Great Bend’s historic Sunflower Rod and Custom Association drag strip was filled to the brim this last Thursday as Hot Rod Magazine’s Drag Week made a pit stop here, Great Bend Community Coordinator Christina Hayes told the City Council Monday night.
There were 340 racers and their street-legal cars in town for the event. Great Bend was in the lineup with other cities including Topeka, Tulsa, Okla., and Noble, Okla.
“Hotels were full,” Hayes said. So were restaurants and service stations.
“The strip was packed,” Hayes said. “People all over town were talking about it on Thursday and wanted to catch part of the excitement.”
And, Hayes said the city may be in for a repeat performance. The 348-409 convention is taking place is in Great Bend in association with the SRCA points races Thursday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Sept. 28.
“It’s a weekend full of racing and fun,” Hayes said. Organizer Phil Reed is excited to be in Great Bend and there are people coming from all over the country, as well as Australia and England to be at his event.
“This is the 10th Anniversary of this convention and they chose Great Bend because of our Drag Strip,” Hayes said. In addition, there will be a car show and banquet.
Also, Hayes said there is supposed to be a $1-million-car coming to town for this event that will also be on display. Further more, Hayden Profitt, the man who designed the Corvette crossed checkered flag logo will be attending.
The gathering is for owners of cars that have engines with engine displacement of either 348 or 409 cubic inches.
In other business Monday night, the City Council:
• Approved a bid from Venture Corporation for $737,170.35 for the 2014 Residential Street Resurfacing & Reconstruction Project. The Engineering Department received bids on Friday for the completion of the work and Venture was the only bidder, City Engineer Robert Winiecke said.
Among the streets included are: the U.S. 281 Bypass from 16th to 10th streets; Morton from Ninth to 10th; Eighth from Frey to Elm; 11th from Odell to Morton; 12th from Harrison to Jackson and Broadway from K-96 to McKinley.
• Approved the Uniform Public Offense Code for use by the Police Department. City Attorney Bob Suelter said this is something that is done annually. It is updated each year by the Kansas League of Municipalities to be compliance with state statutes.
• Approved the Standard Traffic Ordinance. Again, this is an annual agenda item.
• Reviewed the city’s Snow Removal Policy for 2014. Public Works Director Don Craig handed out the policy to council members and city officials to give them time to review it before the next meeting when it will be considered for approval.
The only change from last year is the date. 
• Approved abatements at 213 Pine St., owned by Mazell Hudson, 1408 11th St., owned by Ernesto and Paula Fernandez, and 801 Hubbard St., owned by  Salvador and Tosha Perales. All were for accumulation of refuse.