This was quite the weekend for Nostalgia Top Fuel driver Mendy Fry.

Prior to even competing at the 2018 California Hot Rod Reunion presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, she was crowned the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Drag Racing Series champion for the first time.

Dew set in on the cold Virginia Motorsports Park eighth-mile Saturday night, leading Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) officials to postpone final qualifying at the 4th annual Brian Olson Memorial PDRA World Finals. 
 
Qualifying in several classes was completed, while the remainder of Pro Nitrous final qualifying will kick off Sunday’s racing at the World Finals. The scheduled start time is 10 a.m. 

Recent first-time Pro Nitrous winner Danny Sauro continued to impress when he topped Friday qualifying at the Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Sauro’s near-record 3.658-second pass at 204.35 mph led the 18-car Switzer Dynamics Pro Nitrous presented by MoTeC qualifying order after two sessions.

When you're named the champion before the final race of the season, the choices are simple, you can cruise through the event or you can turn up the wick even more as a reminder of why you're the champion.

Give the choice, newly crowned NHRA Nostalgia Top Fuel champion Mendy Fry chose the latter during first day qualifying at the NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion in Bakersfield, Ca.

The NHRA's decision not to integrate Mountain Motor Pro Stock into its 500-inch format was a very disappointing one for large displacement icon John Montecalvo.

Montecalvo was one of eight Pro Stock racers who showed up for the NHRA U.S. Nationals to provide an exhibition of this style of drag racing, which originated in the 1970s under the IHRA sanction.

NHRA Director of Competition Ned Walliser confirmed with CompetitionPlus.com that integrating the mountain motors into the show would have been costly for both combinations.

Jordan Vandergriff makes the jump to the professional NHRA Drag Racing ranks in 2019 as the driver of a Bob Vandergriff Racing Top Fuel Dragster. Joining the 23 year-old California native in his rookie season will be D-A Lubricant Company and their PennGrade Motor Oil brand as primary sponsor.

“I’ve been watching my Uncle Bob drive since I was a kid. He’s been in drag racing for 20 plus years. I remember going to Pomona and Sonoma and just dreaming of driving a race car someday. Now I’m making that dream come true,” said Jordan.

In-demand track prep specialist Tyler Crossnoe has been named the track manager at Virginia Motorsports Park, it was announced today by track owners Tommy and Judy Franklin during a pre-race driver’s meeting at the PDRA World Finals. Crossnoe has also signed on for another season as the track prep director for the PDRA. 
 
“I’m really excited to come over here to VMP,” said Crossnoe, 26. “Tommy and Judy are some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure to know personally, so to have this opportunity to work at their facility full time is an honor. I look forward to building the team that’s already here and growing with the facility.”

The run might not be an official record, but it still remains a part of drag racing history.

 
An impressive season by Mendy Fry has already led to her accomplishing a longtime goal in Nostalgia Top Fuel, while Bobby Cottrell is close to doing the same in Nostalgia Funny Car, meaning both standouts plan on doing plenty of celebrating at 27th annual California Hot Rod Reunion® presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, which takes place Oct. 19-21 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif. In all, more than 400 cars are scheduled to take part in the activities at the event, making it the largest field in the event’s storied history.