Tyler Hilton (AA/FD; Top Fuel) and Bobby Cottrell (Funny Car) both came into the 2024 season as defending champions from 2023. And both repeated, as they captured titles for the 2024 season at Famoso Raceway near Bakersfield. Hilton had to win the California Hot Rod Reunion (CHRR) event to clinch the title, while Cottrell came from behind to clinch his claim on the 2024 season championship by reaching the final round.
The Top Fuel class featured a two-for, as the event in Tulsa had to be completed as part of this event. Qualifying for the Tulsa event, Pete Kaiser was the number one qualifier, with Tyler Hilton taking the second spot. At the completion of qualifying for the CHRR event, it was Hilton number one and Kaiser number two. This would lead to these two drivers not being able to meet up until the final round. And that was exactly how it worked out in both events. In the Tulsa event final, Hilton got away first but faded, as the throttle on his car broke at about 900 feet, allowing Kaiser to get by for the win. In the CHRR final, the two would match up again, but the results would be different. Kaiser came in knowing that Hilton had a performance advantage, having run a 5.67 elapse time earlier. As Kaiser pressed to get a starting line advantage, he left too soon (fouled out) with a -0.102 red light, handing the win to Hilton.
The foul out by Kaiser saved Hilton, as his car had suffered problems and could only muster an 11.085 at 73.00 mph effort. Hilton came into Bakersfield and the CHRR gunning to repeat as the 2024 TF champion, while Kaiser came in prepping for a strong 2025 season. When it was over, both drivers were successful in their goals. This was Hilton’s third consecutive title.
In Funny Car (NFC; Nostalgia Funny Car), the top two drivers in the points battle were Nathan Sitko and Shane Westerfield, with (three-time champion) Bobby Cottrell and Geoff Monise within striking distance, tied for third in the points battle. Cottrell was to drive the Bardahl Chevy Camaro, that he had won three consecutive titles in, when he was suddenly relieved and replaced with Westerfield. So, Cottrell took his skills to the Speed and Sport Chevy Camaro team. With both point leaders, Sitko and Westerfield, going out in the opening round, the door to the championship was opened to Monise and Cottrell and they both took advantage. Since both were on opposite sides of the eliminations ladder, it could come down to a final round battle for the event title and the season championship. But they both had to get there first. In the semifinals, Cottrell was able to take out the event’s number one qualifier, Mike Peck in the Instigator Camaro funny car, with a 5.780 at 233.82 mph to a losing traction 31.087 at 17.22 mph. This put Cottrell in the championship driver’s seat, as the championship was his, if Monise failed to get to the final round. Monise’s opponent was Jeff Arend, a driver who has competed successfully against the best of the best in the NHRA big show series. Arend’s team showed they had what it takes, as he had the performance (5.621 at 258.84 mph) to get around Monise, who had left first (0.095 to 0.1.05) and ran 5.642 at 258.54 mph. This clinched Cottrell his fourth Nostalgia FC title in as many years. But on the run, Cottrell’s car suffered some engine damage that required some major re-work. As his team completed the repairs and tried the engine, they could not get oil pressure, forcing them to no show in the final round, handing the CHRR event win to Arend. He, in turn, completed an early shut-off (to save parts) 5.946 at 179.17 mph to collect the event win.
In the third nitro category, fuel altered (AA/FA), it came down to Vince Karstetter in his 23T bodied roadster and Pete Peterson in his ’48 Topolino bodied roaster. They came into eliminations as the number one and number three qualifiers, respectively. Karstetter got away first (0.108 to 0.122) and held on for a (near perfect) 6.008 at 240.83 mph to 6.140 at 238.79 mph win. The class index is 6.000 seconds. If a driver goes quicker than 6.000 seconds, they break out (lose). If both drivers break out, the one who breaks out by less is the winner. The cars in this category are powered by the fan favorite fuel, nitromethane, more commonly called “nitro”.
All in all, 15 different categories are contested at the CHRR with event wins and season championships decided for each category. Categories go from hopped up street cars to more advanced index limited categories, based on car performance and car types. The NHRA Heritage/Good Vibrations series starts each year at the Famoso track near Bakersfield in March and completes at the same track in October. At the final event (CHRR), restored race cars (dragsters, funny cars, altered, etc.) are brought to the event for display and to start up “cackle” (especially old era nitromethane powered cars), allowing fans to see many of the restored vehicles from yesteryear and share stories on the history of the sport.
