2025 Funny Car Fever (Race 2 of 5)

025 Redding’s Funny Car Fever Event – The Heat Was On!

The Funny Car Fever event at Redding had seven CIFCA Funny Cars lining up and bringing the heat to the track! It was a weekend of blazing runs, jaw-dropping moments, and unbelievable close calls.

It all kicked off with Rick Alvarado absolutely crushing it, taking the System 1 #1 Qualifier spot with a sizzling 5.909. Tony Trimp and James Maher weren’t far behind, qualifying second and third respectively. Mark Tarabochia wasn’t just here to race—he owned the Mike’s Transmission Burnout Contest, then qualified fourth. Jess Gutierrez slid into the #5 spot, and Kenny Breneisen locked it down at #6. Eddy Lewis made the haul with the Family Traditions car but wasn’t able to complete his licensing runs.

But the real fireworks started when the final round of qualifying rolled around, which also happened to be the final round of the Kool April Drag! It was a showdown between Tony Trimp and James Maher. Trimp launched off the line first with a scorching .042 light—Maher was a step behind at .068. At the finish line, Maher took the stripe first, running a 5.874 on the 5.90 index—too quick! Trimp wasn’t far behind, running a 5.928, but if the reaction times had been even, Maher would’ve needed a perfect 5.900 to win. Talk about tight!

Eliminations – And The Madness Begins!

The first round kicked off with a nail-biter. Rick Alvarado left the line first with a .097, but Mark Tarabochia wasn’t far behind with a .135 light. Alvarado held the lead until the 990ft mark, when Tarabochia came storming by to steal the win. With a 5.925, he edged out Alvarado’s 5.967 by a razor-thin margin of .004 seconds. That’s how close it gets!

On the flip side, Tony Trimp was up against Jess Gutierrez in the Plastic Thunder funny car. Gutierrez brought his A-game with a blistering .010 light—unbelievable reaction time—and took home the Enderle Best Reaction Time Award for the weekend. But Trimp wasn’t going down without a fight, cutting a solid .032 light. At the stripe, it was all Trimp—5.974 to 6.335—pushing Rough-N-Ready Racing into the semifinals.

Meanwhile, James Maher faced off with Ken Breneisen in the KB Racing funny car. Breneisen got off the line first with a .065, but Maher wasn’t far behind at .079. Breneisen’s 5.817 was just too quick on the 5.90 index, sending Maher through with a 5.971 to take the win into the semis.

Semifinal Showdowns!

Tarabochia had a free pass with a bye run and just staged, hit the green, and shut it off. But the real show was Trimp vs. Maher. This race was wild!! Trimp launched first with a .050 light to Maher’s .083, and it was a drag race to the finish line. In a battle of speed and precision, Trimp held on for the win, edging Maher out by just .001 seconds! Trimp’s 5.952 defeated Maher’s 5.920 in one of the closest races of the weekend.

The Final Round – Under the Lights!

And then, it was time for the final round. The night was dark, the air was electric, and all eyes were on the last two cars standing: Tony Trimp and Mark Tarabochia. Trimp had already racked up two event wins, one in 7-0 Pro and another with the delayed Kool April Drag final, and now he was looking to make it a hat-trick.

Trimp staged first. Tarabochia revved up to 6000 RPM and rolled in second. The lights flashed, and Trimp was gone! A blistering .016 light to Tarabochia’s .167—the difference was clear from the start. At the finish line, Trimp crossed first with a 5.963, narrowly defeating Tarabochia’s 5.968.

Rough-N-Ready Racing did the impossible, winning three events in one weekend—including two major event victories! And for his stellar performance in the final, Tony Trimp also bagged the CP Carrillo’s Best Package Award with an .079 package!

That was an insane weekend! You couldn’t have asked for more action-packed drama—three wins in a single weekend? That’s the kind of performance that leaves everyone talking. Does this version amp up the excitement like you wanted?