NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

by Stephen Justice/Photos by Wayne Lederer

The 2021 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series in Top Fuel just got a lot more interesting (and competitive) with Jim Young’s win at the NHRA Motorsports Museum Holley National Hot Rod Reunion presented by AAA Insurance June 17-19 in Bowling Green, Ky. 

Dan Horan Jr. looked poised to win another Top Fuel Wally to go with the one he won in Bakersfield in May. He was the No. 1 qualifier at 5.701 and improved to a 5.691 with his semifinal demolition of the Champion Speed Shop. Though Jim Young had qualified No. 2 with a respectable 5.781, his best on Saturday coming into the final round was 5.847. What happened next was totally unexpected. Horan Jr. left first but too early, wasting a nice 5.728 at 250.23. Young, cautious at the start, unleashed a bomb of a run at 5.659 at 260.71 mph. Horan would have needed a .013 reaction time to match Young’s numbers. 

With several new entries in Top Fuel in Bowling Green, the class seems to be on a rebound, and a good old East-West rivalry appears to be brewing again. The Top Fuel teams will assemble again in August at Firebird Raceway in Boise, Idaho, for race number three. Dan Horan Jr. remains No. 1 in points, but Tyler Hilton, Adam Sorokin, Jim Murphy, and Jim Young will have something to say about that before the year is over.

The Nostalgia Funny Car win went to Paris, Ill.’s Levi Keenen. Keenen was the performance leader qualifying No. 1 (6.132) and set low e.t. for the class with a 5.996 over John Smith in the final round. Smith took Top Speed with his ’78 Corvette with a 234.82 mph. 6.0 Pro Eliminator went to Garry Wheeler Jr., driving the Grand Prix A/Fuel Dragster. Wheeler recorded best marks of 6.314 at 211.06 in route to his win.

7.0 Pro produced a very competitive field of 17 entries with more than half the field qualifying at 7.055 or better led by Billy Smith’s perfect 7.000. But, come Saturday, the star of the show was Larry Harken and his ’48 Anglia. Harken took care of Smith in round two of eliminations and then dispatched reigning 7.0 Pro champion Steve Faller in the semi's with a .004 reaction coupled to a 7.078 to Faller’s 7.038. In the final round, both Harken and opponent Jeffrey Sanborn broke out, Harken surviving the clash 6.977 to Sanborn’s 6.968. 7.5 Eliminator went to Kelly Freels Kay with a clutch 7.502 in the final round against Dillon Starks.

Other class winners and runner-ups were as follows:

Competition Eliminator
 W: Bill Fuesting, Waukegan, Ill., ’48 Topolino
R/U: Jaxon Messamore, Hanson, Ky., ’38 Chevy

Gas Eliminator
W: Ronnie Egner, Mayfield, Ky., ’55 Bel Air
R/U: Robert Eaker, Camby, Ind., ’67 Nova Wagon

Modified Eliminator
W: Greg Carta, Franklin, Ky., ’67 Camaro
R/U: John Meinlt, Deland, Fla., ’67 Camaro

Hot Rod Eliminator
Bear Nichols, Kevil, Ky., ’65 Nova
R/U: Ricky Hansen, Covington, La., “57 Morris Minor

Nostalgia Super Stock
W: George Warren, Greenbriar, Tenn., ’67 Fairlane
R/U: Mick Alles, New Albany, Ind., ’68 Dart

Midwest Nostalgia Pro
W: Donnie Beeler, Elizabethtown, Ky., ’67 Camaro
R/U: Jack Small, Owensboro, Ky., ’65 Corvette

Scott Rods
W: Bob Cook, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, ’57 Corvette
R/U: Ray Kasicki, Aurora, Ohio, ’33 Willys

Geezer Gassers
W: Pat Canal, Springfield, La; ’41 Willys
R/U: Joe Bush, Laurel, Miss., ’40 Willys

Nostalgia Pro Stock
W: Mark Pappas, Park Ridge, Ill., ’81 Camaro
R/U:  Mike Ruth, Trevor, Wis., ’79 Fairmont