NHRA dragsters roar into Sonoma Raceway

Sonoma Nationals this weekend|

Race fans can enjoy a trip down memory lane during the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 28-30, as Sonoma Raceway hosts an array of nostalgic fan experiences.

For the third consecutive year, a collection of nostalgia dragsters will light up the night during Cacklefest on Friday, July 28. Ten dragsters, including the Burkholder Brothers Fuel Altered Topolino and the Waterman-Hampshire Fuel Dragster, which both raced in the first NHRA event in Sonoma, will fire up their engines in front of the Main Grandstand just before Nitro qualifying under the lights.

These dragsters and many more will be on display throughout the weekend in the eighth annual Nostalgia Get-Together, which will feature more than 45 vintage racing machines and hot rods in the main paddock garage. Entry to the Get-Together is free with admission into the raceway.

The display will feature vintage front-engine nostalgia Funny Car floppers, Top Fuel dragsters, AA/Fuel dragsters, Gassers and more. Plus, fans get to talk with the owners of these historic machines and get autographs.

Some of the highlighted cars include Jesse Schrank’s “The World’s Fastest Desoto” dragster, Steve Castelli’s 1941 Hot Rod Willys, Ken Crawford’s 1958 Impala, Vicky Larrow’s twin-engine dragster, Craig VanHorn’s “Choo Choo Mama” Funny Car and many more. In addition, three famous cars from American Graffiti will be on display in front of Wine Country Motorsports: the 1955 Chevy driven by Harrison Ford, the 1958 Chevy driven by Ron Howard and a 1932 Ford Coupe.

Car enthusiasts will also enjoy the seventh annual Blast on the Grass Car Show, located on the Piccinini Plaza lawn behind the staging lanes. Featuring fan-owned hot rods, muscle cars, rat rods and exotics, it’s a great chance for fans to show off their rides.

These elements and many more round out a jam-packed weekend of drag racing at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. This marks the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series’ only stop in Northern California, and the only chance to witness 10,000-horsepower dragsters rocketing down the drag strip.

Gates open at 10 a.m. Friday with qualifying sessions starting at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, the gates open at 8 a.m. with first heats slated for 12:40 p.m. And then on Sunday, gates again open at 8 a.m. with elimination rounds starting at 11 a.m.

For more information or to purchase tickets for the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals, visit sonomaraceway.com/nhra or call 800-870-7223.

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