Drag Racing Action Online

Images Phil Hutchison and Keith Hudak

In an event that certainly lived up to the hype, the California Hot Rod Reunion featuring Nitro Revival and presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports, was simply, a success on every level. Hundreds of racers made the tow to  Famoso Dragway in Bakersfield, a track that has become a Mecca to compete in an array of classes.  From Nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Car to the Gassers, NHRA Heritage eliminators and included the crowd favorite Fuel Altereds.

The Outlaw Gassers Association along with the California Independent Funny Car Association were part of the excitement.

 Famoso’s Blake Bowser, Kleet Norris and their crew along with Steve and Cindy Gibbs’ team made it an event to remember.

In addition, nearly 100 nostalgia cars were in the pits for the fans and other racers to check out over the weekend which included the famous Saturday night Cackle Fest featuring dozens of 60’s dragsters and Funny Cars all running at the same time for a cacophony of sound added to the smell of nitro in the air.

Former and current racers were on hand Saturday afternoon for an autograph session featuring some of the giants in drag racing legend.  

NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL

Kaiser, near lane, defeats McBee in the finals of Top Fuel

The finals pitted two California drivers that have faced each other before. Frank McBee Jr from Madera CA was up against Pete Kaiser from Merced. Kaiser qualified #2 and McBee put his digger in the #4 spot.

 Kaiser who had an outside chance of catching Heritage points leader Tyler Hilton for the 2025 Championship was second off the line with a 0.123 RT to McBee’s 0.085 but tracked him down for the win with a 5.72 to the losing 5.815 of McBee.

Hilton’s Great Expectations III took the 2025 Heritage title

Hilton driving the Great Expectations III dragster won the 2025 Heritage Top Fuel championship by a slim nine points over Kaiser going to the semifinals to clinch the title. The win made it four in a row for the Cincinnati OH driver.   

Kaiser defeated Bret Williamson in R1 on Sunday morning 

 

NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR

Capps, far lane, had the quickest car at the CHRR

After setting the Heritage FC record at an astonishing 5.488 in round two, Las Vegas NV driver Jon Capps took the win over Nathan Sitko in a great final on Sunday afternoon.

 Capps, driving the Matthews Motorsports ’70 Camaro was first off the line and laid down a consistent 5.543 to beat Sitko from Edmonton Alb., driving the Pacemaker Bubble Up Camaro who lost with a close 5.696.

Shane Westerfield from Fullerton CA had the 2025 Heritage series title wrapped up coming into the last race of the year at Famoso.  Driving the Austin/O’Brien Bucky’s Bardahl Camaro won the Funny Car championship by over 100 points over Sitko. 

Capps unloaded his 5.488 in R2 on Sunday



FUEL ALTERED


Leahy, near lane, is off the line first and it made the difference at the stripe


The finals of Fuel Altered featured one of the closest races of eliminations with Greg Leahy from Australia by way of Chino Valley AZ putting a hole shot on Vince Karstetter from Buckeye AZ.


 Leahy had a 0.088 RT to the later 0.145 of Karstetter and it made the difference at the stripe winning with a 6.064 to a better but losing 6.040 of Karstetter.


 


Leahy, driving Johnny and Joette West’s Plan A 23 T qualified his AA/FA on the pole with a 6.032 and was consistently in the low 6 second race throughout eliminations 


A FUEL


Bellemeur, far lane, took the A/F win in fine fashion running Low ET of eliminations in the finals


NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car star Sean Bellemeur from Placentia, Calif. had his blown altered flying at Famoso qualifying #2 at a 6.069 just a tick behind the #1 qualifier Kim Bate’s 6.014.


Bates lost in the first round to Wayne Ramay’s 6.122 to the losing 6.229 of Bates as Bellemeur got a free pass to R2 as his competition, Ed Syer was a no show.




Bellemeur got another break in the semis as his competition, Michael Gidcumb was another no show. On the other side of the ladder, Ramay got the competition bye setting up the final against Bellemeur. In the finals Bellemeur got the better light with an 0.045 to Ramay’s 0.087 and ran the quickest time of eliminations with a winning 6.018 to Ramay’s 6.14.  


CALIFORNIA FUNNY CARS




For 2025, the California Independent Funny Car Association was invited for their own eliminator. This was a great chance to display their unique style of racing. A long presence in the So Cal area, nearly a dozen of the alcohol powered cars made qualifying shots with the top eight going to the final eliminations.


Whittier CA driver Jim Maher sat on the pole with a 7.129 in his throwback ’84 Ford Tempo with Tony Trimp from Wilton CA. #2 in his wild Mustang at a 7.147.


After two rounds it went down to the two low qualifiers with Trimp getting the hole shot win over Maher but it was Maher taking the win


JUNIOR FUEL


 


Montana racer Alan Hull drove his injected dragster to a win beating Matt Baldonado from Camarillo CA in the finals. Baldonado got the better light, but Hull tracked him down for a 7.012 win to the losing 7.117 of Baldonado 


7.0 PRO




Competing with two cars at Famoso, Tony Trimp put his ’65 Mustang in the winner’s circle in 7.0. His competition, the dragster of Dean Nilson from Redding CA, left way too soon with a -0.228 red light handing Trimp an easy 7.012 win


A GAS ELIMINATOR


 Padgett, far lane, took the A/G title home to Santa Paula after his win over Small


In an all ’63 Corvette final, Ray Padgett from Santa Paula CA. beat local Bakersfield racer Kenzer Small in a double breakout. Padgett ran a 7.596 on the 7.60 index to the losing 7.588 of Small.


B GAS ELIMINATOR




Chris Tourek from Queen Creek, Ariz. drove his ’70 Chevelle to an 8.633 on the 8.60 index win over Kevin Riley’s ’67 Barracuda from Santa Clara, Calif. who broke out with a 8.596, 146.72.


C GAS ELIMINATOR




Local Bakersfield Calif. Driver Beau Dyson won a double breakout final over Brian Smith from Ojai Calif. in the finals of C/G. Dyson’s  ’67 Chevelle ran a 9.555 to Smith’s ’69 Cougar’s losing 9.547.


D GAS ELIMINATOR




In D/G it was San Marcos Calif. racer Dan Schrokosch in his Camaro beating the ’48 Anglia of Doug Fournier from Campbell, Calif. Schrokosch ran a right on with a two 10.602 on the 10.60 index to the breaking out 10.599 of Fournier.


NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR I


 


 By running closer to the NE1 7.60 index, Dave Isley from Ontario Calif drove his dragster to the win over Ed Silbermann from nearby Lake Isabella Calif. Isley had the better light and essentially locked out any chance of Silbermann who ran an off pace 7.703 to the winning 7.613 of Isley.


NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR II




Tony Citro from Oakley Calif. drove his ’91 Chrisman dragster to a NEII Win over the Fiat Topolino of Sam Hughes from Enumclaw Wash.


Citro got the better light and won a double breakout final with a 8.585 on the 8.60 index as Hughes ran a 8.578 in the loss


NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR III




San Diego Calif. racer Ashlee Balistreri drove her Wright ON ’23 T to a win in NEIII over Don Morris from Roseville, Calif.


Balistreri crushed the tree with a 0.003 light forcing Morris to push his car a little too far breaking out with a 9.497 on the 9.60 index. Balistreri also ran below the index but wasn’t as far under with a winning 9.529


 


HOT ROD ELIMINATOR




Dan Rowley from Dinuba Calif. drove his ‘68 Chevelle to a10.251win on a 10.18 dial as  Tony Cabanilla from Seaside, Calif. trailed in his ’67 Barracuda who slowed to a thirteen second run on a 10.20 dial


A/FX




Jeremy Smith from Canyon Country Calif. drove his ’67 GTO to the A/FX win with a 10.083 on the class 9.90 index over the ’67 Mustang of Steve Whitmore from Dixon Calif.  who ran an off pace 10.496 after he got the better light.