This week Oakdale native Josh Crawford will head south for the world-renowned March Meet at the Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield.

And this isn’t your usual racing event.

Crawford will be one of over 45 drivers vying for top-32 qualification in a 52nd annual Funny Car Nostalgia Drag Racing event heralded as the biggest event of its kind in the past 35 years.

“This is the event where all the heavy hitters from the east coast come out to meet the top guys from the west coast in one big clash,” Oakdale racing fan and nostalgia racing follower Mike Burghardt said. “It’s a big war on the race track, though all these guys are friends and follow the sport.”

Crawford drives the nationally famous Blue Max, a 1969 Mustang with enough power and nitrous oxide to burn your eyebrows, should you venture too close.

The car is fresh off a 5.92-second run in recent competition, and is prepped and prepared for an entry of the largest gathering of cars and fans in many years.

“There is a saying in drag racing that gasoline is for grocery shopping and washing parts, alcohol is for drinking and nitrous is for racing,” Burghardt said. “It’s a great sport and this weekend should be a great example of that.”

Tickets can be purchased through www.famosoraceway.com.