The 2018 California Hot Rod Reunion® presented by Automobile Club of Southern California completed competition at Auto Club Famoso Raceway on Sunday, Oct. 21, crowning not only event winners but also many champions in the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series.

Mendy Fry piloted her High Speed Motorsports dragster to victory with a 5.61-second pass at 259.36 mph in the Nostalgia Top Fuel final taking out Rick McGee. Fry was the top qualifier for the weekend and achieved the low ET for the event in the semifinals with a 5.550 ET. She had already clinched the series championship before the final event.  (Jamie Shores-Fraijo photo)

California Hot Rod Reunion honorees including Grand Marshal Kelly Brown, Bob Brandt, Jerry Darien, Jim Murphy, Rick Voegelin, and Dave Wallace Jr. were on hand to sign autographs and interact with fans throughout Saturday before taking part in a celebratory parade that evening. NHRA Mello Yello Series Funny Car drivers John Force and Robert Hight also participated in autograph sessions before the famous Cacklefest.  (Ron Lewis photo)

The 2018 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series champions are Mendy Fry in Top Fuel; Bobby Cottrell in Funny Car; Drew Austin in A/Fuel; John Marottek in Jr. Fuel; Brad Denny in 7.0 Pro; Dustin Lee in NE1; Robert Johnson in NE2; Ed DeStaute in NE3; Frank Merenda in A/Gas; Kevin Riley in B/Gas; Chris Rea in C/Gas; Ed Carey in D/Gas; and Dale Hicks in Hot Rod.  [10/22/18]

For the second time in his career, veteran E.T. bracket racer and JEGS Mail Order associate Kenny Underwood claimed victory at the Million bracket race at Montgomery Motorsports Park in Alabama. Driving his JEGS-backed dragster, Underwood made his way through a field of nearly 300 of the nation's best sportsman drag racers to capture the massive $275,000 first-place prize.

Racing late into the night, Underwood made his way through nine tough rounds of competition on the Montgomery Motorsports Park eighth-mile. In the final round, he staged against 17-year-old phenom Cory Gulitti of Spring, TX, and won the with a 4.767 elapsed time, matching his dial-in prediction of 4.76-seconds. Gulitti broke out by running quicker than his 4.44 dial with a 4.435. Underwood's path to the final also includes wins against successful E.T. racers David "Bird" Jones and Chuck Flanagan.

For Underwood, a second Million Dollar Race win is just the latest milestone in a lengthy career that includes countless high stakes E.T. bracket wins at tracks across the country. Underwood is a three-time overall champion at the prestigious Moroso 5-Day E.T. Championships in West Palm Beach, FL, and last November, he earned a $50,000 victory at the Bracket Racing World Series in Darlington, SC. He now joins fellow Florida native Gary Williams as the only two-time Million Dollar Race winners.

Underwood's second win was nearly overshadowed by the adventures of runner-up Gulitti who crashed his dragster following his round-six win over Slate Cummings. Gulitti's car rolled several times, but he was able to quickly climb from the wreckage unharmed. Rules for the Million Dollar race allow a driver to continue using a replacement car, so Gulitti was able to continue by driving a second dragster owned by his father, Chris. Shaken but undeterred, Gulitti advanced to the final with wins over Scotty Richardson and Randell Reid.

"I was a little nervous. I'm not going to lie," Gulitti said of his decision to continue. "I felt good enough to keep going. Once I got back in car my nerves were calmed down. You've got to push through and act like nothing ever happened. That was the only way I could think to do it.

"By the time I got to the final, I don't think anything was going to faze me. I don't think I could have gotten any more nervous or scared than I was (after the crash) in the sixth round. I'm just very fortunate to be able to do this."   [10/22/18]

Jay Turner and Bobby Buckley have built a new Top Fuel Harley-Davidson for NHRA competition and it’s powered by a supercharger. So far, the combination is legal in NHRA, but will it remain that way? DRO Motorcycle Editor Tom McCarthy has a closeup look at Turner’s “Lucky 7” bike at here. [10/22/18]

Dew set in on the cold Virginia Motorsports Park eighth-mile Saturday night, leading Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) officials to postpone final qualifying at the 4th annual Brian Olson Memorial PDRA World Finals.

The champions were crowned in the five professional categories on Sunday evening, while the Pro Extreme Motorcycle and sportsman world championship would be concluded on Monday.

First-time PDRA world champions Tommy D’Aprile (Pro Boost) (shown), Steven Boone (Extreme Pro Stock) and Johnny Pluchino (Pro Outlaw 632) joined 2014 Pro Nitrous world champion Jason Harris as the drivers clinching world titles.

The Agent was told that as of today, the finals still weren’t complete. We’ll have the complete race report tomorrow.  (Roger Richards photo)  [10/22/18]

Broadway’s Hillary Sloan (above, near lane) was the only Carolina winner Sunday in the concluding event in the NHRA’s Southeast Division Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Rockingham Dragway.

In a Super Stock field that included a multitude of NHRA national event winners including veteran David Rampy of Piedmont, AL, Sloan drove her Plymouth Duster past the 1990 Chevy Camaro of national series winner Bryan Worner of Dunnigan, PA, in the final round.

The other titles went to drivers from Pennsylvania, Alabama, New York, Maryland, Georgia and Massachusetts.

Jeff Strickland (near lane) of Red Bay, AL, the 2016 Lucas Oil World Champion in both the Top Dragster and Stock Eliminator categories, came away with only one trophy this time, beating Greg Gallagher of Deltona, FL, in the Top Dragster finale.

Van Puckett of Monroe, GA, upended Frank Aragona Jr. of Freehold, NJ, in a final round duel between 2018 national event winners to claim the Comp Eliminator title.

Vonnie Mills (near lane) of Kennedyville, MD, won in Top Sportsman after Mt. Ulla’s Sandy Wilkins, the Division 2 point leader, was upset in the second round.

Mike Robilotto of Albany, NY, a winner earlier this year in NHRA national events at Epping, NH, and Reading, PA, used a starting line advantage to get past Michelle Furr of Galax, VA, in the Super Comp final.  [10/22/18]

Jonathan Anderson qualified for the NHRA Moser Sportsman Shootout in two classes and advanced to the final round in both taking the honors as both Champion and runner up in the specialty event at this weekend’s NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series at Rockingham Dragway.

In a year-long points battle, Anderson, Williamson, GA, qualified both his ‘05 Pontiac Super Street and his ’09 dragster in Super Comp. He then took out Matt Weston (Super Street) and Michelle Furr (Super Gas) in round one. Also qualifying in two classes was Red Boy, AL, racer Jeff Strickland who beat Kenneth Stott in round one with his stock entry but fell to Lindsey Barker in Top Dragster.

Anderson advanced both cars in round two then took out Jeff Longhany, who had beat Strickland in round two, and Sandy Wilkins in the semifinals to set up a final round match up with himself. Anderson and his team staged both cars for the final round photo then celebrated in winner’s circle with both cars and the Moser Sportsman Shootout Championship trophy. It was the first such occurrence in the history of the Moser Shootout in which drivers from a variety of sportsman disciplines race against one another to determine a single winner.  [10/22/18]

Team owner and former driver Bob Vandergriff is ready to pass the baton to the next generation of drivers. His  nephew, Jordan Vandergriff will make the jump to the professional NHRA Drag Racing ranks in 2019 as the driver of a Bob Vandergriff Racing Top Fuel Dragster. Joining the 23-year-old California native in his rookie season will be D-A Lubricant Company and their PennGrade Motor Oil brand as primary sponsor.

The young Vandergriff will be driving a second race car for BVR, alongside two-time Top Fuel event winner, Blake Alexander.

“Our current plan is for both our cars to run a 15 to 16 race schedule, combining Jordan’s car with our race-winning Blake driven car. This gives us two shots at winning any race we attend,” Bob explained.

Jordan earned his Super Comp license from the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School. He then moved on to compete in an A-Fuel Dragster this past year. When not driving, he’s been a crew member on the BVR Top Fuel dragster.  [10/22/18]

According to engine builder Jon Kaase, his company’s new SR-71 Big Block Ford Cylinder Heads will out-flow and out-power any conventional big block Ford head. Extensive dynamometer tests have demonstrated average gains of 50 hp and similar peak gains over best existing cylinder heads. In addition, the useable engine speed range is increased by a minimum of 500 rpm and when installed on a maximum-effort 598 cid engine, they will produce over 1100 hp and rev to 8,000 rpm. Raised intake entry ports; 100% CNC-machined in-house on 5-axis Hurco; Compatible with Super Cobra Jet intake manifolds; and Fits all conventional engine bays. [10/22/18]