(Photos by Kim Fuller, Darr Hawthorne, Rick Bain) • When it comes to nostalgia drag racing and the ultra-competitive NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series, there’s not a bigger event on the schedule than the annual March Meet, presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports.
For nitro racers, the history and legacy of the U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships dates back to 1959, the one where Don Garlits towed all the way from Florida to attend and lost, the event billed as East-versus-West. There are still second, third and fourth generation drivers, owners, crewmen and fans whose addiction to nitro racing can be traced back to the event nicknamed the March Meet.
History goes on, as second-generation Top Fuel owner/driver/tuner Pete Kaiser (far lane) defeated Tyler Hilton – three-time Heritage Series Champion and Grandson of nitro pioneer Lucile Lee, in the final round. This win vindicated Kaiser’s Final Round loss to Hilton at the California Hot Rod Reunion in 2024.
Kaiser 5.704 qualified 3rd to Hilton’s 5.617#1. However, Kaiser’s reaction time advantage of .049 to Hilton’s .192 RT turned it into a win for Kaiser whose 5.705 bested Hilton’s 5.641/261.70 at the Finish Line. “To me, this is my most gratifying March Meet victory,” said Kaiser in the Famoso Dragstrip Winners Circle.
In Nostalgia Funny Car, #2 qualifier Jon Capps met a field of 5.50 and 5.60 competitors in his first drive for Cecil Matthews in the Matthews Motorsports ’70 Camaro. In the Final, Capps met the Austin & O’Brien Bardhal Camaro driven by Shane Westerfield.
Westerfield was an event favorite after setting low Elapsed Time, earning number one qualifier with a 5.566-second charge and picking the $1,000 ARP bonus check for the Quickest Nitro Car on the grounds at Famoso Dragstrip. (Bucky Austin • Shane Westerfield • Mike O’Brien)
In the final, Westerfield left the starting line .032 seconds too soon, handing Capps his first March Meet championship via a red-light, but still running a stout 5.627 Elapsed Time for the win. Jon Capps said of his victory, “You aren’t supposed to come to a new team for the first time and have the best race of your career and do the best driving of your career.”
Third generation Fuel Altered pilot Kyle Hough, in John Aleman’s “Sheepherder” AA/FA, carried on his family legacy by defeating fellow Vegas resident Mark Whynaught in the March Meet final round. Hough’s grandfather Dave Hough campaigned the potent “Nanook” Fuel Altered. Kyle’s 6.110-second run edged out a slowing Whynaught, who had the starting line advantage but could only manage 6.353 in the final round.
In Thursday testing, Hough’s Fuel Altered turned left, smacking the guardrail, fortunately the damage was small and fixable.
During qualifying, Sander Engineering gave up a new set of Sander Wheels to the Great Expectations Top Fuel team driven by Tyler Hilton. The 2024 Top Fuel Champion squared off against 2024 Heritage Series Nitro Funny Car Champ Bobby Cottrell driving Jim Broome’s “Speed Sport” Camaro. Cottrell took the starting line advantage with Hilton narrowly taking the win in the lights in this new, crowd-pleasing, single-run race that’ll be contested again at the 2026 Good Vibrations March Meet.
NHRA Heritage Series Groups 1 and 2
In A/Fuel, multi-time winner Kin Bates took home the March Meet trophy, defeating Wayne Ramay, the reigning Hot Rod Heritage Series champion in the final round.
#1 qualifier Brad Woodard, a force in Junior Fuel continued his long domination of that class, defeating Montana’s Alan Hull.
Five Bakersfield racers grabbed victories at Famoso this weekend, including former track champion Krista Suydam in 7.0 Pro (above), Shafter’s Ted New in Nostalgia Eliminator 2, Mike Williams in his B/Gas ’67 Nova, Beau Dyson’s ’67 Chevelle in C/Gas.
And Tanner Wattenbarger’s Hot Rod ’56 Chevy.
Dave Isley took the trophy in Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Washington’s Mike Munson won Nostalgia Eliminator 3)
Arizona’s Brian Rogers drove his A/Gas ’67 Nova to victory and in D/Gas Bill Norton drove his ’63 Nova to a win.
The NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Funny Cars head next to Boise, Idaho’s annual NAPA Auto Parts Ignitor presented by The Blower Shop, May 16-18 at Firebird Raceway.
The Tucson Dragway Reunion, April 5-6 in Tucson, Arizona brings back Groups 1 & 2 into action.
CHECK OUT OUR FIRST GALLERY FROM THE 2025 GOOD VIBRATIONS MARCH MEET BELOW!
