(Photos by Bryan McTaggart – Words courtesy of NHRA Communications)   Regional rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 2017 NHRA Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway Park, a celebration of classic cars and nostalgic quarter-mile drag racing.

 

Hundreds of show cars flowed into the historic facility, vehicles of every make, model, and paint scheme filled the grounds as the owners proudly displayed their cars.

The Top Fuel category was led by Jimmy Young (above) in his “Young Guns” dragster qualifying with pass of 5.618 elapsed time at 260.36 mph.  Jim Murphy was second at 5.692, Good Vibrations March Meet winner Mendy Fry third 5.697 and Heritage Series Champion Tony Bartone was in the fourth position at 5.727 for the 8-car qualified field.

 

TOP FUEL QUALIFYING

1) James Young, Salem, Wis., 5.618/260.36

2) Jim Murphy, Santa Rosa, Calif., 5.692/239.61

3) Mendy Fry, Los Angeles, Calif., 5.697/244.65

4) Tony Bartone, Long Island City, N.Y. 5.727/243.68

5) Adam Sorokin, Glendale, Calif., 5.881/185.21 (above)

6) Dusty Green, Pleasant Hill, Calif., 5.911/245.45 (below)

7) David Miller, Cedar Hill, Mo., 6.040/192.63

8) Tyler Hilton, Sharonville, Ohio, 6.109/235.93

9) Jason Greenwood, Racine, Wis., 6.238/241.80

10) Julius Hughes, Gainesville, Ga., 6.281/241.20

11) Tim Cullinan, Des Plaines Ill, 6.359/177.81

12) Paul Schultz, Tulsa OK, 6.876/193.88

 

On Saturday, racing took center stage during the final day of the 2017 Holley National Hot Rod Reunion with eliminations in each of the categories.

Jim Murphy (above) took the win in Nostalgia Top Fuel defeating Jimmy Young in the thrilling final round. Murphy was in his fifth consecutive final round but had yet to tally a win in over two years.  Murphy trailed at the start of the run but was able to get around Young with a winning run of 5.713-seconds at 257.33 mph trailed by Young at 5.920 at 253.56. Murphy, the 2013 Nostalgia Top Fuel champion, celebrated his birthday on Monday and took the win as a belated present. His dragster is tuned by legendary crew chief Roland Leong who kept the car going rounds all weekend.

Good Vibrations March Meet runner-up Murphy said, “The win is a monkey off my back as we kept having fluke things happen and it was one thing after another, We won this race in 2013 and went on to win the championship so maybe this will be an omen and we are leading the points now moving up from second.”  That puts Murphy as the current points leader moving into the 3rd race of the 5-race 2017 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Top Fuel Championship.

In Nitro Funny Car, Paul Romine’s Man-O-War Mustang had the field covered in qualifying.

NITRO FUNNY CAR

1) Paul Romine, Fishers, Ind., ’79 Mustang, 5.824 seconds, 248.93 mph

2) Greg Jacobsmeyer, Florissant, Mo., ’70 Challenger, 6.034/232.63

3) Anthony Bronge, Belvidere, Ill., ’79 Corvette, 6.093/222.47

4) Bazz Young, Pleasant Prairie, Wis., ’69 Camaro, 7.553/129.11

 

In the final round of funny car, Greg Jacobsmeyer in his All Star Dodge Challenger defeated Romine on a holeshot.

 

AA/FUEL ALTERED

1) Randy Bradford, Camano Island, Wash., ’37 Fiat, 6.367 seconds, 209.65 mph

2) Ron Hope, Franklin, Tenn., ’32 Bantam, 6.375/208.75

3) Nick Davies, Oxfordshire, England, ’32 Bantam, 6.460/223.84

4) Vince Generalao, Las Vegas, Nev., ’23 Ford T, 6.558/206.04

 

In the wild AA/Fuel Altereds, Randy Bradford led the class with Kyle Hough in Nanook taking home the trophy.

 

Winners in the other racing included Don Nave in 7.0 Pro, Darrell Wathen in 7.5 Eliminator, Nostalgia Super Stock was Doug Duell, Competition Eliminator was won by Skeeter Wayne, Top Stock Eliminator was John Meinelt, Modified Eliminator was Larry Key, the Gas Eliminator winner was Pat Freels, 348/409 Eliminator winner was Bryan Fugate, Hot Rod Eliminator was won by Chad Brewer, and Geezer Gassers was won by John Swiek.

The event closed with the famous NHRA Cacklefest™ as dozens of nitro burning machines came to life in a celebration of the history of the sport. Full grandstands at Beech Bend Raceway Park cheered the cars as flames leapt from the pipes of the nostalgic machines.

 

NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL

Jim Murphy, Neil & Parks, 5.713, 257.33  def. James Young, FED, 5.920, 253.56.

 

7.0 PRO

Don Nave, Lake City Chs, 8.982, 95.66  def. Ernie Lipinski, Neil & Parks, Foul – Red Light.

 

7.5 PRO

Darrell Wathen, Willys, 7.495, 172.70  def. Jeffrey Ferguson Jr., Spitzer, 7.488, 169.17.

 

NOSTALGIA SUPER STOCK

Doug Duell, Plymouth, 9.503, 138.33  def. Diana Bookout, Chevelle, 9.998, 134.32.

 

COMP ELIMINATOR

Skeeter Wayne, Chevy, 9.498, 127.90  def. Bart Boles, Young, Foul – Red Light.

 

TOP STOCK ELIMINATOR

John Meinelt, Camaro, 11.684, 98.45  def. Frankie Riggs, Cuda, 12.409, 113.90.

 

MODIFIED ELIMINATOR

Larry Key, Chevy II, 12.320, 87.46  def. Greg Carta, Camaro RS, 22.375, 32.78.

 

348/409

Bryan Fugate, Impala SS, 11.472, 118.58  def. Dave Coots, Impala, Foul – Red Light.

 

GAS ELIMINATOR

Pat Freels, Camaro, 10.091, 129.92  def. Dan Hobbs, Thunderbird, 8.632, 156.86.

 

GEEZER GASSERS

John Swiek, Chevy CPE, 10.060, 129.14  def. Dustin Corn, Corvette, Foul – Red Light.

 

HOT ROD ELIMINATOR

Chad Brewer, Nova, 10.825, 118.41  def. Bear Nichols, Nova, 10.375, 125.02.