If you ever wondered what Wells, Nevada looks like, the photo above is close, although, I used some heavy effects to make it look as lush and inviting as it does in this photo. Desolation notwithstanding, Wells hosts a car show once a year that should be the envy of all other car shows. Some car shows focus on being the biggest, others have a rockabilly theme, still others focus on a certain make, continent of manufacture, etc…
The Wells Fun Run focuses on the operative word in its title, and it delivers in spades.
A small portion of the fun is the opening day, first-thing-when-you-arrive drag racing, held at the Wells Airport.
As you can see in this photo, normal airport operations are not delayed in order to hold the event. They just move the cars out of the way when an airplane comes home to roost. The Cessna in the (woefully poor) photo above was negotiating the staging lanes to get to its moor.
There are no grandstands or pretensions at the Wells Fun Run. The challenge is to make yourself as comfortable as possible in the high desert of Nevada. Despite the barren landscape, these were the best seats in the house. Having a good time in them is not much of a challenge at all.
Out back of the spectator area, the cars were parked, awaiting their next shot at the track/runway.
Let’s face it, Nevada isn’t a pretty place, so I took some photo editing liscence in this post. The above Model A challenge was a particularly cool looking race.
As with many of the other posts here at NTC, you can click on any of the images for a wallpaper-sized view.
I had an opportunity to run this T-bucket. It is fast, unrefined, and downright cool. It weighs in at 1170 pounds plus driver. With the 500 hp engine, it is the most eager car I’ve ever been in. Special thanks to Dustin, the owner, for allowing my run.
Finally, this pair of Mavericks (actually, one is a Comet) made for a rare sight. The image, other than being cropped, has not been manipulated in any way. That, my friends, is what Wells looks like. Despite appearances, it was easily the most fun I’ve ever had at a car show.
Speaking of fun, the WFR keeps you busy with many other activities throughout the weekend. They have slow drags, fireworks, show-n-shine, home cooked breakfast, a poker run to picturesque Angel Lake, a Main Street parade, burnout contest, and a street dance. If that’s not enough to keep you entertained, take a tour of one of the two functioning legal brothels within a mile of the park.
Thanks to the good folks in Wells who host this great event.
For many, many more photos of this event, visit www.thanks2frank.com
