(Photos by Dyan Lover and Darr Hawthorne) – Last weekend’s 27th California Hot Rod Reunion finished up competition at Auto Club Famoso Raceway, crowning not only event winners but also many NHRA Heritage Series champions.

Mendy Fry, who has driven a multitude of nitro-powered funny cars and top fuelers, piloted her High Speed Motorsports dragster to victory with an awesome 5.610-second elapsed time pass at 259.36 miles per hour in the Top Fuel final taking out Rick McGee who ran a 5.749 ET at 256.50 mph.

Fry was the number one qualifier for the weekend and achieved the low ET for the event in the semi-finals with a 5.550 ET.  Her Top Fuel victory at Famoso marked a three-peat season clincher for Fry and the team after successive wins the National Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green and Pepsi Nightfire Nationals at Boise’s Firebird Raceway.

“To win the 2018 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series championship and the California Hot Rod Reunion – I’d call that a good day at the races,” said Fry. “We lost only one round of racing this year, ran the table on Low ET and Top Speed at every event except for Top Speed at the National Hot Rod Reunion. I’d say (owner) Tom Shelar and the crew have it dialed in. My team gave me the car to beat, and I didn’t screw it up. So this win is theirs. I’m just glad they picked Me.,” said Mendy.

Jason Rupert and his “Rolling Thunder” Nitro Funny Car took home the Wally when he ran a 5.634 ET pass at 259.51 mph in his Rupert & Littlefield 1969 Camaro bettering Rian Konno’s 5.855 pass at 241.84, in the Kazanjian Lemon & Konno Mustang for the final round victory.

“The car ran so good last night (in the first round of eliminations), I was hoping this would happen,” said Rupert. “I go to every race with the intention of winning but everyone else does too. We had a lot of weird stuff happens in the pits but my guys persevered. They do a great job.” Although plans are still up in the air, Rupert recently purchased the late Steve Plueger’s Mello Yello Series funny car operation, looking ahead to the 2019 season.

Rupert won the event, but the season-long Heritage Series Championship was dominated by journeyman Bobby Cottrell, driving the “Northwest Hitter” nitro funny car owned by Bucky Austin and Mike O’Brien. Earlier the Austin & O’Brien team also won the inaugural Good Vibrations United Nitro Funny Car Series Championship as well, all total, the team won eight of eleven events over the 2018 season.

The Whittier, California race shop owner said of his team’s season, “I’m waiting for somebody to slap me upside the head, the opportunity to drive this funny car is a dream come true… and driving for Bucky Austin is unreal!” In anticipation of the 2019 season, which begins with the Good Vibrations March Meet at Famoso, Bobby added, “Is it March yet?”

For funny car rookie Billy Morris, he had the opportunity to move over from 300-foot top fuel racing on sand to wheel former boat racer Eddie Knox’s “Problem Child” Camaro. Morris was also awarded the inaugural Legends of Nitro Rookie of the Year over drivers Nancy Matter and Lyle Greenberg.

Low elapsed time qualifier went to Stephen Densham driving for his father Gary with a 5.679 clocking.  Unfortunately, Densham was the victim of a red light loss in the first round Saturday night.

Second generation driver Drew Austin, in the family’s Austin & Dinsmore A/Fuel Dragster doubled up as well, winning the Reunion and the Heritage Series Championship with his grandpa Walt’s Ford Hemi. Drew ran the table qualifying #1 with low ET of the meet at an epic 5.850 and top speed for A/Fuel at 233.88 miles per hour.  According to pops Pat Austin, their goal, going into this season, was to win the Championship in their last season before making the jump over to the nitro funny car class with a Ford-powered ’70 Camaro.

Austin said of his weekend, “What a way to cap the season off, with a win in the race and winning the Championship all in the final round! My dad had the car dialed all weekend running 5.80’s and 90’s, low ET of every round and qualifying number one. I am beyond blessed and happy to have done this with my family and friends that supported this team all weekend!”

Other event winners included Brian Hope in AA/Fuel Altered, driving the big block Chevy-powered “Rat Trap” ’32 Bantam over Rodney Flournoy driving “Godzilla” ’23 Ford (below).

John Marottek in Junior Fuel, Steve Faller in 7.0 Pro, Bernie Plourd in Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Robert Johnson in Nostalgia Eliminator 2, Lindsey Lister in Nostalgia Eliminator 3, Brian Rogers in A / Gas, Val Miller in B / Gas, Bill Becker in C / Gas, Bill Norton in D / Gas, Scott White in AA / Gas,

Roger Holder ’17 Camaro defeated Ed Thornton’s ’70 Camaro in Pro Mod.

Jack Goodrich in his altered wheelbase ’64 Plymouth Belvedere won in the A/FX class over Ken Moreland’s ’66 Chevelle.

Alex George wheeled the newly finished replica of Hedman Headers founder Kenny Headman’s Ford Maverick to a win in Hot Rod.

Mike Boyd made another one of his spectacular runs in the fames “Winged Express” fuel altered.

To recap, the 2018 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series champions are Mendy Fry in Top Fuel, Bobby Cottrell in Funny Car, Drew Austin in A / Fuel, John Marottek in Jr. Fuel, Dustin Lee in Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Robert Johnson in Nostalgia Eliminator 2, Ed DeStaute in Nostalgia Eliminator 3, Frank Merenda in A / Gas, Kevin Riley in B / Gas, Chris Rea in C / Gas, Ed Carey in D / Gas, and Dale Hicks in Hot Rod.

Brad Denny won the Heritage Series Championship in 7.0 Pro

Here’s the first of our Galleries from the 27th California Hot Rod Reunion!