After the 2026 NHRA Heritage Series kicked off on Feb. 13-14 with the Tucson Dragway Reunion in Tucson, Ariz., featuring Group 1 and 2 classes, the excitement continued on March 5-8 at the legendary Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, Calif., for the Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet, where all classes competed. Favorable weather conditions drew large crowds and teams to the famous strip, set amid the fields surrounding Famoso – nicknamed “The Patch.”
Nostalgia Top Fuel
Ten Nostalgia Top Fuel teams battled to secure spots in the eight-car field during the two qualifying days. Tyler Hester secured the top spot with a 5.679 at 224.66 mph, followed by four-time champ Tyler Hilton and his 5.724 at 237.21 mph and Pete Kaiser rounding out the top three of the eight-car field with a 5.742 at 249.58 mph.
The opening round of eliminations started with an unfortunate upset for No. 1 qualifier Tyler Hester as he broke his throttle cable on the hit and just rolled towards the finish line, while Adam Sorokin powered to a 5.918 at 243.24 mph to advance into the semifinals. No. 2 qualifier Tyler Hilton won over Bret Williamson while No. 3 qualifier Pete Kaiser beat Bobby Cottrell. Mike Hilton also advanced with a tire-shake-troubled pass after Frank McBee Jr. pulled a red light at the tree…