Longtime NHRA Competition Director and Reunion founder Steve Gibbs was Grand Marshal for the event.

Ken Ratzloff qualified #1 in A/Gas but was stopped in the first round by eventual runner-up Rob Patten who then lost to Dean Hall’s ’62 Impala in the final.  Hall’s starting line advantage (.012) was the difference as he took the class win running a 7.644 to Patten’s (.061), but quicker but losing 7.625 ET.

Nostalgia Eliminator 1 action saw Tim Brown’s ’23 Ford roadster beat the dragster driven by  Dan Schrokosch.

In the A/FX class Joel Miner’s ’64 Plymouth left the starting line with a reaction time close to that of Lynsi Martinez and her ’69 Dodge Dart and Miner won with a margin of victory of almost thirteen inches.  Martinez was the #1 qualifier.

Conclusion

The quality of the racing at the 20th California Hot Rod Reunion was close and fierce for what has become the de facto Heritage Series World Finals. A capacity crowd on Saturday night witnessed nearly 50 AA Funny Cars and dragsters qualifying in the professional classes alone.

Then for the true nostalgia fans there was the incredible push-start Cacklefest presentation of original and tribute Top Fuel cars on Saturday night. In all here were more than 120 nitro-fueled racecars at the “Patch” for this event to benefit the NHRA Museum, something nitro fans can only see at the HHR events

As all our photographers and videographers check in we’ll
put together a bonus Photo Extra showing
off the best of this year’s Reunion
over the next few days.