NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

More than 65 years after he answered the call to come west to race against his California skeptics, “Big Daddy” Don Garlits will make a triumphant return to Bakersfield, Calif., as part of the California Hot Rod Reunion, presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports and featuring Nitro Revival, Oct. 24-26 at Famoso Dragstrip.

“Bakersfield will always hold a special place in my heart,” said the living legend. “Some of my biggest wins were there, and I’m looking forward to coming back and seeing all of the fans at the reunion.”

Blake Bowser at Famoso took over the running of the event last year and created renewed interest in the event.

“The biggest thing I heard last year is that those who came to the event said they were happy to see that the reunion is back to the feeling we all used to enjoy,” said Bowser. “And I heard from those who didn't come last year say, ‘Oh, man, I wish I had gone. I'm going next year.’

“I think we're starting to build momentum with the event, and having the Nitro Revival is a really nice addition, and it’s certainly an honor and a thrill to all of us to have Don Garlits returning to Famoso. The list of people who are coming just keeps growing. Don Prudhomme and Tommy Ivo will be here, and from the current scene, so will Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon. Cruz is bringing his Nostalgia Funny Car, so that’s a lot going on.

“There’s just something about this place that really resonates,” he added. “It’s the track that helps make the event so special, building on the legacy that the Smokers [car club] started way back in the 1950s. It’s 'the Patch' that everyone knows and loves.

“It still looks like the 1970s here, but under the skin, it’s a totally modern dragstrip. I joke with people that the track is like a Nostalgia Funny Car. The body is nostalgic, but when you take the body off, everything underneath is modern technology, and that's what we are. When you peel back that nostalgia layer, we're a contemporary facility, but we look nostalgic, and that's why it works.”

The California Hot Rod Reunion is the final event of the 2025 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series and will include a lineup of 17 racing classes at this year’s event, set for Oct. 24–26, 2025, at legendary Famoso Dragstrip. Headlining the weekend will be the fan-favorite nitro-burning Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, alongside all NHRA Heritage Series Group 1 and 2 classes, plus A/FX.

The AA/Fuel Altered class remains open to all nitro-burning Fuel Altereds, and the reunion will also welcome the Outlaw Gasser Association this year, along with the California Independent Funny Car Association.

The NHRA California Hot Rod Reunion featuring the Nitro Revival brings together the best elements of both historic events at the storied California racetrack, re-energizing the reunion, a staple of the nostalgia scene since 1992, with the popular Nitro Revival, which was created by Steve and Cindy Gibbs and has drawn scores of famed names from drag racing’s past and thousands of fans for autograph sessions and massive Cacklefests during its five-year run at recently closed Irwindale Dragstrip.

Off the racetrack, fans can enjoy an expanded swap meet section and meet the legends of the sport in the Nitro Revival area, where the action also will be nonstop.

The Friday Night Memorial Gathering will be held at 5 p.m. to salute heroes we’ve lost over the last year and will include a series of nitro-powered "fire-ups."

Saturday’s All-Star Autograph Session begins at noon alongside a Silent Auction, both taking place at the big Nitro Revival Tent. The Nitro Revival Honoree Presentation will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the starting line, followed by a huge Cacklefest with nearly 70 pieces of vintage iron taking part and adding to the nostalgic feel of the event.

“Garlits returning to Famoso is a big deal,” agreed Steve Gobbs. “The 1959 U.S. Fuel and Gas Championships was the 'Woodstock' of drag racing, with Garlits making his first trip west. Tommy Ivo won Top Gas Eliminator that year, and he’ll be returning. Garlits lost to Don Hampton in ’59, and Hampton will be coming back to participate in the Cacklefest at age 90. Ed Iskenderian played a big part in getting Garlits out west that first year, and he’ll be back at age 104! John Neas will be bringing the fully restored Warren, Coburn & Miller car, which is big news in Bakersfield. He’s also bringing Ivo’s last front-engine dragster. This event will be very emotional, for so many reasons.”

While the event officially kicks off on Friday, Oct. 24, fans who purchase a full-event spectator ticket will gain exclusive access to Thursday’s Test 'n' Tune session on Oct. 23, and the first 2,500 who purchase full-event tickets in advance will get a Ron Capps Bobblehead in their goody bag.

“The event is just packed with so many different elements,” said Bowser. "From nostalgia race cars racing down the famous racetrack to the Revival, the car show, the swap meet … it's all happening, and we're just thrilled about how the momentum is there for this great event. It really feels good right now."

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit nhramuseum.org, call 800.759.8679, or email CHRR@famosodragstrip.com. The proceeds of the combined event will benefit the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona.