Pepsi Nightfire Nationals
Category: NHRA / Drag Racing | Posted July 26, 2006 by Brian Losness

The Pepsi Nightfire Nationals at Firebird Raceway Boise

The 35th Annual Pepsi Nightfire Nationals is one of the largest independent drag races in the nation, and one of the largest motorsports events in the Pacific Northwest. This year the Nightfires are truly going to be old school event as the headliners for this event are going to be both Nostalgia Top Fuel Dragsters and Nostalgia Fuel Funny Cars. You old timers remember those cars from the 70’s that actually look like the cars they represented. Mustangs looked like a Mustang and Vegas looked like Vegas. In addition to T/F and F/C those daring young men in their Fuel Altereds will also be on hand. The cool thing about the Nightfires is that not only do the transformers (modern fuel funny cars with 23 t-bucket bodies and wings on them) show up but so do the traditional short wheel base fuel altereds. In addition to all that nitro, the gang from the West Coast Pro Mods is looking to have a record field of competitors at the Nightfires. Pro Mods arguably put on one of the best shows of the weekend. These teams pride themselves in good side-by-side racing from start to finish.



Top Fuel: Jack Harris’ Utah Posse should be a very busy team that weekend competiting in both of the nitro categories and running out of one trailer. Big fun for the guys from Utah. Jack’s son Brett (Kaysville, UT) has adapted himself well to the cockpit of the long skinny cars and this team is always a force to be recon with.
Former world Champion Jim Murphy (Fresno CA) in his beautiful WW2 top fueler will also be a player. Murphy who missed last years Nightfires is looking to rebound this year and take back his title. Joining Murphy will be the Cox and Rodeck team with Terry Cox at the helm. Cox won his first ever NHRA “Wally” at the Igniter held at Firebird in the spring. The Cox and Rodeck team is so laden with talent it is almost sick. Along with John Cox and John Rodeck, former NHRA Top Fuel world champion Gary Beck, Journeyman Crew Member Willy Wolter (Prudhomme/Pedregon/Larry Minor) and former Good Guys TF Champion Rance McDanial are part of the C&R Team
Others scheduled to be a part of the fun are Dave Smith with Jason Richey in the saddle, (Sac. CA) Brandon Murray, the Foothill Flyer Gang, the Burkey Bunch, and Butch Blair and the Fagowie Tribe.

Funny Car: Fuel Funny Cars are returning to the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals for the first time in over a decade. The real joy is that these cars are run the way funny cars used to be run. They are exciting and hair-raising. Big smokey burnouts with the inside of the body filled with tire smoke. Header flames licking at the side of the car as the dart down the track. Jack Harris (Kaysville UT) will be back at the wheel of a fuel funny car after a nearly twenty year absence. In addition to Harris Lee Jennings (Chino CA) will be there with his new car, Mike Savage, Dan Horan, and former Champion Larry Pettit, Rich Howell, plus and many more.

Fuel Altereds: The Pepsi Nightfire Nationals has been the home of the Fuel Altered Championships for many of years. As stated earlier not only do the modern day fuel altereds better know as “transformers” show up at Boise, so do the old school short wheel base cars. Missing from this year’s event will be multi time winner Ron Fassl who is still recovering from a nasty shunt at Bandimere Raceway last year. Nitrophoto spoke with Ron earlier in the year and he sounded good and was in excellent spirits, but he said he just could get to a 100 percent. “I just can’t do some things any more without problems. Sometimes it just the silliest of little things that give me the biggest problems, it’s frustrating.” Here’s hoping you get there soon Ron!!!!! Filling those shoes very nicely are AA/FA standouts Greg Daebelliehn (Chico Valley, AZ) in his Fast – N- Forty, and Ricky Ruiz (Sparks, NV) in his legendary Nevada Rattler. Ruiz who has won three in a row at Firebird is looking to make it a forth. Others said to be making the trip are Mac McCord (Phoenix, AZ), Jeff Dehl (Salinas CA) in his Witch Doctor AAFA, and the Neese and Knowles (Chandler AZ). Dave Hough (Sac. CA) who’s team has had two very violent crashes in the past year have also persevered, built another car, and is scheduled to be here.

Pro Mods: With a mix of old and new body styles and big inch nitrous motors verse blown and injected on alcohol, pro mods hearken back to the days of "run what you brung," heads up 230 mile per hour door cars. Huge burnouts and wheels up launches are a norm for this group. Stars of this class are IHRA National Event Winner and former West Coast Champion Dennis Radford, (Baker City, Or) IHRA and NHRA National Event winner Billy Harper (Paducah, KY), former WCPM champions Lee Smith, Pat Stoken, with rumblings that Charles Carpenter might make the long tow from the Carolinas to Boise, again.

The Pepsi Nightfire Nationals in the past has had all the stars of professional drag racing competing in this very unique event. Don “the Snake” Prudhomme, Tom “ the Mongoose” McEwen, Don Garlits, Shirley Muldowney, Gary Densham and the wild man himself John Force. Seeing John Force floating down the Boise River in an inter-tube, years ago, was stated to be worth the price of admission in its own right.

Bracket Racing: Last but certainly not least, it would be remiss if it was mentioned about the other 450 race cars that will be at the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals running in the bracket classes. With 5000.00 dollars nightly (Friday- Sunday) going to the winner of Bracketeer (Super Pro) and two grand going to the Pro winner each night (Sat-Sun), not a bad pay day. Sportsman and Pro Snow/Bike winners get 500 dollars each night to win. In addition, points are compiled for each day of competition, and at the end of the weekend, and the racer with the highest total of points in each class will win a bonus amount of money plus most of all, will receive an NHRA Wally.

The New family who built and still runs Firebird has always geared the show at the Pepsi Nightfire Nationals to be family friendly event, and still continues to do that to this day. Come check it out. Aug 11th -14th.