NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR ELIMINATIONS FROM FIRST ROUND TO FINAL AT BAKERSFIELD CHRR 2026

Nitro-burning Funny Cars. More than 260 mph. Side-by-side quarter-mile racing. And a championship hanging in the balance. One of the most exciting categories in the NHRA Heritage Series is Nostalgia Funny Car, and the 2026 Good Vibrations California Hot Rod Reunion at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, California, delivered everything fans love about these wild machines. WATCH EVERY RUN! From the first pair of Funny Cars in round one to the championship final, CompetitionPlusTV brings you every elimination-round race, every win light and every battle in between. Nathan Sitko arrived in Bakersfield with two goals: Win his first NHRA Heritage Series Nostalgia Funny Car championship and take home the California Hot Rod Reunion trophy. By Sunday evening, the Canadian racer had accomplished both. But getting there wasn't easy. No. 1 qualifier Jimmy Kelso had already made history with a blistering 5.484-second pass at 266.27 mph, the first Nostalgia Funny Car run in the 5.40s at Famoso. Kelso worked his way through Ryan Horan, Eily Stafford and Jeff Arend to reach the final. Sitko had his own battles, defeating Todd Miller and Mike Peck before securing the season championship with a semifinal victory. His title hopes received a boost when rival Shane Westerfield lost in the second round after his parachute deployed during a race against Arend. With the championship already decided, Sitko and Kelso lined up for one final showdown. Sitko grabbed nearly .05 seconds at the starting line and powered to a winning 5.558 at 232.31 mph as Kelso slowed to a 6.119. Sitko's engine began losing power near the finish, but he had enough to reach the stripe first. “I clicked it off a little early on that last one. I felt it nosing over and just prayed that Jimmy wasn’t going to come by me,” Sitko said. The victory completed a dream season for Sitko and his team, including a win at Indianapolis and a championship earned over a demanding 12-race schedule. From historic five-second performances to championship pressure and nitro Funny Cars fighting for every inch of the quarter-mile, this is what the California Hot Rod Reunion is all about. Watch the COMPLETE Nostalgia Funny Car eliminations from the 2026 California Hot Rod Reunion, featuring every round from the opening pair to the final win light. Subscribe to CompetitionPlusTV for more NHRA Heritage Series racing, Nostalgia Top Fuel, Fuel Altered and drag racing coverage from CompetitionPlus.com. #NostalgiaFunnyCar #CaliforniaHotRodReunion #NathanSitko #JimmyKelso #FunnyCarRacing #NHRAHeritageSeries #NitroFunnyCar #DragRacing #FamosoDragstrip #Bakersfield #NitroRacing #CompetitionPlus #DragRacingNews #PEAKSquad #RaceStrange #GoodridgeHoses