March 2026 • By Alan Zusman •  Presented by FirstUpApparel.com & MicksPaint.com

March 5-8 was the perfect weekend for a drag race but not just any drag race it was the 68th March Meet (MM) presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports. Held at Famoso Dragstrip, 130 miles north of Los Angeles, near Bakersfield, CA., fans began to fill the stands on Thursday to watch 14 classes of race car ranging from Nostalgia front engine Top Fuel dragsters, and Nostalgia Funny Cars, carrying the bodies of late 60's and 70's muscle cars. Along with the fuel cars there was Fuel Altered, 7.0 Pro, Pro Comp, Jr. Fuel, A/B/C and D Gas Eliminator classes, Nostalgia Eliminator I/II and III classes, and Hot Rod Eliminator.

Hot Rod is the popular bracket class in which a 9-second car could be running against an 11-second car, where the slower car gets the head start and the faster car has to beat the slower car, without going faster than the dialed-in ET. It's not how fast, it's how consistent you run. It takes dedication.

Molli Cody drove her ‘69 AMX Javelin from Arizona to Bakersfield and raced it in the Hot Rod Class. Imagine getting groceries on Friday, and then on Saturday racing your car on the famed Bakersfield Dragstrip.

Funny Car

Of the many extremely talented drivers, in all the classes, Eily Stafford, the current pilot of Don Nelson's ‘California Hustler’ AA/FC, stood out. “When I was 12 years old, my Dad took me to my first race at Pomona. From the first pass, I loved the sound, the speed, and the smell! As a first-generation drag racer, I considered getting into Junior Drag Racing, but decided to hold off until I was 16. I earned my first NHRA license after my 16th birthday. Before my 18th birthday, after being noticed by a team while I was working on a nitro car in Las Vegas, I was offered my first ride in competition, a naturally-aspirated altered in the Nostalgia Eliminator II class. From then on, I slowly worked my way up the ranks, driving everything from front engine blown alcohol dragsters to blown alcohol competition coupes, roadsters, and altereds.

In 2022, with almost 18 years of experience in blown alcohol classes, I had the opportunity to step into the nitro ranks in Mark Borjon’s Nostalgia Rear Engine Top Fuel Dragster in the Nitro Pro Comp class. We took home the win at the 65th annual March Meet with Donnie Couch tuning. In the spring of 2023, I had the opportunity to test for the Salinas family in Jasmine’s A-Fuel dragster in the Top Alcohol category. While testing, I earned my Top Alcohol Dragster license with a career best of 5.36 at 277mph.

Over the next couple of years, I had the opportunity to pilot some wild fuel altereds, while also running the ANRA series in Mighty Mouse, a blown alcohol altered in the Nostalgia Eliminator I class. I raced those until I was offered the full-time ride in Don Nelson’s ‘California Hustler’ Nostalgia Nitro Funny Car. Getting a full-time nitro ride has been a dream of mine since I was 12 years old. I’m beyond excited for the opportunity.

Top Fuel

Results

NOSTALGIA TOP FUEL
Tyler Hilton, Cincinnati, OH, '16 McKinney, 5.714/265.09 def. Mike Hilton, Wyoming, OH, '17 McKinney, foul.

#1 Qualifier Tyler Heyster: 5.679/224.66

NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR
Mike Peck, Woodinville, WA., '70 Camaro, 5.581/261.70 def. Nathan Sitko, Edmonton, Alb., '68 Firebird, 5.620/260.19.

#1 Qualifier Todd Plate: 5.485/253.23

FUEL ALTERED
Brandon Seraphine, Corona, CA., '32 Bantam, 6.144/206.89 def. Dylan Winefsky, El Mirage, AZ., '48 Topolino, broke.

#1 Qualifier Mathew Lenard: 6.024/238.34

7.0 PRO
Steve Faller, Lake Havasu City, AZ., '32 Bantam, 6.988/190.39 def. Jason Vanderpool, Redding, CA., '32 Bantam, foul.

#1 Qualifier Kevin Rapozo: 7.006/194.88

PRO COMP
Wayne Ramay, Simi Valley, CA., '17 Neil & Parks, 5.996/223.65 def. Kin Bates Sr., Anderson, CA., '96 Tuttle, 5.942/226.41.

#1 Qualifier Kin Bates: 6.134/222.82

JUNIOR FUEL
Alan Hull, Frenchtown, MT., '05 Uyehara, JFN, 7.082/164.56 def. Ritchie Fenton, Livermore, CA., '12 Neil & Parks, JFA, foul.

#1 Qualifier Alan Huff: 7.023/185.03

A GAS ELIMINATOR
Keith Morovich, Bakersfield, CA., '67 Chevy II, 7.592/180.46 def. Tom Huggins, Santa Paula, CA., '63 Corvette, 7.577/181.48.

#1 Qualifier Cliff Boyles: 7.60/179.10

B GAS ELIMINATOR
Neal Westbrook, Pixley, CA., '68 Camaro, 8.617/155.25 def. Chris Diyco, Buena Park, CA., '69 Camaro, 8.612/157.48.

#1 Qualifier Ward Howard: 8.60/155.17

C GAS ELIMINATOR
Brian Smith, Ojai, CA., '69 Cougar, 9.593/140.31 def. Erick Hopkins, Visalia, CA., '69 Camaro, 9.578/144.97.

#1 Qualifier Greg Melton: 9.60/136.90

D GAS ELIMINATOR
Tim Mulvihill, Porterville, CA., '68 Camaro: 10.572/128.33 def. Dan Schrokosch, San Marcos, CA., '71 Camaro, 10.540/124.51.

#1 Qualifier Doug Fournier: 10.60/125.43

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR I
Hans Jakob, Ontario, CA., '02 Hansen, 7.632/168.76 def. Jason Barta, Bakersfield, CA., '08 FED, 7.589/171.95.

#1 Qualifier Neil Schndler: 7.601/175.26

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR II
Eric Warner, Redding, CA., '7t ALT, 8.598/153.45 def. Sam Hughes, Enumclaw, WA., '48 Topolino, 8.552/152.80.

#1 Qualifier Rick Harrison: 8.60/158.11

NOSTALGIA ELIMINATOR III
Don Mallory, Citrus Heights, CA., '3t Ford, 9.623/127.46 def. Mike Munson, Lake Trapps, Wash., '27 Chev Roadster, 9.707/128.57.

#1 Qualifier Dennis Keck: 9.601 /134.34

HOT ROD ELIMINATOR
Jesse Howe, El Segundo, CA., '67 Coronet, 10.607/125.05 def. Frank Desousa, Santa Clara, CA., '63 Nova, 10.689/123.69.

#1 Qualifier Donnie Riley: 10.605/NA

James and Jim Maher of Good Vibrations Motorsports are long-time sponsors of the March Meet.

Special thanks, as always, goes to the event sponsors, including the title sponsor Good Vibrations Motorsports, (www.dragparts.com), your one-stop place for all your racing needs. Others sponsor include ARP Automotive Racing Products, JEGS High Performance, CP-Carrillo Pistons, Arias Pistons and Rings, Haddad Dodge Ram, Irv Guinn Construction, and THEFOAT.COM for providing on-line ticket buying for all your motorsports events. Without these valuable sponsors and many others, the Annual March Meet could not happen.

For more information visit: FamosoDragstrip.com

For more information visit: https://www.FirstUpApparel.com

For more information visit: https://www.goodvibesracing.com

For more information visit: https://www.MicksPaint.com