NHRA has announced that due to local sound ordinances, this year’s NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Southern California Shootout at Auto Club Dragway in Fontana, Calif., scheduled for Sept. 12-14 will not include Nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Car.

NHRA expects to have all of its Heritage Series categories competing at the event in 2009 as California Speedway is working through the California CEQUA process to modify the use permit sound standards to make it more consistent with the industrial use of the area in which the track is located.  

"We are very supportive of the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series at Auto Club Dragway and look forward to running all classes at our events in 2009,” said track manager Beth Rice.

All other categories in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series will be contested this year, including Groups 1 and 2. This will be the final event for Group 2, and gold championship Wallys will be awarded at the conclusion of the event.

“We are disappointed that Nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Car will not be able to participate at the race in Fontana this year, but we understand the situation and look forward to having those cars there next year,” said Steve Gibbs, board member of the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Auto Club of Southern California. “I am glad that all the other Hot Rod Heritage classes will be able to participate this year. This will be a great race for everyone racing and watching.”

Due to this change, the Nostalgia Top Fuel and Funny Car categories will have four points events instead of the planned five. The two categories will be run at two remaining events: the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho, Aug. 7-10 and the California Hot Rod Reunion presented by Auto Club of Southern California at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., Oct. 10-12.