FALLBROOK, CA - Southern California’s “War Horse’ nostalgia nitro funny car is counting on being part of the 16 car nitro funny car field at the 40th Pepsi Nightfire Nationals at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho on August 11 – 14. The team will be making qualifying runs on Friday and Saturday to secure their spot in Sunday’s eliminations. Nitro fans will be treated to the spectacle of nitro at night as the header flames will blaze down the track at 7 pm on Friday and Saturday with what may be the largest field of nostalgia funny cars assembled outside of California. This event is the fourth stop for the nostalgia funny cars on the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series schedule and is a points meet.
Few tracks can say they have been open for 40 years, much less hosting an event that has and continues to draw racers from across the country. Firebird Raceway’s Nightfire Nationals is on every racer’s ‘must race at’ list – from the door slammers to the top fuel entries. The event saw these funny cars as they raced back in the 70’s and is now seeing them again as they are being recreated to race again – many with the same drivers ! Fans are sure to find a car that excites them as the pits are open to spectators and the teams are eager to interact with the Idaho race fans. Don’t miss the action as the crews will be tearing down and reassembling these nitro motors (called a turn around) in the pits in less than 2 hours.
The War Horse team was in Boise in April at the Ignitor race where they qualified for the smaller eight car field but got beat in the first round. At that event, they got snowed on but that will be far from the case this weekend with temperatures expected in the 90’s. The team suffered an uncharacteristic failure at their last race in Salt Lake City when their hot rod pony ‘tossed a shoe’ but the damage has been repaired and a new motor will breathe in Boise.
Just like they did back in the 70’s, nitro pilot Roger Garten and his wife, Carlene are driving the truck and trailer on a three week ‘Funny Car Summer Stampede’ tour of the Northwest US. Their first stop will be in Boise, where they will join up with their crew for the Nightfire event. The Gartens will then point the hauler toward Spokane, WA to race on August 20 in the Napa Night of Fire event. From there they will backtrack a little to race on August 27 in Salt Lake City, UT at the Nitro Madness event. Finally, they will head home to Southern California, having been on the road some three weeks campaigning the ‘War Horse’ funny car. Many of the crew have regular jobs and will be either driving or flying to each event to rendezvous with the car, complete any servicing, race the heck out of it, put it back in the box and send it down the road again, whereupon they will return to their regular occupations until the next race weekend beckons.
Warhorse 792 - Home Page and Racing News
Few tracks can say they have been open for 40 years, much less hosting an event that has and continues to draw racers from across the country. Firebird Raceway’s Nightfire Nationals is on every racer’s ‘must race at’ list – from the door slammers to the top fuel entries. The event saw these funny cars as they raced back in the 70’s and is now seeing them again as they are being recreated to race again – many with the same drivers ! Fans are sure to find a car that excites them as the pits are open to spectators and the teams are eager to interact with the Idaho race fans. Don’t miss the action as the crews will be tearing down and reassembling these nitro motors (called a turn around) in the pits in less than 2 hours.
The War Horse team was in Boise in April at the Ignitor race where they qualified for the smaller eight car field but got beat in the first round. At that event, they got snowed on but that will be far from the case this weekend with temperatures expected in the 90’s. The team suffered an uncharacteristic failure at their last race in Salt Lake City when their hot rod pony ‘tossed a shoe’ but the damage has been repaired and a new motor will breathe in Boise.
Just like they did back in the 70’s, nitro pilot Roger Garten and his wife, Carlene are driving the truck and trailer on a three week ‘Funny Car Summer Stampede’ tour of the Northwest US. Their first stop will be in Boise, where they will join up with their crew for the Nightfire event. The Gartens will then point the hauler toward Spokane, WA to race on August 20 in the Napa Night of Fire event. From there they will backtrack a little to race on August 27 in Salt Lake City, UT at the Nitro Madness event. Finally, they will head home to Southern California, having been on the road some three weeks campaigning the ‘War Horse’ funny car. Many of the crew have regular jobs and will be either driving or flying to each event to rendezvous with the car, complete any servicing, race the heck out of it, put it back in the box and send it down the road again, whereupon they will return to their regular occupations until the next race weekend beckons.
Warhorse 792 - Home Page and Racing News
