This is very cool bucket list item Mark! Congrats on putting it together. Awesome awesome awesome.
Some random points:
The track is about 20 minutes north of Bakersfield proper.
When on the 99 going north, exit at Lerdo highway. There is a Chevron gas station there. Go east a short amount, and take a left at Zerker road. It takes you thru the back country orchards. They grow oranges, almonds, grapes and stuff. Nice scenery. It will take you north and t-bones at Famoso road. Make a right eastbound, and the track is a short drive and on the right.
The first entrance you'll see is the racers entrance, the 2nd is for the middle parking lot and the 3rd is for the side lots.
On Saturday, try to be there at least by 8am or you'll be stuck parking on the side of the road you came in on. The Zerker road shortcut bypasses the long line of backed up traffic that can form there. I've seen it go all the way to 99 almost.
If you don't have tickets already, get all three days' tickets on Friday. The ticket line on Saturday can get very long. This way you can breeze right on in.
The doubletree has a wing-ding on Friday night. Beacuse I am usually hanging out in the pits on Friday night, I have never made it in time to attend the formal dinner presentation but it looks like a nice time. Big Mac usually emcees. They give speeches and honor the honorees. Big Jim Dunn is this year's grand marshall. By the time I get there, the ceremony has let out and the guests are mingling everywhere.They will have a mini cackle fest afterwards in the front area there.
In-N-Out is on Panama lane. Zingo's and Milt's diners are usually where the racers eat breakfast in the mornings.
On Saturday, is the cackle fest. try to secure spots on the fence for that. You WILL get blasted by nitro.
Try to sneak in to the Smokers bleacher that is in the back corner behind the left lane water box for a while. They usually have it roped off because it's "for them only" but maybe they'll be cool and let ya in. Say you're visiting from far away and just want to take a few pics.
Kevin Stith has THE BEST t-shirts on the midway. Hopefully he will have the trailer there.
Bring a small radio device that has fm radio. The track speaker system sucks bad. I'm not sure what the radio frequency is, but I usually have a small mp3/radio with an earphone and it keeps me informed with the track activity.
-or-
find a bleacher that has a speaker in front of it.
When F/C is called to the lanes, a forest of fiberglass is created in the staging lanes. I go down there and walk in between all the cars. Very cool to be amongst all those machines.
You will need to sacrifice some on track racing viewing to be able to walk around and take in the whole facility. Definitely try to take it all in. I usually sacrifice the slower classes of jr fuel, b/gas, c/gas, d/gas, Nostalgia Eliminator II, and N/E III.
N/E I and a/gas are fun to watch. Both are 7.60 index classes.
Sunday will be a much smaller crowd with no need to rush for parking.
The winner's circle trophy pic taking deal is like a nice cherry on a great sundae.
Famoso is an old track with tons of history, character, and is the mecca of nostalgia drag racing. I won't be able to make it this time but nonetheless, I frickin love that track. I hope you and Alan like it too. March Meet is just as fun if not more.
