The National Street Rod Association was back at Santa Pod Raceway for their final visit of the year. The 36th annual NSRA Hot Rod Drags took place from the 13th – 15th September 2024 and featured an exciting mix of pre-1973 hotrod ‘Run What Ya Brung’, class racing, and a show and shine display.
This year saw the welcome return of the Flathead Meltdown. Having formed in the 80s/90s and a mainstay at the Hot Rod Drags previous location, Shakespeare County Raceway, the Flathead Meltdown is open to flathead powered, period correct Hot Rods only. This means no disc brakes, coil overs or radial tyres. It may not be the fastest class in the field, but it’s certainly varied with anything from Belly Tanks to roadsters to Sedans.
Another varied class is the newly formed Outlaw Outkasts, featuring cars such as the “Frankenstien” ’57 Chevy known for its huge wheel stands, and the Ain’t No Saint Volvo Gasser now immortalised as a Hot Wheels scale model.
It was also the final opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Dos Palmos and Mooneyes Dragsters before they prepare to begin their return journey back to the USA. As special guests at this year’s Dragstalgia, these nostalgia dragsters represent the early years of drag racing here in the UK.
On the track, incidents and oil downs were frequent occurrences during the weekend, but as usual, the track crew did an excellent job of cleaning and prepping the track as quickly as they possibly could. There was also a steady stream of pre-1973 Hot Rod ‘Run What Ya Brung’. The NSRA Hot Rod Drags was originally conceived as a Hot Rod meet at a racetrack, so it is a pleasure to see the RWYB slots still take priority.
The summer hotrodding calendar may be drawing to a close, but by popular request, the NSRA is holding an end of season Big Brunch on the 28th/29th September. Visit the NSRA website to find out if there is a Big Brunch in your area.
If you attended the 2024 NSRA Hot Rod Drags, we’d love to hear from you and enjoy the photos!
