Photos by Dave Kommel, Mike Burghardt
FINAL NOTEBOOK – CALIFORNIA HOT ROD REUNION DELIVERS A GOOD DRAG RACE
1 – NOT AN UPPER-DECK SHOT, BUT IT’S A HOMERUN – Blake Bowser is confident that his team has successfully revived the California Hot Rod Reunion, a once-troubled event that has now seen a significant turnaround under his leadership as the operator of Bakersfield’s Famoso Dragstrip.
Bowser, who understands the challenges that lay ahead, didn’t need financial reports to gauge the success of the event. “It was a success in the fact that people had a great time,” he said. “The racing was great. Everyone enjoyed themselves, and our vendors did well. Everything is starting to build in the right direction.” He also confirmed that they would meet their financial obligations and make a contribution to the NHRA Museum as promised.
In recent years, the California Hot Rod Reunion had struggled to maintain its status. Bowser and the NHRA collaborated on a plan to revitalize the event, leveraging his experience from the successful March Meet. “NHRA had faith in us,” Bowser said, acknowledging Glen Cromwell’s support. “I promised to cut a check to the NHRA Museum, and we’re going to have a little bit left over for ourselves.” He expressed confidence in building the event for the future.
A key part of Bowser’s vision is to retain the reunion-style gathering while ensuring the event remains focused on drag racing. “A lot of folks could have stayed home thinking the March Meet has all the racing,” he noted. “But we transformed this into a proper drag race, which it is now.”
Bowser sees the next step as revitalizing the reunion elements, such as showcasing cackle cars, a staple of nostalgia at drag racing events. Crucial to the reunion’s success, he said, was the feedback gathered from participants and spectators. “People are telling us what they like and don’t like, and that’s great for shaping the future,” Bowser explained. “Our goal is to mold this into an extraordinary event. Will it ever be perfect? No. But we’re going to step up to the tee and attempt it every year.”
Despite his optimism, Bowser is mindful of the delicate balance required to manage both the California Hot Rod Reunion and the March Meet. “I need to be careful to give both equal attention,” he said. With preparations for the March Meet already underway, Bowser plans to focus on the reunion in mid-May after fulfilling financial obligations to racers from the previous event.
The passing of his father, John Bowser, in April created additional challenges for Blake, as his father was instrumental in the track’s operations. However, dedicated supporters like Good Vibrations Motorsports, the title sponsor of the reunion, have helped bolster the budget, enabling Bowser to enhance the event experience.
“The reunion went through its trials, while the March Meet just kept growing,” Bowser said, noting his ambition to position both events as premier experiences in the drag racing calendar. “I want to grow this into the true bookends of this series, starting and ending on a high note.”
With a committed team and renewed spirit, Bowser is steering the California Hot Rod Reunion into a promising future, ready to reclaim its place in the hearts of drag racing fans.
2 – HILTON WINS A THIRD TITLE AND THE RACE – Growing up in a drag racing family with his father, a former Top Fuel driver, and his mother, a Hall of Fame drag racing tuner, Tyler Hilton understood that the toughest championship to win is the first.
On Sunday, he entered final eliminations with his third title.
Hilton put an exclamation mark on the championship by beating Pete Kaiser in the final round. His road to the championship round included wins over Frank McBee and Bryan Hall.
“It’s just been great; I don’t even know what to say,” Hilton said. “Yeah, the first one was pretty tough. Actually, the second one was tough. This one came a little easier, this third one, until the end here when we had to work for it a little bit. But we’re just super happy to get this win and finish the year off high.”
Hilton understands that winning a fourth will not be easy as the Nostalgia Top Fuel division continues to evolve into one of the more competitive divisions in the NHRA Heritage Series.
“I think between Kaiser and us and a couple of other cars, the ETs are getting lower again, and it’s just the competition’s tight,” Hilton said.
Hilton said that the third championship speaks volumes about the team he has built.
“I can’t thank them all enough,” Hilton said. “I mean, these guys work their butts off, and I just get to sit in it and hopefully not screw up.”
COTTRELL PULLS OFF THE UNBELIEVABLE – Bobby Cottrell has enjoyed unprecedented success in drag racing, securing six consecutive NHRA Heritage Series titles, including an undefeated season last year. However, as the 2024 season progressed, the unexpected loss of his ride in August left him contemplating his future in the straight-line sport.
“I didn’t think any of this was going to happen, but it did,” Cottrell reflected on his change in fortune. Following his departure from his previous team, he accepted a new opportunity with Jim Broome, who offered him the chance to drive his Speed Sport Camaro. “I knew then I had a shot, and that’s all I needed,” he stated. “We worked hard, and we got it done. I’m really proud of these guys. Talk about an old Cub Scout comeback.”
Cottrell quickly proved his worth by qualifying seventh and defeating competitors Jerry Espeseth, Drew Austin, and Mike Peck to reach the final round. However, victory came at a cost; during his run against Peck, his Funny Car caught fire as he crossed the finish line. While the team received assistance from fellow competitors in the pits, the damage was too extensive to continue.
Despite the unfortunate outcome of the final round, Cottrell celebrated clinching his seventh title, which he deemed “arguably his toughest.” “To be so far back and then come back, not even having a ride before this deal, it was very emotional,” he admitted. “I’m just really, really happy.”
A fierce competitor, Cottrell has always pushed the limits, determined to prove himself upon his return to the track. “If you separate from your teams, you want to come back and do just as good as you did before you left,” he said. He emphasized the importance of having the right car combination, noting that even minor adjustments can affect performance.
“My plan was, no matter how the car ran, I was going to show up and try to cut the tree down every single time, and that’s what I’ve been doing.”
Cottrell’s victories over the past two months have taught him valuable lessons beyond what he learned during his championship seasons. “Don’t ever give up,” he stated, reflecting on his journey. “Honestly, after everything that happened, I felt like my luck was down, my confidence was low. But after the first burnout in this car this weekend, it all came back. I’ll never give up.”
4 – AREND PLAYS SPOILER AND RACE WINNER ROLE – The Funny Car final round at the California Hot Rod Reunion was anticlimactic. Jeff Arend, driving Matt Bynum’s classic Pontiac Trans-Am, soloed for the event win.
Arend, who qualified No. 5 in a field highlighted by several low-5.5-second runners, worked his way through a stout field, running a 5.946 in the final round on a single when newly crowned series champion Bobby Cottrell couldn’t make the call after his car caught fire in the semis.
Anticlimactic or not, a win is a win for the veteran Funny Car racer.
“We earned it,” Arend said. “Usually, you have a lucky round in there, and we get this car running like a bracket car. Went to .58 and all that stuff. And then, Bobby’s car was running pretty good, but it was on pace for a .59 [in the final]. So I don’t think he had much for us unless he had a double .001 light, and I had a .300, which I didn’t, so it was good.”
Arend came into the season’s final event with a mathematical chance to win a title. He came up short, but for him, he stopped the last two remaining championship contenders. Arend’s semi-final win over Geoff Monise handed the title to Cottrell.
“I felt bad for Monise,” Arend said. “I really like those guys. But in the end, it was a great race, so it was fantastic.”
Arend took over the driving chores for Bynum, who has long been a staple in the Mission Foods drag racing series’ Funny Car pits, working with Kalitta Motorsports and, most recently, with Alexis DeJoria’s operation.
“Matt’s my buddy,” Arend said. “I’ve known him forever and always been great friends, and they bought this car and had it for about three years, and I don’t think they ever qualified with it or anything. And they asked me to drive it this year, and we went to three races and three finals, and we finally got the win.”
Arend might have had a glimmer of hope for a championship, but winning the race is good enough for him.
“We didn’t go to all the races; only went to three, and I got some points with Eddie Knox’s car, but we lost first round, so we were missing a whole race,” Arend said. “Had we gone to another race, I think we would have won the championship, which is pretty crazy.”
5 – HOUGH AND MACKLYN CRASH – There was a scary moment in the first round of AA/Fuel Altered as Kyle Hough and Steve Macklyn collided on the top end of the Famoso Dragstrip. The NHRA reported no injuries.
7 – HOW THE POINTS SHOOK OUT FOR TOP FUEL – The Top Fuel points championship ended the same way as the final round of Bakersfield. With Hilton at the top of the chase, runner-up Pete Kaiser finished second in the championship standings. Bret Williamson, Adam Sorokin, Tyler Hester, Shawn Bowen, Bryan Hall, Mike Hilton, Brendan Murray, and Pete Wittenberg rounded out the top ten.
8 – HOW THE POINTS SHOOK OUT FOR FUNNY CAR – Funny Car had a lot more moving and shaking in the standings when the top two point earners, Nathan Sitko and Shane Westerfield, fell by the wayside in the first round. While Bobby Cottrell came around Nathan Sitko after Jeff Arend beat Monise, Sitko ended in second place. Arend ended up third, while Monise finished fourth. Westerfield fell to fifth. Mike Peck Sr., Derrick Moreira, James Day, Cory Lee, and Kris Krabill rounded out the top ten.
SATURDAY 10 – THE CHAMPIONSHIP PICTURE AS CLEAR AS IT HAS EVER BEEN
1 – JUST THE WAY THEY DREW IT UP – Even if he was a scriptwriter, AA/FC driver Geoff Monise isn’t sure he could have drawn up something like what happened during Saturday’s first round of eliminations.
Point leader Nathan Sitko lost in the opening round to Stephan Romanazzi, and No. 2 Shane Westerfield lost to Drew Austin. This leaves Monise and Bobby Cottrell, who came into the event tied for third, in a position to leapfrog to the top.
Monise, who entered Saturday’s eliminations as the No. 1 seed, stopped Chris Davis in the opening wrong. Cottrell drove past Jerry Espeseth.
Cotrell had a 114-point lead when he was unexpectedly relieved of his duties. He returned to the class with a ride in the Speed Sport Camaro.
Monise and Cottrell are on opposite ladders and can only meet in the final round, which sets up a potential winner-take-all in the final round.
“You dream of moments like this, but it’s like now it’s up to us,” Monise said. “If we could meet in the finals, that’d be awesome for the class. It’d be awesome for everything. I would enjoy that. But I don’t know if my nerves can handle that.”
2 – KAISER SEALS THE DEAL – If the end of the season is a harbinger of what is to come in 2025, Nostalgia Top Fuel racer Pete Kaiser is establishing quite a foundation.
Kaiser completed a clean sweep of the additional Tulsa Heritage Series by starting with the No. 1 qualifying position and ending up in the winner’s circle by stopping Tyler Hilton.
“I’m trying to get better for next year,” Kaiser said. “I’m trying to get better every pass. This is our first year doing this as our own, me and my wife own this thing and we’re just trying to build up a team and building up parts and come out swinging. We’re not going anywhere for a while.”
Kaiser knew that headed into the final, the winner needed a performance for the ages.
“I was really nervous going the final,” Kaiser admitted. “I know they had the performance advantage on us. And I know Tyler was going to be amped up on the tree, which he was, he left on me by quite a bit, and something must have happened to them because they slowed down and luckily we got the win light.”
By the time the dragsters reached the eighth mile, Hilton was starting to make a move for victory when his Great Expectations entry inexplicably quit pulling.
“The clamp that holds the throttle cable in broke,” Hilton said. “So it just snapped the blade shut, about 900 feet, and he drove around me. I saw him about half track, and then I was pulling away, and it broke. So it’s just one of them things of 5 cent part bites you in the behinds.”
3 – HILTON QUALIFIES NO. 1 – Save for an alien abduction; Hilton should be a three-time NHRA Heritage Series champion on Sunday. With Kaiser making a minimum gain on Hilton’s 119-point lead headed into Bakersfield’s double-header and reaching the final of the delayed Tulsa event, the title should be clinched as soon as the Great Expectations dragster stages opposite first-round opponent Frank McBee Jr.
Hilton secured the No. 1 qualifying position in the Q2 session with a 5.670 elapsed time at over 258 miles per hour.
“We would’ve had to really mess up, but we kind of held our own there and got to the [Tulsa] final round, and I think we got it sewed up.”
NHRA officials were mum on the clinching scenarios, which are believed to be running in the first round, win or lose.
Hilton will take the victories when he can get them, and qualifying No. 1 is a win all day long, as he sees it.
“It felt good,” Hilton said. “We’ve been chasing a little problem that we’ve been having and finally we caught up to it and got it back to where it needs to be. So 5.60, that’s what we normally run, so we’re back on our range now, so we should be good to go.”
Winning Sunday’s race would be the icing on a cake of a weekend.
“That’d be great, especially get a little redemption here from tonight,” Hilton said. “We’ll be ready for tomorrow. We are already fixing what broke, and we’ll be ready.”
4 – FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE – Multi-time Heritage Series Nostalgia Top Fuel champion Jim Murphy was walking the pits at the Famoso Dragstrip. Murphy sold his entire drag racing operation to NHRA Mission Series figure Dustin Davis, who was racing the car in Bakersfield.
Murphy wouldn’t say he’s over drag racing, but he’s content just watching the sport to which he dedicated decades of his life.
“It was really exciting [just being a fan],” Murphy admitted. “It was time. I’m one of those people who understand when it’s time, it’s time.”
Now is the time for Murphy to smell the roses in his life. He not only divested himself of his racing assets but also sold his construction company as well. He actually began the process about five years ago but with COVID and the fires close to his Santa Rosa, Ca., base, he hung around until those running his company were ready to fly solo.
“That was time, and I don’t look back,” Murphy said. “It was a wonderful experience. Same with the racing. It’s been a wonderful adventure and experience in my life, but I don’t look back.”
5 – AA/FA LEADER – Vince Karstatter set the pace for the Fuel Altered, which runs on a 6.00 index as a performance equalizer. He threaded the needle better than anyone else, landing a 6.077, 234 best.
6 – FUNNY CARS HEADED TO SUNDAY FOR E-2 – No. 1 qualifier Geoff Monise (Chris Davis) will race James Day (Todd Plate). Tony Jerado (Rayn Horan) will take on Jeff Arend (Todd Miller). Drew Austin (Shane Westerfield) will race Bobby Cotrell (Jerry Espeseth) in a race with potential championship implications. Mike Peck (Tim Boychuck) will look to derail Stephen Romonazzi, who got in as an alternate for Cory Lee and made the most of the opportunity as he eliminated points leader Nathan Sitko.
7 – LOHNES BRINGS THE SHOW – There was a time when Brian Lohnes and his Bangshift partner Chad Reynolds did livestreaming for the Bakersfield March Meet. This weekend, Lohnes and NHRA video production specialist Rob Hedrick were back in his element, producing special video updates on the Famoso Dragstrip social media and the CompetitionPlusTV YouTube channel.
In his quickly expanding career, Lohnes has had some storied assignments (once as a staffer at CompetitionPlus.com), but this weekend’s has been high on the fun charts.
“It’s been great,” Lohnes said. “I’ve had a blast with Rob Hedrick. Rob and I worked together on the NHRA Productions. Rob’s on the technical side. I’m, of course, doing the play-by-play. But we’ve been running around doing car features. I was channeling my best Steve Evans at the top end. We did top-end interviews, the old-school, old-fashioned way, getting the teams rolling up with the honking horns and everything. It’s been a spectacular race, and I can’t wait to see it finish up on Sunday.”
8- THE SPORTSMAN LANDSCAPE – The sportsman divisions set their fields on Saturday. Wayne Ramay (A/Fuel), Brad Woodard (Jr. Fuel), Dean Wilson (7.0 PRO), Ray Padgett (A/Gas), Mike Williams (B/G), Beau Dyson (C/G), DeAndre Fitzgerald (D/G), Hans Jakob (Nostalgia Eliminator – 1), Matt Peternel (NE-2), Ashlee Balisteri (NE-3), and Ed Sawyer (A/FX) all topped their respective fields.
9 – SUNDAY’S TOP FUEL MATCHES – Top Fuel opens eliminations on Sunday. The first-round match-ups include No. 1 qualifier Tyler Hilton meeting Frank McBee, Jr. Bryan Hall races Bret Williamson, while Pete Kaiser matches up with Shawn Bowen. The first round closes with Tyler Hester and Mike Williams battling it out.
10 – MISSING THE CUT – Some top names missed the cut in qualifying, leaving some really good drivers as spectators on Sunday.
Austin Arnerich, driving the Davis Motorsports dragster, missed the 5.836 bubble by just .002. For those not familiar with the name, he’s a crewman for the Justin Ashley SCAG Top Fuel team and made his debut, jumping into the field at seventh, but was eventually bumped out.
Others missing the cut include Adam Sorokin, Brendan Murry, Brad Thompson, and Greg Kramer.
Over in the floppers, Stephen Romonazzi missed the 5.878 bubble but got in as an alternate. Others missing the cut included Cameron Ferre, Kamaka Pocock, Derrick Moreira, John David Tillman, and Terry Jongewaard.
FRIDAY’S TEN – THE RETOOLED CALIFORNIA HOT ROD REUNION FIRES ITS FIRST SHOT
1. KAISER HITS THE NOSTALGIA TRIFECTA – Some drag racers go a lifetime and never achieve what Nostalgia Top Fuel Racer Pete Kaiser did on Friday at the California Hot Rod Reunion.
Not only was Kaiser competing in the NHRA Heritage Series finale in Bakersfield, but he was also one of a handful of drag racers competing in the delayed Tulsa event.
So, what exactly did Kaiser accomplish? He not only qualified No. 1 for the Tulsa event but also recorded the quickest elapsed time in winning Friday night’s first round of the same event, which also qualified him to be a provisional low qualifier for the CHRR.
“I got great guys with me, and that’s what makes it all happen,” Kaiser said.
Kaiser cranked out a 5.735 elapsed time at 253.59 to score a two-fer, with the No. 1 and beating Mike Hilton to the finish line.
“I’ve had a good running car all year, and I screw it up every time on a Sunday myself,” Kaiser said. “So I got to calm down a little bit and just try and win some rounds instead of swinging for the fence all the time.”
Kaiser said the key to Friday’s success was ultimately the tireless efforts of his crew.
“The key is my guys putting this in together every time the same,” Kaiser explained. “And I can make adjustments. And the adjustments I do a little and they make a difference. These guys are just great, and that’s what makes all the difference in the world. I got a lot of good people behind me.”
2 – MONISE QUARTER-POUNDS’ EM – When Shane Westerfield thundered to a 5.54 in Thursday testing and followed it up with a 5.539 in Q-1, the consensus was the Austin & O’Brien team would run away with Friday’s qualifying.
Someone forgot to deliver the memo to Geoff Monise and the Quarter Pounder team.
Monise drove to the provisional No. 1 in Friday’s Q-2 session, stopping the timers in 5.532 seconds at 262.23 miles per hour.
“On Friday, we tried some stuff, and it did not work,” Monise explained. “We blew up a motor. We came back out here, regrouped for Q1, and tickled it for Q2, and it stepped up huge. Bob DeVore, Chris Minor, Mark Petersen, Todd Wirtz, and my whole team have done a great job. It’s been a hard weekend, but it feels so good. The average age of our team is 61 years old or something. They’re a bunch of old guys, and they let me drive it.”
The Quarter Pounder team is enjoying one of its finest seasons to date. It also scored a win at the Legends NHRA series during the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix. The success has bolstered its confidence.
“It’s definitely changed our expectations,” Monise added. “We ran a 70 earlier today, and normally, we’d be beside ourselves. We’re all a little bummed. It’s like we’ve got more in this thing. We got more. We went 60 in Woodburn. We can do more. But with Bob DeVore coming on and Chris Miner helping us out, it’s what this team has needed. It’s what my father-in-law Keith’s needed forever. It’s just that little bit. He’s been picking away at this thing, and it’s coming around hopefully at the right time.”
3 – THE BOWSER FACTOR – When the California Hot Rod Reunion opened on Thursday, track owner Blake Bowser knew he had the arduous task of rebranding an event that had been almost destroyed due to bureaucratic interference. Understanding the weight of the past, Bowser went to work fully committed and in charge of steering the event toward a brighter future, leveraging his experience from his work at Famoso Dragstrip and the iconic Good Vibrations March Meet.
“Honestly, we’re going to be using a crawl, walk, run approach on this one,” Bowser said. “We’re not looking to hit a home run this year, but if I can hit a single and maybe get to second base, we’re going to be happy.”
Bowser emphasizes that the event isn’t just about racing but rebuilding a community.
“We just got a lot of stuff behind the scenes that we need to work on,” he explained. “It’s going to be a good show for the fans, racers, and vendors.”
Historically, the road to recovery for the Hot Rod Reunion has been fraught with missteps. The NHRA has owned its errors following the controversial 2016 event, which left many racers feeling sidelined.
Bowser recognizes the uphill battle he faces in winning back the trust of the old-school drag racing community, particularly since he is not responsible for past transgressions.
“We faced that back in 2007 when we took over the March Meet,” he recounted. “Some people were discouraged with how things were run before, and we’re trying to fix all that.” His philosophy of “kill them with kindness” is a guiding principle as he works to navigate this complex landscape.
Known for his genuine approach, Bowser is dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for fans and participants.
“This is my job. This is my office,” he said of the expansive Famoso Dragstrip, where he’s managing what he described as “controlled, organized chaos.” His enthusiasm is palpable as he oversees the ongoing preparations: tents going up, cars being positioned, and the excitement building.
A significant challenge is ensuring the California Hot Rod Reunion carves out its identity without impeding the Bakersfield March Meet.
“I’ve got to make sure I’m balancing the two,” Bowser noted. “There are things that I want to do for this race that wouldn’t work in March due to the weather.” He understands the importance of adapting each event’s offerings to their unique circumstances.
Bowser confirmed that the NHRA will still play a role in the reunion, although their approach appears more hands-off. “There are a lot of people who want to see this work at NHRA and here at the track,” he said. “Good Vibrations is sponsoring this race, and they want to see it succeed as well.”
The California Hot Rod Reunion is designed to be a gathering, first and foremost, and a celebration of the culture surrounding drag racing. The March Meet typically attracts around 500 entries, but Bowser recognizes that the reunion, while having a respectable car count, cannot compete directly on those numbers. “This gives us time to slow down, take it all in, talk, and reminisce,” he said.
He added, “Don’t forget to stop and smell the nitro this weekend. Let’s enjoy ourselves, remember those we’ve lost this year, and do some racing, too.”
4 – FANS GET TWO-FOR-ONE—A logistical issue for the Tulsa Raceway Park Heritage Series event for the Nostalgia Top Fuel cars sent the field to Bakersfield for a doubleheader. NHRA decided that instead of canceling the event and taking away one of the season’s two remaining AA/FD events at this late stage of the game, they’d run the event here and complete it in qualifying.
As a result, race fans with a four-day ticket got to see Q-1 for Tulsa on Thursday evening. There was an extra session on Friday; the first round was during the evening session.
Tyler Hilton led Thursday’s session with a 5.724, but on Friday, the Pete Kaiser, who turned in a 5.688. claimed the top spot.
5 – ALLISON LEE REMEMBERED – On Thursday, the drag racing community came together in the pits of the Famoso Dragstrip to honor the late Allison Lee, the proclaimed First Lady of Top Fuel, her prowess with a wrench as opposed to a firesuit.
Lee passed on August 29 peacefully, surrounded by her family.
There was a peace in the atmosphere as the drag racing community members shared stories of the most dynamic female tuner in drag racing history.
“Wonderful turnout,” said Bobby Hilton, her son-in-law and former Jim and Allison Lee dragster driver. “Had lots of folks there. It was awesome, man. Over the top. It was like she was here, and she was here.”
The event was orchestrated by past Nostalgia Top Fuel champion Mendy Fry and Lee’s daughter Dianne. Racers and members of the community shared memories, but it was a video collaboration between drag racing author Cole Coonce and the artist genius of Les Mayhew that stole the show.
“It was a video Les had done three years ago in my shop, and it was a three-hour-long interview. Cole drew pieces out of it to create a masterpiece,” Hylton said. “It was awesome, man. It was like she was here.”
Fry made an impact by reading a letter she wrote to Lee as a teenager.
“Mendy and ‘Al’ were great friends, very much so at the end,” Hilton said. “Mendy wrote her a letter that was called, ‘My Hero,’ and it talked about how she was her idol. And we had no idea. And it was crazy, man. The letter that she wrote Al, she read it out loud to the folks last night. It was awesome.”
Dianne read the letter to her Mom in her last days.
“About a week before she passed,” Dianne said. “And then they talked on the phone and a lot of times before she passed. But it was an easy, not an easy, but it was a grateful way to go. She was surrounded by so much love and that, Mendy’s letter, was just tip of the iceberg for all the people that love my Mom. I mean, it’s just crazy. It’s just crazy.”
And in one final tribute, the family’s Great Expectations dragster, driven by her grandson Tyler, was rolled out of the pits and fired. Fry was behind the wheel for the momentous occasion.
“It was badass,” Hilton surmised.
6 – THE NITRO REVIVAL – Steve Gibbs grew up a dreamer but has become more of a realist as he has aged. The reality of his popular Nitro Revival event is a clouded future.
The Nitro Revival, regarded as a celebration of nitro racing’s rich history, has become a focal point for fans and participants alike.
“[The event is] at Irwindale right now, which is a great location for our event,” Gibbs said. “Unfortunately, like many other drag strips in California, I think its days are numbered.”
Gibbs is concerned about potential legal issues and city planning that could threaten the venue, indicating that this year’s might be the last Nitro Revival at Irwindale.
Despite hosting the successful event at multiple venues since 2017, Gibbs acknowledged the importance of finding a new home for the Nitro Revival to ensure its survival.
“For Nitro Revival to continue, we need to look elsewhere. Bakersfield has a long-term future as a racing venue, and I believe we’re probably destined to work something out there,” he explained.
A key feature of the Nitro Revival is its emphasis on cackle cars, which are not traditional race cars but rather a way to preserve the sport’s history.
“The guys who bring these cars have invested significant resources to celebrate the nostalgia of nitro racing,” Gibbs noted. He emphasized the need for a dedicated venue to showcase these historic machines, underscoring a potential return to Bakersfield as a fitting home for future events.
Despite the challenges, Gibbs remains optimistic about the event’s direction.
“Time heals all wounds, and there’s a possibility that we can come back together again,” he said, reflecting on the complexities of the event’s management in previous years. Acknowledging the changes that led to the launch of Nitro Revival, he spoke about the importance of carving out a niche for celebration and remembrance.
Gibbs highlighted the Nitro Revival’s dual objectives: creating a reunion atmosphere while generating revenue to support the Wally Parks NHRA Museum.
“You need to bring in spectators because the money helps keep the museum alive,” he stated. “This event has morphed into more than just a reunification; it’s become a race that attracts those who love the thrill of competition.”
With an aging fan base and many legends of the sport drawing near to the end of their careers, Gibbs views the Nitro Revival as a vital platform to celebrate history and legacy.
“As long as we have Hall of Famers attending, we want to make it a showplace for them,” he said. At the last event, over 40 Hall of Fame members were present, many of whom are lesser-known figures who contributed significantly to the sport’s growth.
Personally invested in the Nitro Revival, Gibbs takes pride in the legacy he has built. The 85-year-old believes it will continue through his oldest daughter, Cindy.
“I’m fortunate to have a healthy life and a wonderful daughter, Cindy, who is deeply passionate about the history of the sport,” he shared. “We do this out of love, not for a living. Our mission is to preserve and introduce the sport’s history to new generations. This is what it used to be like.”
As the Nitro Revival prepares for its next chapter, Gibbs remains dedicated to celebrating the sport and its history. “It’s a celebration of the people who made drag racing what it is today,” he concluded.
7 – THE MUSICAL COCKPITS – At the rate of turnover in the NHRA Heritage Series, one might need a program to keep up with the players and which jerseys they now wear.
In the Funny Cars, Shane Westerfield drives the Bucky Austin “Bardahl” entry replacing Bobby Cottrell in early-August. Cottrell had a 114-point lead and was a cinch to clinch another world championships. Cottrell is now piloting the Jim Broome-owned Speed Sport flopper, replacing John Capps.
Kamaka Pocock, who started the season as the Don Nelson’s California Hustler driver, was replaced by Todd Miller. Pocock is now driving the Blower Drive Service-sponsored 1974 Vega.
Todd Plate is the shoe of the Problem Child Camaro, replacing Westerfield, who drove the car at the March Meet, replacing Billy Morris.
Not to be outdone, the Fuel Altereds now have Kyle Hough driving the Sheepherder, previously piloted by Cory Lee, who is still driving Gary Turner’s flopper. With Hough leaving the Nanook car, Vince Generallo has replaced him. Randy Bradford is now driving Troy Glenn’s Over the Hill gang.
If your head is spinning now, hold tight; two days are left in the event.
8 – DUSTIN DAVIS NOW HAS A NOSTALGIA TOP FUELER – Evidently, 21 races on the road isn’t enough for Dustin Davis.
If the name sounds familiar, it was Davis who entered NHRA Top Fuel with drag racing phenom Justin Ashley and now serves as General Manager for the multi-car SCAG Racing team.
Davis purchased the entire Jim Murphy WWII operation and named big show crewman Austin Arnerich as the driver.
“I love to drag race,” Davis said. “That’s the thing. We’re happy to be here, and I haven’t been nostalgia racing since 2016, so it’s fun to be back.
Jim Murphy and I have been friends for a lot of years, and he’s in Santa Rosa as well as I am, and at the end of last year, he called and said, I think we should have lunch. We started talking about it, and that’s how it led to this.
“I wanted to keep it in Santa Rosa and pay tribute to him by keeping this car out here. Jim is a legend in this sport and a mentor to me. And not only in drag racing but also in business. We’ve been doing business with each other, racing and everything. So I mean, mostly, I’m proud to keep this car out here,
and hopefully, we can do well with it.”
Arnerich was the natural choice to drive the rail since his parents, Mike and Sharon, have been with Davis since he started drag racing. Mike has worked Davis on his teams and Sharon now serves as the director of hospitality.
Anerich smiled when he said he was asked to drive and not volunteered. Ironically, when he made his licensing runs, those were the first time he’d ever been behind the wheel of a front-engine dragster.
“When a privilege comes up like this, you can’t pass it up,” Anerich said. “There’s a lot of history with the group and the car, and it’s an honor to be a part of it. And to get the chance to drive it, not everybody’s as fortunate. So definitely was proposed, and I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity.”
Arnerich, in addition to his role on the
Ashley team, serves as Davis’ facilities manager at Davis Demolition. Other members of the Mission Series team are working this weekend on a voluntary basis.
Arnerich, who lives in the Santa Rosa, CA. area, has always understood the legend of Murphy in this arena. Driving a front-engine car for the first time and following a legend like Murphy can be intimidating.
“Very intimidating,” Arnerich confirmed. “There’s big shoes to fill literally, but I can’t say enough about him and Daniel Wilkinson. They’ve been there for every part of it. Support, help. Without them, this would be definitely difficult. Jim is just phenomenal to work with and he’s got so much experience. The coolest part is everybody else out here knows him and the respect that you get from talking to them just of being in Jim’s car. And a lot of people are happy to see the car back out, that Jim and Daniel, they’re not racing anymore, but they’re still here. They’re still coming and visiting. They’re still around. It’s a really cool way around.”
While Arnerich reportedly made strong runs in his licensing process, Friday’s lone run was on pace to put him strong in the field. He was forced to lift at about 330 feet when the car drifted to the centerline. He’ll have two more shots to get in the field on Saturday.
9 – THE ENEMY OF THE STATE – The biggest enemy of any race is downtime, and there was plenty of it to be found on Friday. Officially, the race was down for 2 hours and 52 minutes due to oil spilled on the surface and grenaded engine parts. Counting Thursday’s mayhem brings the grand total of clean-up to 4 hours and 55 minutes.
10 – SPORTSMAN LEADERBOARD – The sportsman divisions had at least one qualifying session on Friday. Wayne Ramay (A/Fuel), Brad Woodard (Jr. Fuel), Lawton Ferreira II (7.0 PRO), Mike Williams (B/Gas), Beau Dyson (C/G), DeAndre Fitzgerald (D/G), Hans Jakob (Nostalgia Eliminator – 1), Dale Taros (NE-2), Ashlee Balisteri (NE-3), and Ed Sawyer (A/FX) are your leaders headed into Saturday.
