BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Nitro will once again shake the historic Famoso Dragstrip when the California Hot Rod Reunion returns Oct. 23–25 for three days of nostalgia drag racing featuring 17 different classes of competition.
Presented by Good Vibrations Motorsports and featuring Nitro Revival, the 2026 edition will bring together everything from nitro-burning machines and Pro Mods to gassers, altereds and a variety of cars representing different eras of drag racing.
Leading the charge will be Top Fuel Dragsters, Funny Cars and AA/Fuel Altereds, bringing the flames, thunder and unmistakable sound of nitromethane back to Famoso’s quarter-mile.
The West Coast Outlaw Pro Mod Association will also return, adding its brand of high-horsepower doorslammer racing to the weekend. NHRA Heritage Series Group 1 and Group 2 competitors will be part of the program, along with the popular A/FX class.
Following its successful debut at the 2025 California Hot Rod Reunion, the California Independent Funny Car Association (CIFCA) will return to Famoso in 2026.
The Outlaw Gasser Association will add another dose of old-school drag racing to the weekend with smoky burnouts and wheels-up exhibition runs.
With 17 classes scheduled to take part, fans will see a wide variety of machinery throughout the three-day event, but competition on the dragstrip is only part of the California Hot Rod Reunion experience.
Every event ticket serves as an all-access pass, allowing fans into the pits as well as the Car Show, Vendor Midway and Swap Meet. The open access gives spectators an opportunity to get close to the race cars and drivers while taking in the history and culture surrounding one of the West Coast’s signature nostalgia drag racing events.
When the California Hot Rod Reunion returns Oct. 23–25, Famoso Dragstrip will once again become a gathering place for generations of drag racing — with plenty of nitro providing the soundtrack.
