NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

As the 2024 season races toward a conclusion, drag race fans can also look forward to a pair of nostalgia-themed events, the California Hot Rod Reunion and the Nitro Revival, both coming to California in the coming weeks.

The 2024 California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports, is being produced by Famoso Dragstrip and will benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.

The event, the final race of the 2024 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series, will feature competition in 14 classes – Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragster, Nostalgia Funny Car, AA/Fuel Altered, A/Fuel, Jr. Fuel, 7.0 Pro, Nostalgia Eliminator I, II, and III, A, B, C, and D/Gas, and Hot Rod – as well as a full slate of off-track activities, including a car show, swap meet, a manufacturer’s vendor row, a costume contest, and The Panel Jam, where fans can watch talented pinstripe artists create custom, one-of-a-kind pieces of automotive art in real time.

“It’s an incredible honor to continue the tradition of the California Hot Rod Reunion, a vision that Wally Parks and the NHRA first imagined right here at Famoso. Being part of every one of these events from the very beginning has been a privilege, and I’m proud to help carry forward the legacy of celebrating our sport’s history and the people who made it great.” — Blake Bowser, Famoso Dragstrip

NHRA on FOX announcer Brian Lohnes will be at the event, announcing and sharing his views and video on various social media sites throughout the weekend.

This year’s reunion officially kicks off Friday, Oct. 25 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 27. Fans who purchase a Full Event – 3-Day Ticket get a free bonus day on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Click this link to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets will also be available at the gates. Gates open each morning at 8 a.m. For more information, call the track at (844) 34-NITRO or email CHRR@famosodragstrip.com.

The annual Nitro Revival event, the seventh renewal of the popular tribute to drag racing’s Golden Age, will return Nov. 8-9 to the Irwindale Speedway and Event Center in Southern California.

The event will now take place on Friday and Saturday and will end in its typical high notes with the Line of Fire car-startup and remembrance of those who have passed.

Created by a group of racing enthusiasts led by the late Ron Johnson and former NHRA Vice President of Competition Steve Gibbs and his daughter, Cindy, Nitro Revival is a celebration of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.

 “Quite simply, Nitro Revival is a labor of love … my father, Steve Gibbs, and I are completely passionate about 'what we do.' Having been in the drag racing industry for 60 years now, he’s the guy that we all turn to, to keep this energy alive. We make it a point to keep the spotlight on the legendary personalities and machines that left their mark during that magical era of Southern California drag racing … it was unlike any other. Sadly, we are aging out of this deal, we lose so many friends every year; it’s what keeps us motivated to continue this yearly gathering.”

“There will be lots of nitro burned, lots of racing, lots of memories … but at the heart of Nitro Revival, it’s all about the people. And it always will be. If you are a diehard fan of drag racing and its rich history, this event is for you.” —  Cindy Gibbs

The latest edition will once again include an In-N-Out Burger Meet and Greet Cookout on Friday along with time trials, fun runs, Gasser, A/FX and Tri-Five qualifying, cackle introductions, and push starts all occurring around a 30-minute suspension of activity from 6:30 to 7 p.m. to remember departed friends.

Other elements of the Saturday program include the world’s largest motorsports autograph session at the McLennan Foundation Tent at 1 p.m. and the 4 p.m. introduction of 2024 Nitro Revival honorees Brad Anderson, Gary Densham, the Groundshakers Top Fuel team, Steve Evans, Merek Chertkow, and the “Ridge Route Terrors,” Warren, Coburn, and Miller.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.nitrorevival.com. The Nitro Revival team will also have a tent at the Hot Rod Reunion for event information.