One of the highlights of the show is Megasaurus, a metal munching marvel that stands over three stories tall and weighs 50,000 pounds. Megasaurus will astound spectators as he dines on old automobiles while shooting flames skyward from his nostrils.
Two jet cars also will delight onlookers as they hit the afterburners and scream down the strip, while monster trucks will execute an amazing freestyle performance. Benny the Bomb will strap himself into a car, turn the car into a raging inferno and then step away to cheers from the crowd. A dazzling fireworks display will light the nighttime sky to conclude the action.
Adding to the excitement are quarter-mile passes through Thunder Valley from fire-breathing, nitro-burning, ground-pounding Funny Cars making for edge-of-the-seat thrills that will keep fans glued to the on-track action.
One of the men that will strap himself aboard one of the nitro Funny Cars is veteran driver Bob Gilbertson.
When he was 14 years old, Gilbertson, originally from Vancouver, Wash., worked on pit crews for drivers like Ed "The Ace" McCulloch and Jim Barnard. Gilbertson spent the days of his youth dreaming of becoming a driver in the Funny Car category. During that time, Gilbertson worked at a local air tank manufacturer and saved his $35 per week paycheck in hopes of purchasing his own car.
"I tried motocross for a while," he added, "but I found out it hurts and it's hard to make any money."
In 1976, Gilbertson began competing in match races and local National Hot Rod Association races throughout the Northwest. By the end of the season, he found himself second in the NHRA's Division 6 point standings.
During the 1980s, Gilbertson competed on the International Hot Rod Association tour and racked up an impressive list of showings. In 1992, IHRA discontinued the nitro Funny Car class and Gilbertson was forced to make a tough decision. Without the budget necessary to compete in NHRA, Gilbertson focused his efforts on establishing his own air tank manufacturing business, Truck Equipment Manufacturing Company in Charlotte, N.C.
"I started the air tank business in 1992, and it took some real attention to get it on its feet," he said. "Even today, the business takes a lot of my time."
With the racing bug still in his system and with his business up and running, Gilbertson couldn't shake the call of the race track.
"The thrill of driving comes for me when I hit maximum G's (g-forces) at half track, and I know it is a 4.76 or 4.80 E.T. (elapsed time)," he says. "Or when I run a long burn out and hear the crowd yelling over the engine at idle."
With his successful IHRA stint, which included top-three finishes in the point standings and his first national event win, Gilbertson contemplated earning his NHRA Funny Car license.
In 1997, Gilbertson completed licensing requirements and picked up his first NHRA national event win at the 2000 O'Reilly Nationals in Houston. To collect the win, Gilbertson outraced some of the best in the business, including John Force, Jim Epler, Ron Capps and Jerry Toliver.
A competitor on both the NHRA and IHRA circuits, Gilbertson finished an impressive third in the final 2007 IHRA point standings.
"The biggest enjoyment about owning my own business is that I can leave and go racing anytime," he added. "In 2006, we raced 33 weekends!"
After competing earlier this month at the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, Gilbertson is excited to make a return trip to Bristol.
"Bristol is one of my favorite tracks on the NHRA circuit," he says. "I've been racing there since the early 80's, and I have a lot of history at Thunder Valley. Since the facelift a few years ago, it's become one of the nicest tracks out there, and to pull up to the starting line with a sea of people on your left on the side of the mountain is one of the most awesome things a driver can experience."
Night of Fire, with its intense lineup of motor mayhem, will get even wilder when Gilbertson rolls into the staging lanes.
"I'm very happy to have been picked to return to Bristol for Night of Fire just two weeks after the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals," he added, "and I guarantee we'll put on a show the rabid Bristol fans won't forget. Since it's a match race, we can get a little crazy. Who knows, I might even do a ‘Jungle Jim-style,' 1,000 foot burnout."
Gates open at 6 p.m. Tickets for adults are only $15. Ages 6-15 are $5, while children 5 and under are admitted free. Discount coupons are available at APPCO convenience stores while supplies last.
For more information about Bristol Dragway's Night of Fire, please call (423) 764-DRAG or visit www.bristoldragway.com.