Pete Kaiser admits he can sometimes be his worst critic. It was hard for the Pleasant Hill, Ca.-based Nostalgia Top Fuel to criticize his performance on Friday at the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion [CHRR], as he secured the No. 1 qualifying effort from the delayed Tulsa Heritage Series, and in one fell swoop claimed a first-round win and low elapsed time of the round which established him as the provisional low qualifier for the original event. 

Kaiser was joined atop the CHRR leaderboard by Geoff Monise [Funny Car] and Vince Karsgtettler [Fuel Altered] in the first day of the NHRA Heritage Series finale. 

Kaiser ran a 5.735 elapsed time to beat Mike Hilton in the first round of the Tulsa event and vaulted to the top of Bakersfield CHRR. 

"I've had a good running car all year, and I screw it up every time on a Sunday myself," Kaiser admitted. "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. You know what I mean?"

Defending series champion Tyler Hilton was second with a 5.770, edging third-place Shawn Bowen by .006.

Mike Hilton anchors the field with a 6.113. 

While Shane Westerfield and Dan Horan grabbed the spotlight in the Q1 session, Monise thundered right by them in the Q2 session with a 5.532 elapsed time at 252.23 miles per hour. Westerfield was second-quickest with a 5.539.

Monise has had a banner season this year, winning one of the NHRA Funny Car Legends event. Success has a way of changing some, and it has Monise and the team.

"It's definitely changed our expectations," Monise said. "We ran a 5.70 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 5.60 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."

Point leader Nathan Sitko is third (5.540), while Horan is fourth with 5.583.

NHRA Top Fuel driver Cameron Ferre anchors the field with 5.905.

Karstetter fired his best shot in the first session of Fuel Altered, running a 6.170 at 230.47. In the Fuel Altered division, you must run as close to a 6.00 without going quicker.

Qualifying resumes on Saturday at Noon with the third session of Funny Car followed by Nostalgia Top Fuel. Gates open at 8 AM, for sportsman action.