Top Gun racing is this weekend

All the testing and tuning in April and May will be put to the test at the Top Gun Raceway 14 miles south of Fallon.

One of the biggest events of the drag racing season takes place Saturday, and it features many classes including funny cars, nitro fuel altereds, diesel trucks, a jet show and a burnout contest.

Gates open at 9 a.m. with a full day of activities planned before the evening show. The West Coast Top Sportsman (WCTS) class, the funny cars and diesel trucks will run at 2 p.m. and 4. Bracket car eliminations at 5 p.m. The actual show begins one hour later. Top Gun is located 14 miles south of Fallon.

There will also be a test and tune today beginning at 5 p.m. for racers wishing to fine tune their vehicles before Saturday's extravaganza.

Admission for the event is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, $3 for kids ages 6 to 12, and free for kids five and under.

Rolling Thunder, Canada's only jet funny car, will be on display today at Stockman's Casino. Brad Janishewski drives the 2003 Honda Civic and is the first and only licensed jet funny car driver in Canada. He also drove alcohol and nitro funny cars in the 1980s.

According to Top Gun treasurer Bart Hiatt, Saturday's event will attract many fans like in years past.

"It's good show for the kids," Hiatt said. "They like to see these flames shooting out there."

Hiatt said more than 80 drag racers will be competing along with junior dragsters, super pro, pro, sportsman and high school categories.

Track record holder Ricky Ruiz of Reno will race against Randy Eakins of Carson City in a special event where both will race under five seconds at 240 mph.

Saturday's event is part of the NHRA Summit Racing Series and is sponsored by Cashman Equipment, Berry Hinkley Industries, Silver State International, Truck Parts & Equipment and Worthern Kenworth.

Later in the racing season, Top Gun Raceway will host one of the biggest event in northern Nevada drag racing history with the NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional No. 1 Sept. 8-11.

Hiatt said Top Gun signed a three-year contract for the event, which was held in Sacramento for two years before moving to Fallon.

"It'll be the quickest and largest drag racing event in northern Nevada history," Hiatt said.

Hiatt expects more than 500 cars to compete in the September racing weekend, but he said less than 10 Fallon racers will participate.

The divisional covers California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Hawaii.

"Fallon has a friendly atmosphere and more safe and better conditions," Hiatt said. "It was real fortunate we've been able to put it together."