Billed as the second annual “Thunder Under the Lights,” NHRA’s Heritage Top Fuel fleet did indeed deliver the thunder. With seven of the finest Top Fuel steeds on the grounds and some tricky race conditions on the track, the race results were anything but predictable. There lies the beauty of Redding Motorsports Par – it’s anybody’s race here.
Bryan Hall and the H&H Nomad Top Fuel brigade came off an 11-month hiatus/hibernation to claim the No. 1 qualifying spot. Hall’s 5.90 at 246 mph stood as No. 1, earning the team a valuable first-round bye. The quarter-mile’s favorite Top Fuel son, Adam Sorokin and the Champion Speed Shop entry, laid down a steady 6.01 for the second spot. Current Top Fuel points leader Tyler Hilton was third at 6.36, while the cagey vet, Brendan Murry, landed fourth at a 6.56. Pete Kaiser and the KFR big red machine held down the bump as the 2025 March Meet champ fought tire shake issues.
Come eliminations, Kaiser rebounded, running a 6.03 round one solo when Sorokin was shut off on the line. In round two, Kaiser dispatched Hilton when the Great Expectations Top Fuel machine sacrificed a motor at half-track with a flash of flame and a flying blower belt. On the other side of the ladder, Hall ran his second 5-second pass of the day, a 5.96 at 236, to end Murry’s “Running Wild” weekend in the semis to advance to the final.
Under the lights and in the final, Hall hauled it to the stripe for his first-ever NHRA Heritage Top Fuel win with a stout 5.99 as Kaiser smoked the tires and clicked it early. Hall and the H&H Nomad team’s race domination was impressive, running three of the four quickest times of the weekend en route to the win.
In A/Fuel, Jerry Kumre took home his first-ever NHRA Heritage trophy in the class, taking out the always tough Kin Bates with a 6.60 in round one. In the final, Kumre cut a stellar .013 light against Wayne Ramey and held on for the victory. Final score – Kumre 6.37 beating Ramey’s losing 6.13. Unreal.
In Junior Fuel action, Montana’s own Alan Hull took the title with a 7.20 at 172 win over Brad Woodard’s 8.77.
In the always wild and woolly 7.0 Pro category, Tony Trimp parlayed three straight 7.0-something passes into a final-round appearance in the baddest ‘65 Mustang Funny Car on the planet. His opponent, Jason Vanderpool in the seat of a ‘32 Bantam altered, qualified No. 1 with a near perfect 7.002. In the final, Vanderpool’s too quick 6.98 broke out, giving Trimp the 7.0 Pro victory.
Other Redding Heritage winners included:
- A/Gas-Ray Padgett
- B/Gas-Neal Westbrook
- C/Gas-Michael Corrandi
- D/Gas-Don Caesar
- NE-1-Gabe Brown
- NE-2-Troy Moyle
- NE-3-Mike Munson
- Hot Rod-Steve Madrigal
- Drag Bike-Don Caeser
- WCO-Troy Baugh
- WCO/B-Dave Allman
- WCO5.35-Tim Van Tol
- WCO5.35B-Bryan Franks
first Top Fuel win in style.
This story was originally published on September 24, 2025. 
