Larry Dixon Sr. & Jr. Named Grand Marshals for 2012 March Meet Race
Father & son drag race legends are coming to Auto Club
Famoso Raceway for Mar. 1-4 event
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Jan. 24, 2012) – The fabled March Meet, now in its 54th year, has always been a family tradition passed down from one generation to another. The custom continues as legendary father and son drag racers Larry Dixon Sr. and Larry Dixon Jr. have been named Grand Marshals of the iconic race, which had been expanded to four days, Mar. 1-4, at Auto Club Famoso Raceway.
“Family is really what the March Meet is about,” said Blake Bowser, vice president and general manager of the Kern County Racing Association, operators of Auto Club Famoso and producers of the March Meet. “That’s why father and son Larry Dixon Sr. and Jr. are the perfect choices for Grand Marshals. Larry Sr. raced here in the ’60s – and won his division – and Jr., a three-time NHRA Top Fuel champ, was born into drag racing and has been coming to Bakersfield since he was a kid. They are drag racing royalty, representing almost 50 years of the sport.”
“Being named Grand Marshal of the March Meet is truly an honor,” said Larry Dixon Sr., who drove the Fireside Inn Roadster to a championship in the Comp Eliminator class here in 1968. “The March Meet has always been one of the most famous and prestigious races, and it brings back a lot of great memories. And to be honored along with my son makes it even more special.”
“Sharing March Meet Grand Marshal duties with my dad is unreal,” said Larry Dixon Jr., NHRA’s Top Fuel champ in 2002, ’03 and ’10, and the 1995 NHRA Rookie of the Year. “It really means a lot to me because it’s a place where my dad’s raced and has a ton of friends. There’s nothing like the March Meet – it’s a one-of-a-kind event draped in drag racing history. This is going to be special, and a whole lot of fun.”
“The Dixons are a class act and crowd favorites here,” said Bowser, who can relate to the Dixon’s father/son dynamic. Bakersfield-born and March Meet-bred, Bowser has been working with his dad, John, at Famoso Raceway literally his whole life. Like John, who began is his career at the track in the late 1950s, Blake started selling race programs as a kid. The Bowsers ran the track for years, and officially became the track’s owner/operators in 2006.
The bond between Larry Sr. and Larry Jr. is incredible,” said Bowser. “Larry Sr. won the Winternationals in 1970 and Larry Jr. won it in 1998, 28 years after his dad – incredible! And now they are Co-Grand Marshals at the March Meet.”
