That Other Big Race Happening This Weekend

[glofria]

Which is the famed March Meet. Should be a good show with about a dozen Fuel Altereds, a dozen N/TF, two dozen N/FC and a lot more. I rooting for my former driver Eily Stafford who is driving the "California Hustler" funny car this year.

No live feed, but Frank Larabee should have a facebook feed for the nitro cars.

CAPPS CARRIES EIGHT-ROUND STREAK INTO BAKERSFIELD, SHRUGS OFF TARGET ON HIS BACK | Competition Plus

Capps returns to Bakersfield riding an eight-round winning streak at Famoso, having swept the prestigious March Meet and the California Hot Rod Reunion in his

competitionplus.com

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

Top Fuel is poised to have ten entries this weekend. Cottrell will be doing double duty in NTF and NFC. Watch for Kyle Hough also double dipping in NFA and NE. Lee Craft, the Monday Morning Racer, will be on hand reporting for MMR and Comp Plus.

1 - Bobby Cottrell - 776 - Cottrell & Minor
2 - Michael Hilton - 381 - Hilton Family Racing - Locomotion
3 - Tyler Hester - 761 - Tedford & McGee - Over Time Special
4 - Tyler Hilton - 1 - Hilton & Lee - Great Expectations III
5 - Pete Kaiser - 780 - Kaiser Family Racing
6 - Frank McBee, Jr. - 775 - Valley Thunder
7 - Brendan Murry - 7188 - Running Wild
8 - Adam Sorokin - 766 - Champion Speed Shop
9 - Shawn Van Horn - 7354 - A&W - Titan Speed Top Fuel
10 - Bret Williamson - 7238 - Mike Fuller Racing - Forever Young

 

[J. S.]

I'll be there Saturday! And, if all goes right, Friday as well.

No complaints about the current crop of NTF cars, but we sure could use some more teams in both N/TF and N/FC. Cost has taken its toll with the fuel cars in Nostalgia drag racing as well. Remember not too long ago we would get over 20 Nostalgia Funny Cars at Bakersfield. Now, not so much.

 

[n/a]

Too bad it's scheduled the same weekend as the gators. A few popular drivers won't be attending MM. I'll still be there on Saturday as the weather looks near perfect.

 

[Mike]

Theres another race other than the March Meet this weekend?????????

 

[yoda]

I miss when Bangshift would be up on their scissorlift, getting roasted by the Bakersfield sun and giving us the best single camera video shots in the business. And Lohnes was a star in the making when he was on the mic...

 

[n/a]

Theres another race other than the March Meet this weekend?????????

Look forward to hearing you call it Mike.

 

[glofria]

Pulling for my friend Eily, but being couscous about the long term of this ride. That team has been a revolving door for drivers. She'll do fine but the question is, will it be enough...

EILY STAFFORD TO MAKE AA/FUNNY CAR DEBUT IN ICONIC CALIFORNIA HUSTLER AT BAKERSFIELD MARCH MEET | Competition Plus

Eily Stafford will step into one of drag racing’s most volatile machines this weekend when she makes her AA/Funny Car debut at the Bakersfield March Meet at

competitionplus.com

 

[shodog]

will be there all weekend rooting for the nitro rat aa/fuel altered!

 

[glofria]

Frank Larrabee recording the nitro test session from the stands today.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=962594312933006

 

[dgecko]

Having a great day. First time I've been in 50 years. Only bummer for me is all the golf carts/ e bikes and such on the pit side grandstands.

 

[glofria]

Now these passes count towards Sunday's eliminations:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=858933130492585

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1470536297796184

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

NTF - Q1

1 - Tyler Hilton - 5.802 @ 202.61
2 - Frank McBee, Jr. - 5.956 @ 213.67
3 - Bobby Cottrell - 6.076 @ 225.50
4 - Adam Sorokin - 6.123 @ 218.44
5 - Brendan Murry - 6.243 @ 177.83
6 - Shawn Van Horn - 7.472 @ 101.58
7 - Pete Kaiser - 10.045 @ 82.82
8 - Tyler Hester - NO TIME
9 - Michael Hilton - CENTERLINE
Bret Williamson was a no show.

 

[Cliff]

I'm out of the loop with Nostalgia. What is the Pro Comp class? Was looking at Q and can't figure out what cars are running. I see a few A/FD, but that's it.

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

The AFuel class voted to change the name to Pro Comp, to better reflect what the class actually is. Altereds and Funny Cars have been legal for years, maybe even decades, and no one knows that.

 

[n/a]

Fantastic day out there today. Never in 40 years at Famoso have I seen so many spectators cars out front, large crowds. Race cars and racing was the best. Temp was in the low 70's. Very little down time too.

 

[J. S.]

Yes, as Dan noted we got real lucky yesterday as I'm not sure there were any oil-downs for any of the fuel cars all day. That is almost unheard of. Consequently, the jet cars ran during daylight at about 5:15pm to finish up the show early. Also, I found it noteworthy that a big chunk of the fans stay in the stands most of the day at the March Meet as they seem to enjoy the A-B-C-D Gas doorslammers, NE-1, 2, 3, etc, almost as much as the fuel cars. This is a big difference from the NHRA Pomona crowd, who always vacate the stands en-mass after the fuel cars run.

The biggest disappointment for me was that the great Beer Sisters were not there this year. They didn't make it to the Hot Rod reunion last year either, so it appears they have moved on to greener pastures. But damn, they were always a highlight of any visit to Famoso Drag Strip.

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

NTF - Q1

1 - Tyler Hester - 5.679 @ 224.66
2 - Tyler Hilton - 5.724 @ 237.21
3 - Pete Kaiser - 5.742 @ 249.58
4 - Michael Hilton - 5.771 @ 231.18
5 - Bobby Cottrell - 5.986 @ 241.48
6 - Bret Williamson - 6.039 @ 188.12
7 - Adam Sorokin - 6.35 @ 189.95
8 - Shawn Van Horn - 6.578 @ 147.46
9 - Frank McBee, Jr. - 6.66 @ 144.64
10 - Brendan Murry - 7.70 @ 112.58

Standings after two rounds of qualifying:

1 - Tyler Hester - 5.679 @ 224.66
2 - Tyler Hilton - 5.724 @ 237.21
3 - Pete Kaiser - 5.742 @ 249.58
4 - Michael Hilton - 5.771 @ 231.18
5 - Frank McBee, Jr. - 5.956 @ 213.67
6 - Bobby Cottrell - 5.986 @ 241.48
7 - Bret Williamson - 6.039 @ 188.12
8 - Adam Sorokin - 6.123 @ 218.44
--- --- ---
9 - Brendan Murry - 6.243 @ 177.83
10 - Shawn Van Horn - 6.578 @ 147.46

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

NTF - Q3

1 - Tyler Hester - 5.70 @ 261.93
2 - Michael Hilton - 5.745 @ 236.53
3 - Frank McBee, Jr. - 5.747 @ 257.87
4 - Tyler Hilton - 5.78 @ 211.46
5 - Pete Kaiser - 6.03 @ 184.69
6 - Adam Sorokin - 6.27 @ 180.65
7 - Bobby Cottrell - 7.38 @ 99.76
8 - Bret Williamson - 10.51 @ 78.11

FINAL ORDER:

1 - Tyler Hester - 5.679 @ 224.66
2 - Tyler Hilton - 5.724 @ 237.21
3 - Pete Kaiser - 5.742 @ 249.58
4 - Michael Hilton - 5.745 @ 236.53
5 - Frank McBee, Jr. - 5.747 @ 257.87
6 - Bobby Cottrell - 5.986 @ 241.48
7 - Bret Williamson - 6.039 @ 188.12
8 - Adam Sorokin - 6.123 @ 218.44
--- --- ---
9 - Brendan Murry - 6.243 @ 177.83
10 - Shawn Van Horn - 6.578 @ 147.46

FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS:

Tyler Hester
Adam Sorokin

Pete Kaiser
Bobby Cottrell

Michael Hilton
Frank McBee, Jr.

Tyler Hilton
Bret Williamson

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

NTF - E1

McBee left before the tree was activated. Hester blew the tires off at the hit. Williamson was even with Hilton until the lights.

Michael Hilton - 0.309 - 6.774 @ 176.33 - WIN
Frank McBee, Jr. - REDLIGHT

Adam Sorokin - 0.017 - 5.918 @ 243.24 - WIN
Tyler Hester - 0.133 - 19.945 @ 63.06

Pete Kaiser - 0.111 - 5.839 @ 250.48 - WIN
Bobby Cottrell - 0.077 - 6.106 @ 231.54

Tyler Hilton - 0.110 - 5.793 @ 214.03 - WIN
Bret Williamson - 0.146 - 6.174 @ 181.37

Second Round Pairings:

Michael Hilton
Adam Sorokin
Tyler Hilton
Pete Kaiser