There won’t be much sitting around at Famoso Dragstrip when the California Hot Rod Reunion returns in October.
Try 17 different classes over three days.
The California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports and featuring Nitro Revival, returns Oct. 23-25 with a racing card that reaches from nitro-burning Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars to Pro Mods, gassers and altereds.
The nitro cars will get plenty of attention. Top Fuel, Funny Car and AA/Fuel Altered competitors are scheduled to run the Famoso quarter-mile, continuing a tradition that has been a major part of the Reunion for years.
There will be plenty going on behind them.
The West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association will bring Pro Modified racing to Bakersfield, while NHRA Heritage Series Group 1 and Group 2 racers will also be part of the weekend. A/FX is on the schedule as well.
The California Independent Funny Car Association is coming back for a second appearance after joining the Reunion program for the first time in 2025.
Then there are the gassers.
The Outlaw Gasser Association will supply the burnouts and wheelstands, a combination that should fit right in at an event where looking backward has always been part of the fun.
“Whether you’re a lifelong drag racing fan or experiencing the Reunion for the first time, there will be something happening all weekend long,” event producer Blake Bowser said. “With 17 different racing classes, nitro-burning legends, Pro Mods, A/FX, Funny Cars, Gassers and so much more, this is going to be one incredible weekend at Famoso.”
For fans who make the trip to Bakersfield, the ticket doesn’t stop at the grandstands.
Every ticket includes pit access along with admission to the car show, vendor midway and swap meet. That means fans can spend part of the day watching cars make runs and the rest walking through the pits, looking at historic machinery or digging through the swap meet.
That’s been part of the Reunion’s appeal almost from the beginning. The race cars are the main attraction, but the people, old parts, restored cars and stories scattered around Famoso are a big part of what keeps people coming back.
Proceeds from the California Hot Rod Reunion benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.
