Photos by Brian Losness and Kim Fuller) (Words by Darr Hawthorne) •
When a racetrack carries the legacy of the 55th NAPA Ignitor, Idaho’s first 2026 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Series Nitro Funny Car event at Firebird Raceway, it naturally attracts the sport’s top racers. This year’s edition is no exception, once again bringing the best in nitro funny car racing to Boise.
As the Northwest’s longest-running major drag race, the Ignitor is rich in history and tradition. The event debuted in 1971, when legendary driver Don Prudhomme captured the inaugural title in his iconic Hot Wheels Barracuda. Since then, the Ignitor has remained one of the region’s premier drag racing events and a cornerstone of the late Bill New’s Firebird Raceway legacy.
This weekend has shown that the well-maintained drag strip surface can take the horsepower with Canadian Nathan Sitko (above) running a solid 5.539 elapsed time at 259.86 MPH in the Ryan Hodgson tuned Bubble-Up Firebird, leading qualifiers.
Close behind was Shane Westerfield’s 5.543 ET at 263.20 MPH in the Bardahl-backed Austin & O’Brien Camaro.
Returning after sitting out the season opening Good Vibrations March Meet is Tim Boychuk in his new Happy Hour Barracuda-bodied funny car at 5.632 at a whopping, track record-setting 264.70 MPH for Top Speed of the meet, so far. The beat goes on after longtime crew chief Twig Ziegler has retired.
In her Boise debut is nitro funny car rookie Eily Stafford, driving Don Nelson’s California Hustler ’78 Firebird tuned by Dale Murray. Murray has Stafford’s ride thumping with much improved 60-foot times and solid 206.13 eighth-mile MPH, qualifying fourth with 5.636 ET at 258.62 MPH.
Sunday eliminations begin at Noon and as of this report, with temperatures in the low 60’s and high winds, the Ignitor will be shortened to 660-foot racing.
Sitting fifth is Hawaiian Derrick Moreira, driving his Nitro Junkies Camaro with a 5.658 ET at 257.38 MPH.
Driving Eddie Knox’s Problem Child Camaro is Todd Plate running a solid 5.668 ET at 242.58 MPH, sitting sixth.
March Meet Champion Michael Peck, in his family’s Instigator ’70 Camaro, ran 5.677 ET at 258.27 MPH for seventh.
Southern California’s Jerry Espeseth in his Atlas Testing ’73 Camaro rounds out the filed in eighth with a 5.824 at 246.17 MPH with Brad Littlefield tuning.
A ninth funny car had entered; however, it is now parked. The Bartone & Lebor Mustang, driven by Kris Krabill was withdrawn and loaded back in the trailer, after making a successful Thursday test session.
We’ll have Final Round results from the Firebird Raceway 55th NAPA Ignitor nitro funny cars up this week!
CHECK OUT PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE BOISE IGNITOR
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