This was quite the weekend for Nostalgia Top Fuel driver Mendy Fry.

Prior to even competing at the 2018 California Hot Rod Reunion presented by Automobile Club of Southern California, she was crowned the NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Drag Racing Series champion for the first time.

That, however, didn’t keep Fry from putting her best foot forward at the Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield this weekend.

Fry mowed through the competition, culminating with her defeating Rick McGee in the finals.

Fry clocked a 5.610-second elapsed time at 259.36 mph to edge McGee’s 5.749-second run at 256.50 mph.

“As the season progressed, we knew we had the car to beat pretty much every time,” Fry said. “It just started unfolding that way and it has just been an amazing season. I can’t say enough about my team. They are so amazing. They give me the car that everyone else has to chase.”

Fry acknowledged winning the series championship was the focus for her and her team from race one in 2018.

“It was a huge motivation (to win the championship),” Fry said. “We finished second the year before and that was my first year with the team and I lost a race or two for us and we just got through it. It was a huge motivator over the winter to try and sort my stuff out because I knew they were going to have the car. The driver can only make the car slower and I didn’t want to do that this year.”

On Sunday, Fry started from the No. 1 qualifying spot with a 5.600-second elapsed time at 231.44 mph in the eight-car field. Then, she beat Tyler Hilton, Pete Wittenberg and McGee.

Despite her season success, Fry wasn’t grounded by superstitions.

“I just wanted to make sure I was consistent and did my job and like I said, the way they have the car running right now, a trained monkey could drive it and I’m just glad I’m the monkey they picked.”

As for next season, Fry knows nothing will handed to her team.

“Well look, there’s a target on our back,” Fry said. “Everybody is improving, and everybody is gunning for us. We know we have to bring game and we know that it is not going to be easy. We have to do what we do and do it better. That’s the motivator to put the No. 1 back on our car.”

Being a star in the Nostalgia ranks is something Fry is at peace with.

“I wouldn’t mind putting my foot down in a Top Fuel car,” Fry said. “It would great to do a race or two, but honestly this is where I belong. I have no desire to make that my living and love the fact that I can come here and compete for a championship and focus on that. I will not say no to going down the track in one of those cars. I would love to see what that feels like, honestly.”

With her latest prestigious victory under her belt, Fry took a moment to talk about what she would like her legacy to be.

“I want people to remember me as a racer,” Fry said. “Not necessarily a female racer, but a racer. One that worked really hard and drove a lot of cars to get the opportunity to get the right car. That’s what I want to be remembered by.”