2026 Battle at the Beach (Race #3 of 5)

Samoa Dragstrip – Eureka, California

The California Independent Funny Car Association (CIFCA) brought nine alcohol-burning Funny Cars to Samoa Dragstrip for the 10th Running of the Battle at the Beach.

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A huge thank you goes to Eureka Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram FIAT for serving as the event sponsor. Their continued support helps make events like this possible. We'd also like to thank the Bryan Racing and Little Mighty Mouse teams for displaying their cars during Friday's car show and representing the sport so well.

This year's event featured a 7.50-second index over the quarter mile, with each team receiving two qualifying attempts. Following qualifying, the top four qualifiers advanced to a semifinal ladder, with the No. 1 qualifier facing No. 3 and No. 2 facing No. 4. Simply making the top four became the primary objective heading into eliminations.

Unfortunately, Friday night's Test & Tune was canceled due to weather, so all of the action began Saturday at noon with the opening qualifying session.

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Qualifying Round One

The first pair down the track featured Jim Maher and Rick Alvarado. It was Alvarado's first pass down Samoa Dragstrip with his newly-bodied 37 Topolino Funny Car, but approximately 800 feet into the run the car became unsettled and moved around the track. Fortunately, Rick kept it off both the centerline and the wall before wisely aborting the run, coasting to an 8.12. Jim Maher made a solid opening pass with a 7.643 on the 7.50 index.

Next came James Maher and Kevin Sarginson. James laid down a 7.487, just under the index, while Sarginson cut the Enderle Best Reaction Time of the weekend with an impressive .011 light. However, his car launched hard to the right, forcing him to pedal the throttle before recovering for a 7.842. Chris Bates, driving Ryan Smith's Plastic Thunder for the team's first outing of the season with a fresh engine, lined up against Todd Ross. Ross shut off early due to engine issues, while Bates was much too quick with a 7.033, despite pedaling the car immediately after launch. At the top end, Bates filled the puke tank, dropping oil on the track and creating a brief cleanup delay.

The next matchup featured Shaun Bryan and Rick Nicholas in the Outta Time Funny Car. Unfortunately, the team forgot to install the wheelie bar before staging. As soon as the car launched, it carried into a violent wheelstand before coming down hard, breaking the left front suspension arm and sending the car into the left wall. Thankfully Rick walked away uninjured aside from a bruised ego, although the car sustained significant damage. The team is already planning to have the car repaired in time for the season finale. Bryan made a respectable pass before aborting on the top end, coasting to an 8.24.

The final pass of the session belonged to Harvey Williams' Rough-N-Ready Mustang, with Joey Cuddle making his first Funny Car pass. Unfortunately, the engine shut off shortly after launch, preventing the team from completing the run.

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Qualifying Round Two

The second qualifying session began with an unusual delay as the Christmas Tree failed to activate for Shaun Bryan and Jim Maher. Both cars were shut off and pushed back to run later in the session.

James Maher and Kevin Sarginson met once again, this time in opposite lanes. Sarginson again fought the car to the right and had to pedal the throttle, while James recorded a 7.619, securing the System 1 No. 1 Qualifier Award. Sarginson improved slightly with a 7.806, but narrowly missed the semifinal field by qualifying fifth.

Bryan and Jim Maher were next, putting on one of the best qualifying races. Bryan posted a .061 reaction time to Jim's .065, while Jim's 7.643 narrowly edged Bryan's 7.646.

Rick Alvarado then squared off against Chris Bates. Bates thrilled the fans by capturing the Mike's Transmission Burnout Contest, while Alvarado made an excellent qualifying pass of 7.641, earning the No. 2 qualifying position. Bates again dipped well under the index with a 7.297.

The final pass of qualifying featured Joey Caudle, whose run ended when the car contacted the left wall, resulting in a disqualification.

Final Qualifying Order

Position	Driver	Best ET
1	James Maher	7.619
2	Rick Alvarado	7.641
3	Jim Maher	7.643
4	Shaun Bryan	7.646
5	Kevin Sarginson	7.806
6	Chris Bates	7.297* (Corrected Index ET: 7.903)
—	Todd Ross	No Time
—	Rick Nicholas	No Time
—	Harvey Williams	No Time

Eliminations

The opening semifinal featured a rematch of last month's Redding final between Jim Maher and James Maher.

James left first with an outstanding .026 reaction time compared to Jim's .111. At the finish line, James collected the win with a 7.576 at 159 mph, while Jim crossed with a 7.684 at 166 mph.

The opposite side of the ladder paired Rick Alvarado against Shaun Bryan.

Bryan gained the starting line advantage with a .093 light to Alvarado's .124. Mid-track, Alvarado's car became violently unsettled, first lifting onto the left-side wheels before transferring onto the right-side wheels. Thanks to quick corrections—and perhaps a little help from the headers keeping the car upright—Rick avoided both the wall and the timing cones in one of the wildest rides of the weekend. Bryan advanced to the final with a 7.627 at 167 mph, while Alvarado recovered to a 7.794 at 152 mph. The rough ride also damaged the right-front fender, which was visibly flapping in the wind by the finish line.

The Final

The championship round featured a rematch of last year's Battle at the Beach final between James Maher and Shaun Bryan. With temperatures falling to 58 degrees and an air density of approximately 50 feet, conditions were nearly ideal as the two Funny Cars rolled into the beams around 7:20 p.m. Bryan staged first, followed by James.

When the Tree flashed green, James was nearly perfect with a .013 reaction time. Bryan was late on the starting line with a .325, effectively deciding the race before the cars reached half-track. James clicked the throttle early and cruised to a winning 7.591, while Bryan coasted to an 8.518 after recognizing the race had already been decided.

For the second consecutive year, James Maher and the Junior Vibes team captured the coveted Battle at the Beach Woody Trophy, continuing their winning streak at Samoa Dragstrip.

The CIFCA season now heads south for the next event at Famoso Dragstrip in Bakersfield, California, this August, where teams will battle once again as the championship chase continues.