Monster Mopar Weekend - A Monster Of A Weekend

It happens the same weekend every year, immediately following Labor Day. This year the Monster Mopar Weekend, held on September 5, 6, and 7 at Gateway International Speedway and Dragstrip, was plagued with beautiful weather, great racing, and car show action. Every weekend should be this nice. This was our first time attending this event, and the calendar is already marked for next year. We were overwhelmed by the number of race cars and show cars drawn to this venue. Nearly 1,000 race and show cars from around America came to Gateway to compete in nine categories of drag racing. We have never heard of an all-Mopar event with racing payouts as large as this. Would you believe a $10,000-to-win payout in the Indy Cylinder Heads Quick 16 class? Harden's Muscle Car World was the sponsor of the car show, with 50 classes to make sure all Mopar enthusiasts were covered. When the final tally was made, 531 show cars made the pilgrimage, with 436 race cars vying for the money. Of the over 500 show cars entered, 32 of them were of the wing-car persuasion, and they even made a few laps around the speedway on Saturday.

We began our weekend in Union, Missouri. we went to Union to partake in the Winged Warrior get-together at the home of Richard Bolzenius. This laid-back gathering featured several wing cars, and a special appearance of one of only three Turbine cars that can move under its own power. A special thanks goes out to the St. Louis County Museum of Transportation for allowing it to appear. Several gentlemen that worked for Mopar in the heyday of musclecars, including James Hylton (NASCAR Rookie-of-the-Year in 1966), Al Bradshaw (Turbine car engineer), and several plant employees were on hand, telling how things really happen at the plant. Mike Eberhardt (the man responsible for getting the St. Louis Turbine car running) was also busy all weekend giving rides and telling what it took to get the Turbine car running.

In Circles-Really, Really Fast
Another perk for those who attended the Monster Mopar Weekend was the Petty Driving Experience classes. For those who have been under a rock for the last couple of years, the Petty Experience gives you the opportunity to drive a NASCAR-built car a few laps around the speedway at well over 100 mph. Now, you just don't show up, jump in the car, and go. Each student receives the proper training required, and is then fitted with a driving suit, helmet, and the necessary safety harness. After the "schooling" is complete, each person is assigned a car for his or her laps.

These are not dressed-up street cars. These are real NASCAR Cup-style cars, complete with 358ci Cup engines and four-speed transmission. If you think it's easy, try it. At 120-plus mph, things are not cut and dried. You're strapped into a car and cannot move very much. Your heart rate is up, and these cars are not air-conditioned. Before you are tempted to tell your favorite NASCAR driver how he should drive, get into one of these cars and try it for yourself. You will have a new appreciation for what it takes to drive in NASCAR traffic at over 100 mph.