The streets of Bixby Knolls in Long Beach came alive on Saturday, July 12 with more than 10,000 people walking up and down Atlantic Avenue. Throughout the day, the roar of the 16 vintage top-fuel dragsters, 150 show cars, and the rockin’ sounds of Party Jones made Bixby Knolls one big party zone.
Standouts in the static car show included tricked-out PT Cruisers, a monster truck, roadsters, “gasser” dragsters, GTOs, a historical society display of vintage vehicles, a truck with swimming pool and waterfall in the back, rock-a-billy d.j., and Ferraris. And local business Melinda McCoy’s Flowers brought 10 classic cars to support the local show.
Evoking the era of the legendary Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, the dragsters fired up their engines in three sessions during the event. At the final fire-up at 8:30 p.m., a record was set as all 16 dragsters fired up their engines at once. Never has there been a venue that could hold so many “live” dragsters at once. This grand finale had the crowd yelling and applauding with approval as the show came to a close.
Net proceeds from the event benefit the Long Beach Special Olympics program.
