Sunny skies, temperatures in the mid-80s and plenty of vintage horsepower combined for a spectacular conclusion to the ANRA Spring Nationals Sunday at Famoso Dragstrip.
From smoky burnouts and wheels-up launches to parachutes blossoming at the top end, the legendary Bakersfield facility once again served as the stage for one of the West Coast’s premier nostalgia drag racing events.
When the final win lights flashed Sunday afternoon, champions had been crowned and another chapter had been written in the rich history of ANRA competition.
Donald Ferguson drove past Joe Trotsky in the Nostalgia Eliminator 1 final, while Justin Rathert defeated Ethan Gates to claim the Nostalgia Eliminator 2 title. Kevin White rounded out the Nostalgia Eliminator winners with a victory over Douglas Holmes in Nostalgia Eliminator 3.
Jim Suydam earned the A/Gas victory over Hank Merenda, while Randy Armstrong captured B/Gas honors by defeating Brent Handley. Beau Dyson scored the C/Gas win over Russ Andrew, James Burt topped Dave Brownson Jr. in D/Gas and Brad Thompson defeated Ronnie Prewett to claim the E/Gas title.
Thompson wasn’t finished. The Visalia racer doubled up during the weekend by also taking the Sportsman victory over Mike Van Horn, becoming the only driver to score two class wins during the Spring Nationals.
Mike Brock claimed the Open Wheel title with a victory over Jim Herbst, while Ed Walker drove to the Hot Rod championship over Mark Thompson.
The next generation of racers continued to showcase the future of the sport as Chase Crandall won Junior Comp over Emersyn Rose Pires. Audrey Frye, Addison Howe, Dylan Nelson and Isabella Lily Pires added Junior Group victories to cap off a strong weekend for the youth racers.
Throughout the weekend, Famoso’s famed racing surface kept competitors glued to the groove as old-school machines thundered down the quarter-mile, proving once again that nostalgia drag racing is far more than memories and polished sheet metal. It’s competition. It’s tradition.
And after another weekend of tire smoke, close racing and triumph at the finish line, the ANRA faithful reminded everyone that some of drag racing’s best stories are still being written by racers carrying the spirit of the sport’s golden era into the future.
This story was originally published on June 8, 2026. 
The post Tire Smoke & Triumph: ANRA Spring Nationals Crown Champions first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
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