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For over 50 years, the family New who runs Firebird Raceway outside of Eagle, Idaho, a suburb of Boise, has been entertaining fans throughout the Western United States with the Nightfire Nationals. Firebird Raceway is one of the few facilities in the United States owned and operated by the same family and management team since its inception in 1968.

The family's late patriarch, Bill New, built the facility in its current location. As Bill New told the late Steve Evans in an interview, "The place started out as a drag strip and a trout farm. Well, unfortunately, the trout died. However, the racetrack has grown and prospered."

In 1972, the elder New decided that the facility needed a signature event. In its early days, it was called the Nightfire 500. It was run on the first weekend in September. It was headlined by sixteen of the baddest hombre in funny car racing at the time.

Jungle Jim Liberman and Jungle Pam, Jerry "the King" Ruth, The Ace Ed McCulloch, The Snake and Mongoose, and of course The Blue Max were just some of the many stars to be a part of the event.

In 1976, the event became a two-day affair moved to the second weekend in August, the race's traditional date to the present. While the barnstorming professional, funny car racer became almost non-existent in the middle eighties, the event has given way for another group of nitro racers to show their wares.

Now top fuel drivers such as Jim Murphy, Adam Sorokin, Brett Williamson, and current champ Pete Wittenberg, along with funny car drivers Dan Horan, James Day, "Hollywood Kris Krabill, Billy Morris, and defending champ Bobby Cottrell have filled the void and grown their own legions of fans.

This race has become one of the feature stops on the NHRA Heritage Series tour.

In addition to nitro cars, including fuel altereds and Pro Mod that take center stage at the Nightfire's. For the Sportsman racers, big dollar purses in Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Super Pro, Pro, Heavy, Sled/Bike, and Pro Comp, which will be the classes competing at this year's Nightfire's. Therefore, it is easy to see that this race now takes nearly four days to run. Four days of some of the best drag racing you will see anywhere. Plus, a special treat this year. NHRA on Fox lead announcer and Co-Founder/Editor in chief at Bang Shift.com, Brian Lohnes, will be taking a bit of a busman's holiday and will be present at the Nightfire's, sharing announcing duties with track owner Scott New.

Lohnes states this is a bucket list track for him to visit. Lohnes is not the only NHRA lead announcer to make the trek to Idaho. Former announcer Bob Frey has visited the Gem State on numerous occasions. Testing begins Thursday, August 5th, qualifying will take place on the 6th and 7th, and final eliminations will start about noon local time on Sunday the 8th.

CompetitionPlus.com will also be on hand covering the event and bring you photos and stories from the Nightfire's.