Under picture-perfect skies, the 67th annual Good Vibrations Motorsports March Meet at the famed Famoso Dragstrip came alive with thrilling action March 6-9. The action-packed weekend marked the highly anticipated kickoff of the 2025 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series Championship, delivering unforgettable moments and intense competition.
Reigning Nostalgia Top Fuel champion Tyler Hilton picked up right where he left off, showcasing his power with a strong 5.617 at 260 mph to claim the top spot on the ladder after qualifying. Tyler Hester followed closely with a 5.696 at 262 mph, while Pete Kaiser rounded out the top three with a 5.797 at 252 mph.
As eliminations kicked off on Sunday, Hilton faced Shawn Van Horn, beating him with a 5.669 at 262 mph. Van Horn encountered trouble at the far end of the track, lifting off the throttle and coasting to a 7.526 at 91 mph. In the semifinals, Hilton was matched up against Bret Williamson, but the defending champion didn’t slow down. Hilton powered to another 5.6-second run, defeating Williamson and advancing to the final.
On the opposite side of the ladder, Kaiser delivered a 5.733 at 237 mph to defeat Adam Sorokin, who posted a 6.046 at 211 mph. Kaiser then faced Brad Thompson in the semifinals, running even quicker with a 5.718 at 254 mph to beat Thompson, who clocked a 6.388 at 168 mph.
The finals set the stage for a thrilling showdown between Hilton and Kaiser. Hilton recorded his fastest elimination run of the day, a 5.641 at 261 mph, but it wasn’t enough. Kaiser, despite running a slightly slower 5.705 at 254 mph, took the victory thanks to his quicker reaction time off the line, earning him the 2025 March Meet trophy.
In Nostalgia Funny Car, Shane Westerfield, now driving for Bucky Austin, ran a strong 5.566 at 263 mph to claim the pole position in the 16-car field. Right behind him, Jon Capps in the Matthews Motorsports Camaro posted a 5.627 at 242 mph for second, while Jeff Arend in the Bynum-Lucchetti Motorsports Trans Am secured third with a 5.643 at 255 mph.
On race day, Westerfield defeated Tim Boychuk in the first round and James Day in the second to advance to the semifinals, where he faced none other than Bobby Cottrell, now driving the “Speed Sport” Camaro. It was a tense showdown – Cottrell facing off against his old car, the one with which he had claimed championships in the past. Cottrell won the tree, but Westerfield’s car proved to be the stronger of the two. His 5.603 at 260 mph narrowly edged out Cottrell’s 5.635 at 260 mph, adding another chapter to the car’s legacy.
On the opposite side of the ladder, Capps, who was essentially auditioning for a spot in the car for the next few races, had a bye in the second round and then faced reigning event champion Cory Lee in “The Peddler.” Capps laid down a blistering 5.568 at 257 mph, while Lee struggled, posting a 6.799 at 154 mph after having to lift off the throttle early. That run earned Capps his spot in the semifinals, where he met Geoff Monise in the “Quarter Pounder” Pontiac. In a tight race, Capps came out on top with a 5.570 at 258 mph, narrowly beating Monise’s 5.592 at 256 mph.
In the finals, Capps ran another strong 5.627 at 254 mph to defeat Westerfield, who left early and disqualified himself due to a false start, handing the win to a delighted Capps. With this performance, Capps has now raised his hopes of being hired to race with the Matthews Motorsports team for the remainder of the 2025 season.
“From into the wall, straight into the winner’s circle” perfectly describes Kyle Hough’s day in the “Sheepherder” Fuel Altered. On his first run, the car made a sharp left around the 60-foot mark and slammed into the wall. After a quick check and some adjustments, including removing the damaged front wing, the team sent Hough back out for the next qualifying round. This time, the car went straight as an arrow, recording a best of 6.332 at 161 mph, which placed him fourth in the qualifying ladder of the 6.00 indexed field.
In the first round, Hough faced James Generalao Jr., and both drivers ran identical 6.318 ETs. However, Hough’s faster 186 mph to Generalao’s 178 mph, combined with a better reaction time, earned him the ticket to the semifinals. There, Bill Windham in the “Burkholder Brothers” Fuel Altered awaited him. With another great reaction time and a 6.265 at 187 mph, Hough secured the win after Windham had to lift off the throttle, coasting to an 11.660 at only 70 mph.
The final round pitted Hough against Mark Whynaught in the “Nitro Mamba” Fuel Altered. Whynaught left the line first, but Hough was able to chase him down and take the win with a 6.110 at 212 mph, defeating Whynaught’s 6.353 at 167 mph, as he coasted to the finish line. It was the perfect fairytale ending to what had been a rollercoaster of emotions for Hough and the Sheepherder team throughout the weekend.
Winners in other categories were:
Tanner Wattenbarger in Hot Rod, Bill Norton in D/Gas, Beau Dyson in C/Gas, Mike Williams in B/Gas, Brian Rogers in A/Gas, Mike Munson in Nostalgia Eliminator 3, Ted New in Nostalgia Eliminatior 2, Dave lsley in Nostalgia Eliminator 1, Krista Suydam in 7.0 Pro, Brad Woodard in Jr. Fuel, and Kin Bates Sr. in A/Fuel.
The next event of the 2025 NHRA Heritage Tour, part of the 11-race series, will be the Tucson Dragway Reunion, held at Tucson Dragway on April 5-6.
This story was originally published on April 2, 2025. 
