National Dragster: Rockabilly Rod Reunion To Be Held At The Strip

The inaugural Rockabilly Rod Reunion presented by Mooneyes and clay Smith Cams will be held Saturday, Nov. 20, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In the spirit of the long-running Paso Robles Car Show and Ratfink Reunion, the event will bring together hot rods, custom cars, vendors, followers of the custom lifestyle, and great music for a day of high-octane fun in Las Vegas.

The Cadillac Angels of Santa Barbara, Calif., will take the main stage in the early afternoon for a concert, featuring cuts from their latest CD Illinois Boy, and the dragstrip will rumble to life at 6 p.m. with the Pacific Street Car Association's 200-mph doorslammers and the California Independent Funny Car Association's supercharged entries.

Car-customizing legend Gene Winfield will display one of his many creations at his booth. Among Winfield's famous cars are the Jade Idol and Strip Star, not to mention numerous Mercurys from the 1949-50 era. Winfield also endeared himself to model-car builders in the 1960s as a customizing consultant for AMT, the era's dominant manufacturer. Joining Winfield as a special guest is Tom Daniel, who was an artist at Rod & Custom Magazine and the creator of more than 85 popular rods, including the Red Baron, which sold more than 1 million model kits for Monogram Models and was the hit of the 1968 custom car show circuit.

Cannery . hotel & Casino, the event's official host hotel, will feature two nights of rockabilly and rod festivities Fridays and Saturday. Discount room rates are available; call (866) 9994899 and mention the promo code "Rat Rod." For information, log on to www.rockabillyrodreunion.com.