Cruisin' Grand to host dragsters Friday

By: JEFF FRANK - Staff Writer | Thursday, September 13, 2007 12:16 AM PDT ∞

ESCONDIDO -- Broadway will resemble a drag strip Friday when about 20 nitromethane-fueled classic dragsters hit the downtown streets.

It's Nitro Night at Cruisin' Grand, and that means spewing flames and thunderous noise when the thin-rail Top Fuel machines from the 1960s and '70s line up and start their engines.

The sixth appearance of the classic dragsters at Cruisin' Grand is the biggest yet, said Steve Waldron, who helps line up the vehicles for the Downtown Business Association's weekly cruise events. Broadway will be blocked off in front of Grape Day Park to set up a simulated pit area and starting line where the cars will roll up two by two.

"It's going to be awesome when the engines roar. (The cars) are running 90 percent nitromethane," Waldron said. "It's going to be thunder. We're going to wake up that park."

Hall of Fame driver Ted Cyr, an Escondido resident, and his crew chief, Flip Schofield, will be on hand with the 1958 Top Fuel dragster that Cyr raced to the National Hot Rod Association title. The car is on loan from the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Waldron said.

Drag racing legends Tommy Ivo and Stormin' Norman Weekly will re-create the start of their 1963 match race at Ramona Raceway for Friday's grand finale.

"That's quite an event in the history of drag racing," said Waldron.

Among the 20 vehicles will be several making their debut appearances at Cruisin' Grand. Along with the thin-rail dragsters, which hit about 200 mph over the quarter-mile drag strips, will be a funny car and some funny car/Top Fuel hybrids.

Today's cars can hit 330 mph.

They'll start to line up one at a time around 6:30 p.m., according to Waldron. The big show will start at 7:30 p.m. when the dragsters are rolled to the starting line side by side and fire up their engines, sending flames spewing and rattling some nearby windows.

"It's part of American racing culture. We'll have a lot of the older crowd, who remember these cars ... coming out and seeing these cars restored and running and not just sitting in a museum," Waldron said.

Contact staff writer Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Ear Drums wrote on Sep 13, 2007 6:36 AM:More loud mufflers!

Thanks Steve wrote on Sep 13, 2007 7:37 AM:Crusin' Grand is a great event. We owe Steve Waldron a lot for both creating it and making sure that it continues and grows.

ObSERVER wrote on Sep 13, 2007 8:18 AM:Awesome! This is a huge feather in Escondido's cap.... way to go!

Enough wrote on Sep 13, 2007 8:48 AM:This Cruisin Grand nonsense has now gone too far. Why do they need to "wake up that park"? Escondido has absolutely no need for that kind of noise pollution, not to mention the toxic and hazardous fumes that those cars spew into the air. This kind of event, if held in town at all, should be out in the industrial park where it won't disturb as many people.

Al wrote on Sep 13, 2007 12:29 PM:Love it! Can't wait to be there and see this. Muscle cards rule!

to enough wrote on Sep 13, 2007 12:36 PM:Stop your complaining!!!! Its a friday night. There is nothing to do in Escondido anyway. Have you ever seen a drag race? Its pretty exciting... even if your not that into cars. I think its great. For once something fun and positive in Esco!!!-

Dane wrote on Sep 13, 2007 4:15 PM:Cruisin' Grand is one of the most positive and successful things done in Escondido for the residents as well as the businesses. It actually gets people out to what would otherwise be an almost empty downtown. Escondido could use more events like this.

Bob Davis wrote on Sep 13, 2007 4:33 PM:Brings back memories of the early 50's every Sunday at Pomona, wow.

Bob wrote on Sep 13, 2007 4:35 PM:Brings back memories of every Sunday at Pomona,wow-

Sandy K wrote on Sep 13, 2007 7:35 PM:Cruisin' Grand is the only reason I go to Escondido anymore, EVER! We go, take the kids, eat in a restaurant and have a good time. It is a wonderful thing for a city that could use a few more wonderful things.

Just a few words: wrote on Sep 13, 2007 8:42 PM:Toxic & hazardous fumes??? Have you been stuck on I-15 lately, lol!?---Listen, there is nothing like the smell of nitro. AND, my headstone will still read, "There is NOTHING like a top fuel burnout" (which you won't be seeing on Friday night at Cruisin' Grand).----P.S. We just got back from a trip to the midwest where we spent three days at the U.S. Nationals at Indy.

To Enough wrote on Sep 17, 2007 3:46 AM: Get a life, this is a positve event for Escondido. Maybe you should have left town while this was going on.-

Agrees with Enough wrote on Sep 17, 2007 7:53 PM:Downtown Escondido is not enough room to do this. I used to watch the races in San Diego (Streetlegal). I think Cruising Grand is fun and entertaining but come on, racing?

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