Hilton, Westerfield, Seraphine Claim Nitro Wins at Firebird Nightfire; Williamson Rules Pro Mod

Firebird Raceway’s 55th Bi-Mart Nightfire Nationals delivers decisive wins for Shane Westerfield, Tyler Hilton, Brandon Seraphine, and Bret Williamson across two sweltering nights, capping intense nitro and Pro Mod battles.

The event honors a 55-year legacy that began when Twig Zeigler claimed the inaugural nitro crown, reinforcing Firebird’s status as a heritage cornerstone amid modern performance escalation.

Twenty-seven nitro entries contest Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Fuel Altered, with a dozen Pro Mods. Packed grandstands brave high-90s heat as night sessions concentrate grip and spectacle.

Westerfield sets the Funny Car benchmark with a 5.60 in Bardahl’s Camaro. Jerry Espeseth answers with 5.65, ahead of points leader Nathan Sitko at 5.69 and Eily Stafford on 5.73.

Westerfield’s 5.59 in round one signals intent, followed by measured wins over Todd Plate and Jon Capps. Sitko advances past Tony Jurado, carrying retro Pacemaker colors honoring Gordie Bonin.

Westerfield converts this time, sealing the Funny Car title with a controlled 5.77 over Sitko’s 6.01. It delivers his first NHRA Heritage Series victory of 2026.

The win checks Sitko’s momentum and validates Westerfield’s evening setup choices as track temperature falls, balancing clutch wear against lane selection strategy.

Top Fuel qualifying renews Hilton versus Kaiser. Hilton rebounds to secure No.1 with 5.68. Kaiser posts 5.77, while Gerald Hangey clocks 5.84 at 262 for Revolution’s statement.

Four-time Nightfire Funny Car champion Bobby Cottrell registers a Top Fuel best of 5.94 at 250, qualifying fourth and signaling growing cross-class capability.

Hangey eliminates Cottrell with a 5.80 at 263 but cannot repeat that pace against Hilton’s composed 5.74. The final turns when Kaiser breaks, leaving Hilton’s 5.78 at 256 unchallenged.

Hilton’s crew executes clean turnarounds after earlier setbacks, evidencing stable ignition and clutch baselines. Kaiser’s failure underscores reliability pressure in repeated hot-lap conditions.

Brandon Seraphine continues an undefeated 2026. He tops AA/FA qualifying with a corrected 6.01 index run, beats Rodney Flournoy, then advances to the final via a bye.

Vince Karstetter’s Cherry Picker runs 264 mph to qualify second and defeats two strong opponents, including champion Mathew Leonard. A red-light decides the final, handing Seraphine win number three.

Indexed racing rewards discipline more than outright pace. Seraphine’s consistency under index constraints continues to separate execution from headline speed.

Pro Mod again tilts toward Bret Williamson. He qualifies first, reaches a third consecutive final, and defeats Rich Fiechter after delivering weekend-low elapsed times in testing, qualifying, and eliminations.

Dennis Radford returns in a Bob Lambeck tribute entry, qualifying third and advancing on Sunday. Williamson’s streak echoes form shown at the Pro Mod Texas 2027 event.

The New family again stages packed night shows with efficient turnarounds under the lights. Fans fill grandstands and pits, sustaining momentum despite conditions that test equipment and crews.

Austin “Double A” Arnerich debuts the Davis Motorsports dragster, recording a tidy 6.00. Jon Capps upsets Eily Stafford, then narrowly drops a pedal battle in the semi-finals.

Second-generation racer Travis Shumake steers a striking tribute Firebird in Loper’s style. Firebird’s night-racing tradition mirrors major showcases like the Northern Nationals Midwest.

The event’s cadence and parity reflect a broader resurgence across the sport, comparable to patterns evident at the 2026 PDRA Throwdown.

Hilton, Westerfield, Seraphine, and Williamson leave with momentum, reinforcing Firebird as a nexus where nitro heritage meets progression. The platform for 2027 now looks set and competitive.

Visual Summary

James William

James William covers the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, from the Rolex 24 at Daytona to sprint-race formats. His reports include prototype performance reviews, GT class battles, and pit-stop strategy insights for endurance-racing fans.