PROLONG SUPER LUBRICANTS RETURNS TO 43RD ANNUAL NIGHTFIRE EVENT IN BOISE-BAKERSFIELD BLITZ
POMONA, CA – Decades after the inaugural event forever changed racing in the region, the 43rd annual Pepsi Night fire Nationals 
returned to western Idaho’s Firebird Raceway as part of the storied Boise-Bakersfield Blitz, supported by the Prolong Super Lubricants line of Nitro Racing Oil. Once again, the series set the bar for excitement in nostalgic AA Nitro Funny Car racing, as the event culminated in a four-way battle for the series championship.
Racers Dan Horan, Jr. and Robert Overholser are now tied for first place, a mere two points ahead of tied second-place racers Richard Townsend and Roger Garten, as the four-race series continues on to its final race at Auto Club Famoso in Bakersfield, Calif. Horan’s hard-charging 5.851-second elapsed time at 249.37 miles per hour proved the fastest time of the event.
“This sport is a playground for drag racers to compete as equals,” said Scott New, owner of Firebird Raceway. “Our sport is not split between senior racers and young timers, either. The real equalizer is the crew chief and how the motors perform. It’s fascinating to see the complexities of what these teams have put together.”
Roger Garten raced in the series heyday in the 1970s, and continues to campaign his War Horse dragster today. Twig Zeigler competed in the inaugural Nightfire event, and continues to field a team with a new driver in a vehicle that looks strikingly similar to the Plymouth Satellite he raced over 40 years ago.
“These cars step back in time in terms of appearance, but they have all the modern safety gear,” said New. “They’ll run fives at over 250 miles per hour. Oh a cool day, when they’re really hooking, they’ll launch from the line with their wheels in the air.”
The Boise-Bakersfield Blitz series-end champion receives approximately $4,500 in prizes and cash, which includes $1,500 of Prolong 70 weight Nitro Racing Oil, a 55-gallon drum of nitromethane and a winner’s jacket. The runner-up in the series will receive approximately $1,600 in cash, prizes and gift certificates including a 55-gallon drum of nitromethane.
Points are earned based upon funny car qualifying positions and attending all Blitz events. The last race of the series will be held on Sept. 6 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway during Saturday Night Nitro.
Keeping engines and bearings well lubricated through harsh runs during the Boise-Bakersfield Blitz are Prolong Super Lubricants products, which are formulated with the company’s advanced Anti-Friction Metal Treatment(tm) (AFMT) technology. AFMT meets the demands of high-displacement, high horsepower, high-RPM engines in today’s drag cars.
Prolong’s Nitro Racing Oil is highly polar and oxidation stable to guard the engine against burning, high temperature sludge and varnish deposits and boasts effective detergent dispersants and corrosion inhibitors to keep engine parts clean and free of sludge, varnish and rust.
