Poised to Make Some Noise…Top Fuel upstarts that could shake things up at CHRR. (Copy)
Its gonna be the biggest damn top fuel meet we’ve seen in a while when the teams tow into the pits for the 2025 California Hot Rod Reunion at the fabled Famoso dragstrip. Barring any last minute cancellations, it’s looking like 14 teams. 14 teams !!! It’s been a while.
Bryan Hall and the H&H Nomad
BRYAN HALL (H&H Nomad) Bryan Hall and the H&H brigade looked every part the heirs apparent to a major top fuel breakout at Redding. The team had not made a pass in 11 months, came off the trailer and shocked the world and the field with a rip roaring victory. Hall ran three 5 second passes on Saturday, the only other car in the 5’s all weekend was the 2024 Champ Tyler Hilton. Hall exited 2024 with one of the top 3 most badass AA/FD’s on the planet, making 3 straight semi-finals and giving champ Tyler Hilton a run for the money on more than one occasion, culminating in a low 5.73 pass along the way. You gotta believe Hall is gonna be in the mix here, hell the car and the team just came off their biggest win ever and are ready to rock and roll. Of all the top fuel upstarts, this is the hit-maker. Oh yes, they are undefeated this year.
Frank McBee and the Valley Thunder Top Fueler-rick bain photo
FRANK MCBEE (Valley Thunder) Frank “The Heat” McBee and his pristine cinnamon beauty, the Valley Thunder Top Fuel ride come into Famoso with some serious down time. It will be exactly one year since McBee blasted this rocket down the 1320, but man, it counted. Frank’s last pass at Famoso, a round one loss to champ Tyler Hilton, was a blistering 5.87 @ a booming 263 mph. It was top speed of the meet for top fuel, it was also top speed of the year. THE YEAR. Oh yes, McBee’s chutes did not deploy on the run either. Some expensive parts were toasted and McBee waited it out until he was ready to compete…so here he is. McBee had a great run the 2023 CHRR en route to a stellar and best result here yet, runner-up up. McBee always saves his best for the last race, and this car and driver can throw and bring some serious 1320 top end heat.
Shayne Stewart and the Sullivan and Stewart Top Fuel Entry-rick bain photo
SHAYNE STEWART (Sullivan and Stewart)-I’m gonna be honest here, we fucking dig this car. It’s got that look, the look of speed, the look of legit top fuel, the look of old-school…it’s low slung with bad intentions. It photographs better than any top fuel car we’ve ever shot. The bummer was, it would come of hibernation out once or twice a year and just miss the field. That all changed at this year’s 2025 March Meet, when Stewart stole the Q2 show ripping an unreal 5.86 for the 3rd quickest pass of the session. Proving it was no fluke, Stewart showed up in round one and drilled a 5.96 for an assured victory, but had it snatched away when the car brushed the wall right at the stripe. There’s gonna be 14 machines at CHHR, so it’s gonna be a tough, tough field…but Shayne, Jeremy and Frolka have got to feel good about their chances to run on Sunday.
Austin "Double A" Arnerich Davis Motorsports Top Fuel
-rick bain photo
AUSTIN ARNERICH (Davis Motorsports) This here my friends is the enigma, the mystery man in the legendary ex-Murphy top fuel machine. While this car has not competed since last year’s CHRR, it has tested aT Redding recently…making the cobwebs already pre-dusted away. Crazy to think, a team that has yet to qualify for an event could be on the betting boards as a steed to lay down your money on. We saw this car last year, the team is first class salt-of-the-earth folk, they have tons of big show experience and they know how to win. I will leave you with these two things I witnessed last year. #1-On it’s first pass, Arnerich launched hard then the car made a move to the right and got spitting distance from the wall. Arnerich just powered thru and clicked it later at the 600 foot mark. Like bull-riding on nitro. #2 Arnerich became the fastest DNQ in history in his first race with a blistering 5.83. Landing #9. They aren’t coming west to DNQ this time.
In addition to the heavy-hitters and the upstarts, there will be teams busting their asses to end their season’s on a high note…the winter break is long. Kyle Hough will be back in the saddle of the Nanook Top fuel entry, every damn pass at Redding looked better and better and he drove the hell outta that green railed beast in round one. Brendan Murry is having his best 12 months in one hell of a long time, the car ran a solid 5.85 here last year, looked great in elims at Bowling Green and won a round at Redding. Michael Hilton was runner-up at Boise and is always a threat. Brad Thompson shocked Hester here at the 2025 March Meet and clearly knows the score, he’s not Bad Brad for nothing.
Shawn Van Horn and the Titan II Top Fuel Machine-rick bain photo
Then there’s the matter of Shawn Van Horn...the dude that defines Beer League Top Fuel. The Van Horn family have traversed the U.S. chasing the top fuel dragon. After the Titan vaulted the top end fence with no chutes at Boise in 2024, SVH built a new ride. BUILT. The car comes to Famoso with hope, they’ve learned some stuff, they’ve taken steps forward and backward. The Titan II ran a 6.14 here at the March Meet and did get in on the break rule. If all is right in this world, Shawn Van Horn will at some point at CHRR, stomp on the pedal, the car will leave with a decent 60 foot, then haul ass as it was meant to do, to the stripe. The scoreboard will flash something in the 5 second range and the team will celebrate like they won the whole damn event and we will too. More than anything, I hope that’s what happens at the 2025 CHRR. All the rest would just be icing.
See ya in the pits.-Bain