An eight-car field of front-engine Top Fuel dragsters are motoring towards Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho to battle at the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals, the 3rd meet in the 5-race 2017 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Top Fuel points series. Assembled drivers and teams will join the largest gathering of nitro-burning cars in Nightfire Nationals’ event history for three days of qualifying and heads-up eliminations under-the-lights in celebration of the 50th year of drag racing action at Firebird Raceway.
Bowling Green NHRA National Hot Rod Reunion event winner and current points leader Jim Murphy is wheeling the Roland Leong-tuned WW2 hemi-powered dragster with renewed consistency into the Boise battle after a March Meet defeat at the hands of 2nd place points holder Mendy Fry and the High Speed Motorsports team. Reigning AA/FD Top Fuel champion and 3-time Nightfire Nationals event winner Tony Bartone and the Bartone Brothers are hauling in from the east coast for a hit at four event victories and climb from current number three points slot.
Southern California based driver Adam Sorokin and the Champion Speed Shop out of South San Francisco have plans to extract a little more time and keep the fire inside the small-block Chevrolet powered dragster out on the top end of the 1320. "We have been doing a little work with our supercharger set up as well as other things. We’re just trying to get the car to last one more second", said Sorokin who is currently locked into a 4th place points tie with Top Fuel hotshoe Dusty Green who will connect with the Nitro Hemi in Boise as it makes its way in from Colorado.
Eighth place points holder Bret Williamson will strap into the Mike Fuller Forever Young AA/Fuel dragster and drive double time out in front of the rear axle in one of 15 Xtreme Pro Mods slated to run at the event. Ohio based Tyler Hilton hopes to turn it up from an 11th place points slot after a run in at the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals where he footed the Great Expectations III big-block Chevrolet powered AA/Fuel dragster to a 6.01 ET at 242 MPH with minimal engine carnage. "We had it thumpin’ up there in Seattle. The air was so good. Too good!"
Our nitromethane-powered neighbor to the north Phil Ruskowski is heading out to the Gem State with his small-block Chevrolet Mighty Mouse for some international front-engine Top Fuel competition after going up and out against Tyler Hilton at the Goodguys Pacific Northwest Nationals. Phil is currently tied for 12th place with fellow front-engine Top Fuel dragster devotees Brendan Murry, Julius Hughes, Jason Greenwood, Paul Schultz and Tim Cullinan.
LARGEST NITRO-BURNING LINEUP IN NIGHTFIRE NATIONALS HISTORY
Eight AA/Fuel Dragsters, 10 AA/Fuel Altereds, and 18 nitro-burning AA/Funny Cars add up to 38 nitromethane-huffing entries and 150,000 plus stand-shaking horsepower of under-the-lights header flames action. Fifteen Pro Modified doorslammers, two jet dragsters, two jet funny cars and the crowd favorite Candyland Stagecoach wheelstander are on deck to add that much more fire to the Nightfire Nationals with wildcard late entries a distinct possibility.
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NIGHTFIRE NATIONALS TOP FUEL SCHEDULE
The Nightfire Nationals opens on Thursday August 10th with Sportsman racing at 12:30 PM. Top Fuel dragsters, Awful Altereds and Funny Cars run into qualifying and eliminations under the lights Friday August 11th through Sunday August 13th. Schedule is subject to change.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11th
Session 1 Qualifying – 2 PM
Session 2 Qualifying – 7 PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th
Last Session Qualifying – 2 PM
Round 1 Eliminations – 7 PM
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13th
Round 2 Eliminations – 2 PM
Final Eliminations – 4 PM
ABOUT FIREBIRD RACEWAY
Firebird Raceway is located 5 miles north of Idaho State Highway 44 on Idaho State Highway 16. Discount Pepsi Nightfire Nationals tickets are available at participating local Stinker Stores. For more information contact Firebird Raceway at 208-938-8986 or on the web at firebirdonline.com.
POINTS STANDINGS
Top Fuel points standings heading into Race 3 of the 5-race NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series at the 46th Nightfire Nationals at Firebird Raceway.
1. Jim Murphy 214
2. Mendy Fry 187
3. Tony Bartone 126
4. Adam Sorokin 109
4. Dusty Green 109
6. Jim Young 98
7. Pete Wittenberg 74
8. Bret Williamson 73
9. Rick McGee 52
9. Dave Miller 52
11. Tyler Hilton 51
12. Phil Ruskowski 10
12. Brendan Murry 10
12. Julius Hughes 10
12. Paul Schultz 10
12. Jason Greenwood 10
12. Tim Cullinan 10
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Nightfire Nationals photos by Chris and Tera Graves Maxcacklephotos.com
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