(Photos by Mike and Jeff Burghardt – Words by NHRA Communications)

 

Rick Williamson and Kris Krabill scored dramatic wins to cap off four days of drag racing action for the famed Good Vibrations March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway just north of Bakersfield.

Williamson outran the Nostalgia Top Fuel contingent to take home his first March Meet title along with the Mike Sorokin Award in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the dramatic win by “the Surfers” (Mike Sorokin, Tom Jobe and Bob Skinner).  Krabill recorded the two quickest times in Nostalgia Funny Car history including a record setting 5.552 second run at 261.62 mph in his semifinal win over Dan Horan beating the old record by nearly a tenth of a second.

The Stockton, Calif., racer Williamson qualifier sixth in the 8-car field and knocked out Jim Young and reigning series champion Tony Bartone in rounds one and two to earn a date with Adam Sorokin in the Top Fuel final.  Sorokin, Mike’s son, qualified eighth then upset No. 1 qualifier Rick White in round one with a hole shot and Jim Murphy who left early with a red light foul start in round two.

Williamson saved his best run of the weekend for the final as Sorokin was out first but Williamson powered by with a 5.572 second lap at 245.27 mph to Sorokin who slowed with a 6.709, 170.45.

Krabill, Tacoma, Wash., qualified No. 2 behind 2015 Good Vibrations March Meet and 2015 Heritage Series Champion Steve Densham and took out No. 3 runner Dan Horan with a blistering 5.552 second, 261.62 mph in the semifinal for the quickest run in history, just missing the mph record as well, still held by Ryan Hodgson with his 262.28 mph set at the 24th California Hot Rod Reunion last fall.  Densham, Menifee, Calif., ran consistent 5.60’s all weekend including his best of the weekend, a 5.640 against Krabill in the final.  But Krabill’s Austin-O’Brien ’78 Firebird entry owned and tuned by Bucky Austin proved too much with a 5.582, 256.94 mph lap in the final to take home the win.

Drew Austin, son of former Top Fuel pilot Pat Austin, beat out Kin Bates (near lane) for the A/Fuel win while Brad Woodard and Errol Sharron won in Jr. Fuel and 7.0 Pro respectively.

“Radar” Roger Lechtenberg made the trip out from Cedar Falls, Iowa, driving the Nitro Madness to take home the Fuel Altered trophy over last year’s winner Dan Hix in his ’48 Fiat – posting a run of 6.090, 209.33 to Hix’s 6.131, 202.24 with his ’34 Chevy.

In the Nostalgia Eliminator classes it was a pair of ’23 Ford Altereds taking the wins in NE1 and NE2 as Brandon Seraphine, Fullerton, Calif., held off Hans Jakob in NE1 and Charlie See, Fresno, Calif., won over Jay Huckleberry in NE2.  Veteran NHRA racer Ed DeStaute, Rosemead, Calif., beat Wes Anderson in NE3.

The A/Gas crown went to Jerry Jahnsen Jr., Sacramento, Calif. (far lane), who stopped Frank Merenda while Roy Castagnetto went 8.606 on the 8.60 index to oust local racer Val Miller, Bakersfield, Calif., in B/Gas.

Also taking home Good Vibrations March Meet wins were series champion Jim Finn, Rancho Cordova, Calif. (near lane), in C/Gas over Wayne Hoover; Ed Carey, La Jolla, Calif., beating Bakersfield’s Steve Barta in D/Gas; and Kurt Kaemerle, Redondo Beach, Calif., taking Hot Rod with a win over Raymond McIver.

The following are final round results from the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Good Vibrations March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway:

NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL
Rick Williamson (left), Davidson, 5.572, 245.27  def. Adam Sorokin, Sterling, 6.709, 170.45.

NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR
Kris Krabill, Firebird, 5.582, 256.94  def. Steven Densham, Camaro, 5.640, 254.57.

AA/FUEL ALTERED
Roger Lechtenberg, Fiat, 6.090, 209.33  def. Dan Hix, Chevy, 6.131, 202.24.

A/FUEL
Drew Austin, Parker, 6.418, 220.04  def. Kin Bates, Tuttle, 7.583, 132.31.

JUNIOR FUEL
Brad Woodard, Woodard, 7.215, 180.00  def. Alan Hull, Farr, Foul – Red Light.

AA/SUPERCHARGED FUEL ALTERED
Howard Anderson, Chevy Coupe, 7.494, 184.83  def. Gary Reinero, Austin, 7.706, 192.96.

7.0 PRO
Errol Sharron, Sterling, 7.008, 169.89  def. Michael Peck, DRC, 6.928, 195.34.

A/GAS ELIMINATOR
Jerry Jahnsen Jr., Chevy, 7.604, 179.56  def. Frank Merenda, Rambler, 7.655, 156.86.

B/GAS ELIMINATOR
Roy Castagnetto, Chevelle, 8.606, 147.37  def. Val Miller, Cuda, 8.592, 158.45.

 
C/GAS ELIMINATOR
Jim Finn, Vega, 9.676, 129.06  def. Wayne Hoover, Nova, 9.528, 140.56.

D/GAS ELIMINATOR
Ed Carey, Camaro, 10.616, 117.69  def. Steve Barta, Nova, 10.592, 122.60.

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR I
Brandon Seraphine, Ford, 7.652, 176.30  def. Hans Jakob, Hansen, 7.640, 161.21.

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR II
Charlie See, Ford, 8.560, 153.46  def. Jay Huckleberry, Ford, Broke – No Show.

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR III
Ed DeStaute, Corvette, 9.592, 134.90  def. Wes Anderson, Ford, Foul – Red Light.

HOT ROD ELIMINATOR
Kurt Kaemerle, Nova, 10.084, 131.16  def. Raymond McIver, El Camino, 11.937, 109.80.

The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series heads north to Sacramento Raceway April 1-3, for the Nostalgia Reunion-Funny Car Fever.