner Paul Romine, Chris Bennett, Tim Boychuk, Kurt Cruise, Steven Densham, Roger Garten, Bob Godfrey, John Hale, Mike Halstead, Rian Konno, Kris Krabill, Jerry Kumre Jr., Dennis LaCharite, Will Martin, Tim Nemeth, Rick Roger, Jason Rupert, Nathan Sitko, Brad Thompson and Dale Van Gundy.

In addition to the other nostalgia classes, The Strip at LVMS also will host two open classes for Sportsman racers as part of the Memorial Day Weekend event at the track. Due to popular demand by Sportsman-category racers, the track will offer two non-nostalgia classes to compete in as part of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage-Rockabilly Rod Reunion. The classes, a full-tree bracket class and a pro-tree bracket, will be contested with two rounds of time trials and eliminations on both Saturday and Sunday.

Bracket 1 will be contested as a .5 full-tree, with Compulink Cross-talk turned off, electronics permitted and dial-ins of 7.00-13.99 sec. E.T. The entry fee will be $50 per day with 100 percent payback split among the winner, runner-up and semi-finalists.

The Pro Tree class will be contested as a .4 pro tree, with dial-ins of 7.00-13.99 sec. e.t. The entry fee will be $50 per day with 100 percent payback split among the winner, runner-up and semi-finalists.

Participants are eligible to enter multiple categories for the event weekend. Bracket 1 and Pro Tree will be non-points events and are open to anyone wanting to race on the holiday weekend or who may have cars that don’t fit the criteria for the NHRA Heritage series.

Other classes to be contested at the NHRA Heritage-Rockabilly Rod Reunion include: Hot Rod Bracket (pre-1983 left-hand-steer, full-bodied vehicles; 7.50-13.99 e.t. with a .5 full tree), D/Gas, C/Gas, B/Gas, A/Gas, Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Nostalgia Eliminator 2, Nostalgia Eliminator 3, 7.0 Pro, Junior Fuel, A/Fuel and Nostalgia Funny Car. Racers may save money by pre-entering.

Entry blanks are available at the drag strip office or online at http://www.lvms.com/strip/racers/forms/.

Bands set to take the Rockabilly Rod Reunion stage include The Hot Rod Trio, Mad Max & The Wild Ones and Brian Lee Dunning & The Hot Rod Trio.

Saturday’s show ‘n’ shine and Sunday’s car show are open to all pre-1964 cars and customs. Free car show entry with purchase of spectator ticket.

Saturday pin-up girl contest is for vintage dress and pays $500 to win and a trophy. Contestants must sign up at the main stage by 4 p.m.

Saturday’s pompadour contest awards a trophy to the winner.

Sunday’s pin-up girl swimsuit contest is for vintage swimwear and pays $500 and a trophy to the winner. Contestants must sign up at the main stage by 4 p.m.

Vendor spaces are free with the purchase of a weekend (three-day) credential. Only relevant wares associated with the event may be sold. No food items, weapons or offensive materials may be sold.

The event’s host hotel is the Howard Johnson Motel at 5300 E. Craig Road, Call (702) 651-0298 for special $59 LVMS racer/RRR rate. The promo code is: LVMSRacer.

Spectator gates will open each day at 10 a.m. Fans may save money by purchasing tickets in advance online at www.LVMS.com or by telephone at (702) 644-4444. Follow the event on Facebook: Rockabilly Rod Reunion 2012.

Thursday, May 24
Noon-6 p.m. – Pit parking and credential sales.

Friday, May 25 – Test ‘n’ Tune
10 a.m.-6 p.m. – Pit parking and credential sales.
4-10 p.m. – Test ‘n’ Tune ($75, 3-run punch card).

Saturday, May 26 – Rockabilly Rod Reunion & NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series
8 a.m. – Pit parking and credential sales.
10 a.m. – Spectator gates open; DJ on stage.
10 a.m. – Time trials (10 a.m.-6 p.m.), qualifying; Show ‘n’ Shine begins.
11 a.m. – First round of Nostalgia Funny Car qualifying.
1 p.m. – Band.
2 p.m. – Second round of Nostalgia Funny Car qualifying.
3 p.m. – Band.
4 p.m. – Band.
5 p.m. – Third round of Nostalgia Funny Car qualifying.
6 p.m. – Conclude racing; Pin-up girl contest (formal gowns); car show awards.

Sunday, May 27 – Rockabilly Rod Reunion & NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series
8 a.m. – Racer gates open.
10 a.m. – Spectator gates open; DJ on stage; Show ‘n’ Shine roll-in.
11 a.m. – National anthem and opening ceremonies.
11:05 a.m. – First round of Nostalgia Funny Car eliminations (8 cars).
Noon – Band.
1 p.m. – Band.
2 p.m. – Second round of Nostalgia Funny Car eliminations (4 cars).
3 p.m. – Band.
4 p.m. – Pin-up girl contest (swimsuit).
4:30 p.m. – All racing final rounds.
5 p.m. – Burn-out contest.

Admission prices:
Three-day advance adult ticket: $40.
Three-day advance kids (ages 6-12) ticket: $15.
Three-day day-of (May 25) adult ticket: $50.
Three-day day-of (May 25 kids (ages 6-12) ticket: $15.

Single-day, Friday-only tickets:
Adults advance: $20.
Adults day-of: $25.
Kids (6-12) advance or day-of: $5.

Single-day, Saturday-only tickets:
Adults advance: $20.
Adults day-of: $25.
Kids (ages 6-12) advance or day-of: $5.

Single-day, Sunday-only tickets:
Adults advance: $20.
Adults day-of: $25.
Kids (ages 6-12) advance or day-of: $5.

For more information, please call Samantha Rudder at the LVMS Racing Operations Office at (702) 632-8213 or visit www.LVMS.com. Follow the event on its new Facebook page: Rockabilly Rod Reunion 2012.