{"id":104849,"date":"2026-09-22T19:44:06","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T19:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/kaiser-family-racing-thunders-to-top-fuel-victory-at-redding\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T19:44:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T19:44:06","slug":"kaiser-family-racing-thunders-to-top-fuel-victory-at-redding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/drag-racing\/uncategorized\/kaiser-family-racing-thunders-to-top-fuel-victory-at-redding\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaiser Family Racing Thunders to Top Fuel Victory at Redding"},"content":{"rendered":"

Billed as the fifth annual Thunder Under the Lites, Redding Motorsports Park played host to the NHRA Heritage Series tour and the great American, one-day Top Fuel showdown. With nitro in the house and a smorgasbord of all nostalgia classes in the pits, thunder did indeed rule under the lights.<\/p>\n

The Top Fuel showdown lived up to its billing as current points leader Tyler Hilton and the man giving chase, Pete Kaiser, resumed their nitro battle and run at the 2026 NHRA Heritage championship. Also making the trek to the land of Shasta were Funny Car legend turned Top Fuel rookie Bobby Cottrell and his No Inheritan$e entry, Kyle Hough and the fresh inked \u201cNanook\u201d machine, and the living legend himself, Mr. Brendan Murry and the \u201cRunning Wild\u201d fuel ride.<\/p>\n

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Tyler Hilton and the \u201cGreat Expectations III\u201d team dominated qualifying, running a 5.83 at 255 MPH to lead all contenders, followed by Kaiser\u2019s solid 6.01 at a booming 258 MPH to hold down the second spot. Hough, a third-gen nitro ace, making his 2026 NHRA Heritage Series debut, qualified an all-time best third with a nice 6.30 blast at 242 MPH.<\/p>\n

Eliminations became the war of attrition for the nitro teams. Hilton, looking to lock up the 2026 NHRA Heritage championship with a final round win here, blasted a 5.86 on his bye run, but suffered a torn rear tire on the top end. It would not be the end of this top end adventures on the day. Kaiser responded with his best pass of the weekend, a 5.89, to take out Cottrell, which set up the big round one match \u2013 Hough vs. Murry. At the green, Hough was out first and had Murry covered, but tire shake, an all-world pedal, and a top-end charge could not save him from the cagey Murry, who turned a costly 6.59 into victory. Murry could not make the call for the semi against Hilton due to parts attrition.<\/p>\n

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The top final was an epic heavyweight showdown. A Hilton win and he\u2019s the 2026 points champ. A Kaiser win and he\u2019s stayin\u2019 alive. At the green, Kaiser was away first as Hilton smoked the tires, pedaled, and chased. At the stripe, Kaiser scored the win with a 5.96 to Hilton\u2019s hard-charging 6.32 at a big-time 253 MPH.<\/p>\n

But that ain\u2019t the end of this story. Past the stripe, there is a cloud and it\u2019s not piston smoke. Hilton\u2019s rear tire has blown out and he\u2019s riding the dirt next to the 1320, trying to keep the car straight and off the K-rail. There\u2019s a big explosion of dust as Hilton hits a k-rail chicane, sending Hilton and the car across the track, scraping the car on its side and upside down at one point. Kaiser, who has won the race, exits his KFR dragster at the top end, rights the car, and helps pull Hilton out of the car. The steel steed of all steeds, the stud of all Top Fuel cars, the \u201cGreat Expectations III,\u201d is seriously injured. Hilton on the other hand, emerges unscathed. The McKinney chassis has done its job. Team Hilton, a team forged on hard work and maximum efforts, vows to rebuild and return in time for the final race of the year at the fabled California Hot Rod Reunion. They will be there to fight for their fifth straight NHRA Heritage Top Fuel title, just one round win away. Kaiser, yes, he will be there too.<\/p>\n

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The always entertaining 7.0 Pro class, the mixture of Funny Cars, Altereds and front-motored dragsters, once again delivered as Steve Faller and his crowd-pleasing \u201cBad Moon\u201d wheels-up Bantam downed Tony Trimp\u2019s \u201cRough and Ready\u201d \u201965 Mustang Funny Car. Trimp was there first, but a little too first, breaking out with a 6.94 to a less-breaking 6.99 on a 7.0 index.<\/p>\n

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In the newly named, but cars remain the same, Pro-Comp class (formerly A Fuel), the two heavy hitters, Doc Bates and Wayne Ramey, were again duking it out for the victory in the final. At the green, Bates was away first with a .125 light. Ramey ran a 6.01, but his .519 light spelled doom as Bates\u2019 slower 6.11 run took the win.<\/p>\n

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In the racing world of the wild, wild West,\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0West Coast Outlaw Pro Mods put on a spectacular show. In the end, Dan Martin beat the unbeatable in the final with a 3.90 over a tire-smoking Bret Williamson, proving that even Superman himself is human.<\/p>\n

Nostalgia Eliminator winners included Dustin Lee (NE1), Tony Citro (NE2), and Mike Munson (NE3), while the Gas class winners featured Brian Rogers (A\/G), Kevin Riley (B\/G), RJ Simrock (C\/G), and Ken Parks (D\/G). The hotly contested Hot Rod winner was Craig Renke in his blue Chevy II.<\/p>\n

Next year, same place, same thunder? Count on it\u2026<\/p>\n

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In the Pro-Comp final, veteran Doc Bates ran a slower but winning 6.11 holeshot over Wayne Ramay\u2019s 6.01.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Chris Erickson and his swoopy Boneshaker NE2 launch during qualifying. Erickson would start from the 12 spot on the ladder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Gabe Brown and his Dirty Digger ran a too fast 7.58 in the NE1 final taking home the runner-up spot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tony Citro from Oakley, CA scored the NE2 title at Redding with a 8.68 ET in the final under the lights.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Funny Car legend turned Top Fuel rookie Bobby Cottrell launches with some serious tire shake in test and tune. Cottrell would log his best pass of the weekend in his first-round loss to Pete Kaiser.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Frank Merenda and his uber-popular \u201959 Rambler Station Wagon \u201cHOMEWRECKER IV\u201d A\/Gas entry launches during the golden hour at Redding.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The Kaiser Family Racing team celebrates its big Top Fuel win at Redding. Kaiser\u2019s victory keeps his NHRA Heritage Top Fuel season championship title hopes alive.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Steve Faller and the Bad Moon Bantam put on a show for the fans all weekend, carrying wheels up after wheels up launches to claim the 7.0 Pro title.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Third-gen nitro ace Kyle Hough launches his family\u2019s Nanook Top Fueler. Hough\u2019s 6.30 would land him an all time best #3 qualifying spot on the ladder.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Two of NE1\u2019s heaviest hitters squared off in the second round, Hans Jakob (near) downed the current points leader Jason Barta (far) in his Ridge Route Terrors-esque Barta and Coburn entry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Dustin Lee in his \u201cHodepodge\u201d rail took top honors in NE1 cutting a killer .007 light in the final over Gabe Brown.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Jeff Arend took time off from his big show Funny Car duties to blast a half-dozen crowd-pleasing passes, logging a fantastic 5.72 in the process. The run would hold as the quickest by all entries of the weekend.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Blaine Neal landed No. 1 on the NE2 qualifying ladder with an on point and on the index 8.600.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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RJ Simrock and his Thunderbolt \u201967 Mustang outlasted the C\/Gas field with a stellar holeshot in the final cutting a .026 light for the win.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Brendan Murry has yet another great event at Redding\u2019s Thunder Under The LItes Top Fuel showdown and he downed Kyle Hough in round one with a 6.39. Murry used up some parts in the process and could not make the semifinal against Tyler Hilton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tyler Hilton and the Great Expectations III team dominated qualifying with A string of 5.80\u2019s, but in the final Tyler smoked the tires ending his weekend run.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Ken Parks and his 240Z took the victory in the highly competitive D\/Gas class.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The un-cola 7-Up entry of Chris Rea came up short in the C\/Gas final, the best final of the weekend, losing with a great 9.602 to RJ Simrock\u2019s 9.604.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tyler Hilton (near) and Pete Kaiser (far) square off in the Top Fuel final. Kaiser too the victory with a smart and steady 5.96 over Hilton\u2019s tire-smoking 6.32 at 253 MPH. After the pass, Hilton exploded a rear tire, hit the K-rail and crashed the GE3 entry. Hilton emerged unscathed; the baddest Top Fuel dragster on the planet for the last five years did not. The Hilton\u2019s vowed to return in time for the final race of the year, CHRR at Famoso.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Chris Robbins wowed the crowd with some epic wheelstands during Hot Rod qualifying at Thunder Under The Lites.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Tony Trimp, who also happens to be the owner of Redding Motorsports Park, ran a too-quick 6.94 to breakout in the 7.0 Pro final round, settling for the runner-up spot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Jim Spernak and the baddest \u201978 Pinto on the planet, War Horse, launch under the lights during C\/Gas competition.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Superman Bret Williamson won the West Coast Outlaw 2026 season championship with his runner-up show here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Brad Woodard and his 394 Chevy-powered dragster took the Jr. Fuel title win a final round bye.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This story was originally published on September 22, 2026. \"Drag<\/p>\n

The post Kaiser Family Racing Thunders to Top Fuel Victory at Redding<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Billed as the fifth annual Thunder Under the Lites, Redding Motorsports Park played host to the NHRA Heritage Series tour and the great American, one-day Top Fuel showdown. With nitro in the house and a smorgasbord of all nostalgia classes in the pits, thunder did indeed rule under the lights. The Top Fuel showdown lived […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104849\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}