Firebird Raceway and Bi-Mart recently hosted their signature nitro-burning summer event, the 53rd annual Nightfire Nationals, with 30 machines going to battle in three classes: Nostalgia Funny Car, Nostalgia Top Fuel, and crowd-pleasing Fuel Altereds.
Despite some triple-digit heat, the nitro fans turned out en masse, packing the grandstands for back-to-back nights of under-the-lights qualifying sessions. Tyler Hilton and Bret Williamson led all comers in Top Fuel qualifying, laying down side-by-side blistering 5.73s in Saturday night’s session. Hilton’s 5.731 just edged out Williamson’s 5.737 for the top spot.
Come eliminations, Hilton and the Great Expectations team continued their nitro blitzkrieg in Top Fuel, running low E.T. in each round of eliminations. The semifinals in Top Fuel featured a heavyweight battle between March Meet winner Tyler Hester in the “Overtime Express” and Beech Bend winner Hilton, with Hilton prevailing over a valiant Hester: 5.81 seconds at 253.75 MPH to Hester’s race-ready 5.83 at 251.
In the finals, Hilton squared off against the pristine Mike Fuller-owned “Forever Young” car, driven by Williamson, who was doing double duty this weekend driving in the Pro Mod division as well. Hilton launched first and never looked back, strapping a stout 5.79 at 253.18 on Williamson’s 6.01 at 247.07.
In Fuel Funny Car, 15 floppers were on the Firebird property to battle for the crown in a 16-car show. Shane Westerfield, making his debut in the seat of emerald-green “Northwest Hitter,” led the field with his 5.68 at 254.42 pass to earn a first-round bye. Mike Peck and the spectacular “Instigator” Camaro landed second with a 5.70 at 254.38 and would face No. 15 qualifier James Day in round one. As luck would have it, Day laid a huge holeshot on Peck, running his best number of the event, and down went the Instigator under the Saturday night lights.
In the Funny Car semis, Westerfield continued his march to the final, dispatching the “California Hustler” with Mike Halstead back at the wheel, with a sonic 5.69 at 255.15 to a game 5.78 at 251. In the other semifinal match, Nathan Sitko in the “Bubble Up” Firebird downed Jon Capps and his “Speed Sport Special,” 5.85 at 239 to an early shut off 6.26 at 175.78.
In the Funny Car final, Westerfield claimed victory in his debut race with the “Green Team,” who as a team won their fifth Nightfire in a row. The final numbers: Westerfield’s 5.69 at 256.84 to Sitko’s 5.86 at 237.31.
Cory Lee took the final in Fuel Altered in the uber-swoopy and fully legit-looking “Sheepherder” machine when Jason Pettit’s “Hellfire” could not make the call. Lee staged and took a parts-saving victory lap for the win.
This story was originally published on August 15, 2024. 
