{"id":783344,"date":"2019-08-16T12:18:03","date_gmt":"2019-08-16T19:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bangshift.com\/?p=783344"},"modified":"2019-08-16T12:18:03","modified_gmt":"2019-08-16T19:18:03","slug":"jeff-arend-mendy-fry-dan-hix-jeremy-hanger-take-nightfire-nationals-titles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangshift.com\/bangshift1320\/bangshift1320-nhra-news\/jeff-arend-mendy-fry-dan-hix-jeremy-hanger-take-nightfire-nationals-titles\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Arend, Mendy Fry, Dan Hix & Jeremy Hanger Take Nightfire Nationals Titles!"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Photos by Kim Fowler, Sandra Alberti and Darr Hawthorne) –<\/strong> <\/em>The 48th<\/sup>Pepsi Nightfire Nationals, held at Firebird Raceway, has an incredible history, but the New family, track owners don\u2019t rest on the past. \u00a0The Nightfires have evolved into one of the top nitro races around and always a fight for the finish line and the NHRA Wally and points for the Heritage Series Championship.<\/p>\n

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Going into the event\u2019s nitro funny car class, Jeff Arend was coming off a win at the Holley Hot Rod Reunion in Don Nelson\u2019s \u201cCalifornia Hustler\u201d Firebird and only one-round behind 2014 Series Champ Dan Horan in points.<\/p>\n

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Through three rounds of funny car qualifying, Arend\u2019s 5.719 elapsed time at a 250.32 mph charge led the tight field of nitro funny cars. Canadian Ryan Hodgson held onto the #2 position with his 5.724 ET at 255.82 mph, followed by Dan Horan Jr\u2019s 5.762 ET. Bobby Cottrell held the 8th<\/sup>position with his 5.886. The remaining nitro funny cars would compete for the famous Tater Baker Eliminator rece.<\/p>\n

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In Top Fuel, reigning Nightfire Nationals Champion and current points leader Mendy Fry and the \u201cHigh Speed Motorsports\u201d team battled fellow Californians Adam Sorokin in the Chevy-powered \u201cChampion Speed Shop\u201d machine, veteran Jim Murphy in the \u201cWW2\u201d entry, and Bret Williamson in the Mike Fuller Motorsports \u201cForever Young\u201d dragster.<\/p>\n

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The AA\/FD semifinals saw Adam Sorokin run 6.05 to defeat Jim Murphy, while Mendy Fry amazed the crowd with a track record 5.59 to crush Tyler Hilton\u2019s Chevy-powered dragster. In the final, Fry roared to a 5.62 ET at 254.76 to a slowing Sorokin, at 6.08 ET.<\/p>\n

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In round one of nitro funny car eliminations, Dan Horan Jr. set low ET with an awesome at 5.66 8 and set the Firebird Raceway track record speed mark with a 261.52 mph, defeating Matt Bynum\u2019s off pace 7.454. Nitro funny car newcomer Tony Jurado in his \u201cCapitol Punishment\u201d Camaro defeated \u201cProblem Child\u201d Billy Morris with a 5.847. Jeff Arend narrowly beat Bobby Cottrell 5.746 to a 5.796 from the Austin & O\u2019Brien entry, and Ryan Hodgson routed Tim Boychuk 5.693 to a 5.802 ET\u2019s.<\/p>\n

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The semi finals saw Horan Jr. run a solid 5.704 to a 5.800 by Hodgson, and Arend beat Jurado (above) 5.753 to a 5.978. In a tightly contested final round, Arend took the win and the NHRA Heritage Series points lead, ashe\u00a0beat Dan Horan Jr. with a tight 5.741 for Arend and a 5.760, with a margin of victory of .0176 at the finish line!<\/p>\n

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With his second win of the season, Arend commented, \u201cRonnie Swearingen and this crew have given me a funny car that can win in any round and we\u2019ve been number one qualifier at three races this year, too. I\u2019m enjoying this a lot!\u201d\u00a0 Arend also won the Nightfire\u2019s Burnout contest with a $500 prize.<\/p>\n

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Kris Krabill who posted a best of 5.76 en route to the title in the final round against Bill Windham\u2019s Camaro earned the Tater Baker trophy and cash.<\/p>\n

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AA\/Fuel Altered was a repeat of the 2018 Nightfires as Dan Hix and his \u201cHeatseeker\u201d Fuel Altered took a narrow victory over Tom Padilla. The close race had a 6.13 ET for Hix to a 6.15 for Padilla, which made it two-in-a-row for the \u201cHeatseeker\u201d team.<\/p>\n

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The Xtreme Pro Mod Association attracted 9 cars to compete. In the final, Jeremy Hanger drove Kirk Kuhns\u2019 red Corvette to a 5.937 to defeat Bret Williamson who finished with a 6.114.<\/p>\n

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The NHRA Heritage Series nitro cars load up, heading north for the Nitro Summer Nationals at Spokane County Raceway on August 16-17 for two events in two weeks.<\/p>\n

Check out our Gallery from the 48th Nightfire Nationals!<\/strong><\/em>
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