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Let’s
say you’re bored with the weekend’s
college and NFL football games, and
you just can’t get enthused about
raking those fall leaves. OK, we’ve
got the perfect way to spend a
fun-filled, Friday, Saturday and
Sunday that won’t cost you a bundle
and will leave you planning to come
back next year!
It’s the
8th Annual East Coast Drag Times
Hall of Fame Weekend, October
16-17-18, in Henderson, North
Carolina! This three-day event is
geared for anyone who enjoys hot
rods, street rods, muscle cars, race
cars and the amazing people who made
drag racing famous.
On
Friday, October 16, you can start by
chowing-down on authentic, “NC
Style”, slow-smoked barbeque served
with all the fixins. Henderson’s
Ambassador Inn & Suites will host
this smoky pig-fest from 1:00 to
6:00 PM. A nominal cover charge of
just $4.00 per person fills your
plate with a heapin’ helpin’ of
savory barbeque, tangy Cole slaw and
ice cold sweet tea.
After
you’ve had your fill of barbeque
take the “Henderson Hospitality
Tour” by stopping at the Hall of
Fame Weekend’s Host Hotels to renew
old friendships and make new ones.
You’ll meet the drivers, mechanics
and crew persons who made drag
racing history, then and now. Five
different Host Hotels are on the
agenda, with racing stories,
memorabilia, photos and greetings at
the Hampton Inn; Holiday Inn
Express; Jameson Inn; Sleep Inn and
the Ambassador Inn & Suites, all
within a couple minutes of each
other in Henderson.
Start
your Saturday early by heading to
Downtown Henderson for one of the
biggest open-air car show events in
the Southeast, the 2009 Show, Shine,
Shag and Dine. Last year more than
1,500 remarkable hot rods, street
rods, muscle cars, antiques and
nostalgia race cars were on display
and eager for your up-close
inspection. During the day you’ll
move to live nostalgia rock by The
Imitations, The Al Williams Band,
and renowned DJ “Koto”! There are
plenty of specialty food vendors as
well as Henderson’s tasty downtown
restaurants to keep you
well-nourished. We guarantee you’re
going to want to come early and stay
late. Our show has grown in size,
quality and variety to become one of
the Southeast’s premier auto
enthusiast events, and it’s all
free!
Be on
the lookout for TV personality Bret
Kepner... Bret and his video crew
will be wandering through the show
looking for unique cars and people
as they shoot segments for his
weekly cable TV show, Inside Drag
Racing. Bret is known to stop
spectators as well as car owners,
getting their personal take on what
they found most appealing about the
show and the Hall of Fame Weekend
event. You just might end up on
national TV, too!
After
the Show, Shine, Drag and Dine, do
some cruising at Henderson’s Raleigh
Road Outdoor Drive-In Movie and our
Cruise-In At The Drive-In evening.
You’ll see plenty of hot rods,
street rods and muscle cars, and
find out who picks up the “Best In
Show”.
On Sunday, October 18, beginning at
10:00 AM, you’ll have a chance to
meet, talk with and get autographs
from this year’s group of legendary
drag racers at the 2009 East Coast
Drag Times Hall of Fame Induction
ceremonies. From 10:00-12:30 spend
time with this year’s inductees as
well as many of those from previous
years, get into some serious bench
racing and take a look at the
thousands of vintage drag racing
photos on display.
At
12:30 PM the 2009 Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony begins. We are
enormously pleased to welcome back,
as Master of Ceremonies, TV
personality and co-star of Inside
Drag Racing, Bret Kepner. Bret’s
amazing, in-depth knowledge of all
things drag racing and his great
sense of humor make the Induction
Ceremony an experience you won’t
want to miss!
In
addition to the annual group of Hall
of Fame inductees several special
awards will recognize luminary drag
racing heroes. Among these are the
Wally Parks Motorsports Statesman
Memorial Award, this year going
posthumously to driver, promoter,
team owner and racing industrialist,
Mickey Thompson; The Ronnie Sox
Memorial Award, this year going to
long time Sox & Martin mechanic Dave
Christie; And the Thomas “Woody”
Andrews Memorial Award, co-awarded
to engine builder Gene Fulton and
chassis builder Tommy Mauney. At
3:00 PM it’s all over, that is until
next year when drag racing’s legends
and car enthusiasts gather again for
the 2010 Hall of Fame Weekend.
For
information contact us at (866)
438-4565, by e-mail at vctourism@gloryroad.net,
or on the internet at:
www.eastcoastdragtimeshalloffame.com.
We
look forward to meeting and greeting
you Oct., 16-17-18, here in
Henderson, NC!
Sincerely,
Jim Hill, Writer
Nancy Wilson
Executive Director/Event Organizer |
