The 40th NHRA World Finals, held at Pomona Raceway on November 11-14, 2004 served as a specular format for the Frantic 4 Racing team and other legends from drag racing history. This was the last of 24 races in the 2004 season of the NHRA Drag Racing Series. As always, the World Finals puts a period on a season and draws huge crowds getting their last nitro fix until the Winternationals. This year was no exception but there was even more "butts in the seats" because of the "bonus show" sponsored and organized by the folks from the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. A huge display of over 30 vintage race cars and exhibition runs by some of the best Nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters and Fuel Alterds in the world brought out folks who would have passed on the "Big Show" by itself.

Things got under way on Wednesday, November 10, 2004. The "Big Show" cars were just starting to set up their zip code size pit areas while a hand full of volunteer Cacklecars were putting on a show for thousands of school kids who were guests of NHRA, the US Army, and the media. The Frantic 4 dragster was part of the 9 car show. The photo above has Dennis Prater and Ron Rivero standing with the car (Norm Weekly in the seat) before they push started from the top end of the fabled Pomona drag strip (aka Parker Ave.)

Norm Weekly is fired and follows John Ewald down track to their "parking spots".

On Friday at the Wally Parks NHRA Museum display area there was a flurry of activity when the fans had access to some of the Legends of Drag Racing at a buffet style autograph table..

Jeb Allen, Jim Green, Norm Weekly, Vance Hunt, Jeep Hampshire, Larry Sutton, John Bradley, James Warren and many more sat for hours signing what ever the endless line of fans wanted them to sign.

Through out the weekend all the "Cacklefest" cars (and more) were on display in the huge tent supplied by the NHRA Museum. Literally thousands of fans spent a great deal of time looking these cars that molded the history of drag racing.

Ron and Steve Gibbs get ready to give Rivero's grandson, Dylan a fire up (below) in the Frantic 4 fueler. We're not sure, but Dylan may be the youngest person to ever sit in a running Top Fuel dragster.

Obviously Dylan needs to grow into grandpa's helmet and firesuit but after his fireup knows nitro is in his blood.

The crown jewel for "our team" at any event is a Cacklefest. At Pomona they did something different. Instead of push starting the cars from the top end, the cars were brought from the staging lanes and placed on the return road in front of the stands. This all took place while the Pro semi-finals were being run. The twist was that all the cars would fire at once.

The Frantic 4 fueler, American flag in the chute pack, is in its place waiting for the show.

For this event, Christi Rivero (daughter of Ron & Betty) got to sit in the car. As Norm says, "She's a lot easier to look at than I am!"