(Photos by Kim Fuller) • Woodburn Dragstrip’s 2nd Annual Nostalgia Summer Nationals winners included Shane Westerfield in the Austin & O’Brien “Northwest Hitter” nitro funny car. With the win, the team secured the 2025 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series funny car championship. Westerfeld met Jeff Arend in the Final
With eleven funny cars in the pits, 2025 Nightfire Nationals Champion Nathan Sitko set the mark in Qualifying with his #1 5.659 Elapsed Time driving the Hodgson Racing “Bubble Up” Firebird, with Geoff Monise right behind with his 5.678 ET in the “Quarter Pounder” Firebird. Jeff Arend set the speed mark in Qualifying with his 258.91 MPH in the Bynum/Lucchetti Trans-AM.
After three rounds of eliminations, Westerfeld met Arend in the Final. Westerfield set a new track record of 5.564 at 263.72 MPH in the semi-final match against Mike Peck. In the Final Round, Jeff Arend had the starting line advantage, but Westerfield took the win light with a close 5.608 to Arend’s 5.661 ET.
Funny car qualifying was hot, 108º at Noon. Red hot parts and pieces set off two mid-track brush fires that were extingquised by track workers.
The Nostalgia Summer Nationals also included Heritage Heries Groups 1 & 2. Wayne Ramay qualified #1 and took the Series Wally trophy in A/Fuel over Kin Bates Sr. in the Final.
The Jr. Fuel Champ was #1 qualifier Brad Woodard over #2 qualifier Ritchie Fenton, a 7.211 over Fenton’s 7.310 ET.
7.0 Pro was won by Brad Peters over Jay Kinnee with Tony Trimp nailing a perfect 7.000 in qualifying.
Ray Padgett won in A/Gas, Neil Westbrook took B/Gas, Gary Lynch won in C/Gas and James Bart’s ’55 Chevy took home the D/Gas trophy. Tony Citro won in the Hot Rod Class in his ’75 Camaro.
Nostalgia Eliminator 1 was won by Bakersfield’s Jason Barta over Dustin Lee. Jeff Brockheuser won in Nostalgia Eliminator 2 and Washington’s Mike Munson took home the Nostalgia Eliminator 3 trophy over Bobby Teeter.
The next NHRA Heritage Series event is Thunder Under the Lites at Redding Motorsports Park on September 19-20 featuring Top Fuel Eliminator and Groups 1 & 2. Ending the season is the Heritage Series Finals at the California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports, featuring Nitro Revival. It’ll include a lineup of 17 drag racing classes, a giant swap meet and vendors at this year’s event. It’s set for Oct. 24–26 at legendary Famoso Dragstrip.
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