(Photos by Kim Fuller and Darr Hawthorne) •
This season-ending event for West Coast NHRA Heritage Series racing celebrates events at Famoso Dragstrip, Sacramento raceway, Firebird Raceway and Beech Bend Park in Kentucky. Formerly known for three decades as the California Hot Rod Reunion, now dubbed the Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals since there is nothing left that can be considered a Reunion here any longer.
Nitro Funny Car Eliminations started with upsets as #16 Qualifier Jim Maroney beat #1 Qualifier Jerry Espeseth and #2 Qualifier Billy Morris in Eddie Knox’s “Problem Child” was put on the trailer by #15 Hawaiian Derrick Moreira.
2023 was another banner year for Bobby Cottrell and the “Northwest Hitter” Funny Car as he once again dominated the class in the big green Bardahl Camaro. While Cottrell qualified third, confidently the team elected to sit out the second and third qualifying sessions, defeating Drew Austin in Round One with a 5.640/260.31 charge.
Cottrell, in Round Two, beat Tim Boychuk with a 5.647/261.02, then won over Derreck Moreira in Round Three with a 5.652/258.81 and in the Final Round against Brad Thompson with a 5.660/260.46 mph run to Thompson’s 10.01 ET.
At this event Top Fuel dragster driver Pete Wittenberg’s (below) resolve and veteran crew had their eye on the Famoso Winners Circle. He may have fallen short in the final round of the rain-delayed March Meet competition against Jim Murphy on Saturday, but he bounced back with an impressive performance on Sunday. Murphy (below) won his sixth March Meet title, breaking a long-running tie with Don Garlits
Winning this season-ending race and securing the victory, Wittenberg’s (below) consistent low 5.70 ETs in eliminations, defeated Frank McBee Jr in that Final. Whittenberg’s 5.717 ET at 252.80 MPH stopped McBee Jr’s 6.237.
Eliminations ran smoothly, traditionally the Top Fuel class would be responsible for multiple oil downs, however the maturity of this class, crews and performance level is great news for all spectators.
Tyler Hilton (above) secured the Heritage Series Top Fuel title for the second consecutive year, but it wasn’t a sure thing by any means, Jim Murphy was still mathematically in the race for the Championship. After Murphy defeated Hilton in Round one in the rain-delayed March Meet eliminations the Championship race was still within reach. On Sunday, Tyler Hilton would win over Adam Sorokin in the Champion Speed Shop dragster, but Jim Murphy would finish at the hand of eventual runner-up Frank McBee Jr.
Top Speed of the meet was carded by Tyler Hilton Championship winning dragster with his 262.85 MPH, but Low ET of the meet was Funny Car driver Jerry’s Espeseth’s 5.595 ET in his Atlas Testing Camaro.
It is difficult to understand why the 6.0 ET Fuel Altered contingent is not an open field at this event. In the past as today, Fuel Altered has been an “invitation only” field, although the Spring March Meet and Nightfires at Firebird in Boise is an open filed for any car, long wheelbase or short on the Index.
By Sunday’s Eliminations only four AA/FA racecars remained. Ultimately the winner was nineteen-year-old Dylan Winefsky from Arizona, in their family’s ’32 Bantam. Winefsky, the 2022 Legends of Nitro Rookie of the Year, singled when Mark Whynaught broke on the burnout.
I must also give some credit to NHRA’s Cliff Ricci who took on multiple jobs as Tech Director, Race Director and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. He stood or knelt on the starting line for virtually every elimination round of the Fuel Cars. Mike Rice, who usually oversees the Reunion as Competition Director, has his new job on the Camping World Show now and that’s his primary job.
If you were at Famoso Dragstrip this past weekend, no doubt you noticed the open rows in the top end of the pits, beyond the swap meet and, unlike the March Meet, a light crowd on Saturday. Many of the vendors noticed that too. In my opinion, this Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals will not return to the greatness it once had as early California Hot Rod Reunions did. It is now time to re-vamp this event into a Heritage Series World Finals, celebrating those who have worked so hard over the year and forever lose the “nostalgia” moniker.
Nostalgia will never bridge the generations. this is modern day drag racing with age-appropriate bodies and drivers behind the engine. Many of those who watched or raced in the ‘60s or ‘70s are no longer with us, it is the next generation who’ll be carrying the torch for future decades to come. We need younger racers and spectators who will join in. Nostalgia is NHRA’s word, it’s Grandpa’s word.
In other class action, Bret Williamson’s 5.917 at 253.28 MPH won Pro Mod from the #1 qualifying position in his ’63, defeating Andy Kouerinis’ Camaro
The A/Fuel Class Final paired #1 Qualifier Kin Bates and #2 Qualifier Wayne Ramay. In a tight match, Ramay’s 6.065 got him to the stripe first, over Bates’ 6.079
In Junior Fuel eliminations, Brad Woodard 6.929 beat Idaho’s Dustin Lee on a double break-out.
In 7.0 Pro, Bakersfield’s Kevin Rapozo defeated Tony Trimp’s Chey-powered Mustang in a tight finish, a 7.031 for Rapozo to Trimp’s 7.032.
Nostalgia Eliminator 1 was won by Daniel Engle over Utah’s Steve Schoenfeld, who broke out.
Nostalgia Eliminator 2 found Nevada’s Troy Moyle defeated California’s Wes Anderson.
Nostalgia Eliminator 3 was won by Oregon’s Neil Schindler’s ’27 Roadster, who qualified #1 with a perfect 9.600 ET – over Ron Anzalone ’23 T-Ford.
In A/Gas Cliff Boyles, in his ’53 Studebaker defeated Austin Frye’s ’57 Chevy.
The B/Gas trophy was won by Mike Rabener in his Camaro
C/Gas was won by Gary Lynch in his ’58 Austin from the 30th Qualifying position.
D/Gas was the ’62 Chevy II of Bakersfield’s Steve Barta over Dan Schrokosch, who lost on a holeshot.
Dan Mount won the Hot Rod Trophy in his ’38 Chevy.
Steve Whitemore won in A/FX class eliminations in his ’67 Mustang over Todd Hoffman’s ’63 Vette.
In AA/Super eliminations, Oregon’s Mike O’Connor in his ’57 Chevy defeated Chuck Moore’s ’63 Vette.
It was announced that a special event will take place during qualifying for the upcoming Good Vibrations March Meet March 1-3, 2024. During Friday Nitro qualifying, Hot Rod Heritage Series Top Fuel Champion Tyler Hilton will race Heritage Series Funny Car Champion Bobby Cottrell on March 1, 2024, to decide who is the Real Kings of the Sport. One run will decide it.
Here’s the first of our Galleries from the Wally Parks Nostalgia Nationals, with more this week.
