Twelve Nostalgia Top Fuel contenders will battle for victory at Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky at the 17th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance. All-American Fuel Dragster coalition drivers and teams are converging from across the USA for the three-day celebration of drag racing history and a shot at the title in the second NHRA Hot Rod Heritage series Nostalgia Top Fuel race. Nitro-burning mayhem kicks off on Thursday, June 13th and runs through Saturday, June 15th.
Julius Hughes will represent Hot’Lanta in his 426-powered “Atlanta Speed Shop” entry, and Tim Cullinan is heading in from the windy city in his Chicago-based "Irish Car Bomb." Tyler Hilton in the "Great Expectations," Joey Haas and the Mill Road Boys, and Gerald Hangey are all packing big-block Chevrolet power. The California contingent includes 2018 Season Champion Mendy Fry in the “High Speed Motorsports” car, Brendan Murry in the 426 Elephant-propelled "Running Wild," Jim Murphy in the "WW2" and March Meet winner Adam Sorokin in the small-block Chevrolet powered “Champion Speed Shop” dragster.
“This is a tough race, but one of my absolute favorites,” said Sorokin. “We started the season pretty good with winning the March Meet. I’m hoping for all win lights on Saturday. Not too many, just enough to win that sucker.”
Jim Young and the Young Guns, Roger Lechtenberg in the “Nitro Bandit,” and Larry Gocha are heading in from the Midwest. Gocha is shooting for an NHRA license in his new car after Mendy Fry, Adam Sorokin, and Jim Young signed off on his IHRA license at Cordova. The longtime drag racer and his crew hope to step it up at Beech Bend. He said: "Anything we go past qualifying is a plus!" Jim Young helped Gocha get the former Western Hoist fueler together and also organized Nostalgia Top Fuel participation in a new “Open Fuel” 6.0 class, so those who don’t make the 8-car Eliminations can get in a few more runs.
Nostalgia Top Fuel titans will mix it up with nitro-huffing Funny Cars and unruly AA/Altereds, and the event will conclude on Saturday night with the on-track convergence of historic nitro-fueled race cars and header flames known as the Cacklefest. Side-by-side racing action from wheels-up Gassers and Nostalgia Pro Stock machines, a giant swap meet, as well as countless classics, hot rods, and customs at the Axalta Show ‘N Shine, and, finally, fire-breathing jet cars all make the 17th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion a must-see event. If you can’t make it to Kentucky then tune into Dragracer.tv for live video coverage from Beech Bend. Broadcast schedule TBA.
Grand Marshall and Honorees
Longtime big block Chevrolet Funny Car racer Randy Walls is the event Grand Marshall. Walls will join Honorees including radio and tv announcer Army Armstrong, current Rockingham Dragway operator and former NHRA media professional Steve Earwood, racer and builder Richard Maskin, Top Fuel Drag Racing School founder and Funny Car racer Paul Smith, and 1972 Le Grandnational front-engine Top Fuel champ Art Marshall. A special Honoree Celebration and Cruise-In will kickoff Friday, June 14th at 6:00 PM at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Admission is free.
Nostalgia Top Fuel Racing Schedule
THURSDAY, JUNE 13th
Qualifying Session One 3 PM
FRIDAY, JUNE 14th
Qualifying Session Two 12 PM
Qualifying Final Session 3 PM
SATURDAY, JUNE 15th
Round One Eliminations 1 PM
Round Two Eliminations 3:30 PM
Cacklefest 7:45 PM
Schedule subject to change
NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series
The 17th Annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion at Beech Bend Raceway Park is the second salvo in the 5-race battle for the 2019 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Nostalgia Top Fuel Championship. Head on over to www.nhrahotrodheritage.com for an upcoming race schedule, news, points, results, rules and more.
