Photo by Lynn Wineland Archive,...
Photo by Lynn Wineland Archive, www.quartermilestones.com
The season-opening Winternationals race has always been something drag racers and fans have looked forward to. After a start in Florida in 1960, the event was transferred to NHRA's own backyard, the Pomona County Fairgrounds in that locale's namesake town in the Southern California basin. This annual event has seen its share of thrills and spills over the years. With Pro qualifying underway today, we though we would reflect on just how Mopars have fared over the years....
Four straight Stock crowns and more
In the era when Stock Eliminator still consisted of Super/Stock and other factory door cars, both Dodge and Plymouth made a lot of noise, especially between 1963 and 1966, at the height of factory involvement, when they shut out the other guys every year. In '63, it was Al Eckstrand piloting the Ramchargers car during his association as their driver; it would be his final race with them as well, though he went on to field his own Lawman entries soon afterward. 1964 saw Tommy Grove and one of the fastest cars in the nation, the Melrose Missile, shutting down all comers in his Max Wedge Plymouth. The year 1965 was a unique one in Mopar and drag racing history - engine builder and tuner Bill Jenkins borrowed customer Doc Burgess' new A990 'Black Arrow' Plymouth and proceeded to march through Mr. Stock Eliminator like Sherman through Georgia. When that effort didn't result in a factory sponsorship...well, you know what happened. Finally, in 1966, with TV cameras rolling, Plymouth made history the third year in a row, this time when Shirley Shahan tromped the field to become the first female to win an NHRA eliminator crown....and that was not the end of it, either. Mopars took the Stock or Super Stock crown (or both) in 1969 - Mark Coletti S and Don Grotheer SS, '71 - Dave Beortman S, '72 - Judy Lilly SS,'77 - Dave Beortman SS, '81 - Bill Bushmaker S, '82 - Greg Smith SS, '83 - Bob Lambeck S, '85 - Bob Elliott S, '86 - Bill Bushmaker S, '89 - Al Corda S, '91 - Bill Bushmaker (in a third different car!) S, '92 - Gary Sutton SS, '95 - Chuck Rayburn S, and so on. Unfortunately, the more recent NHRA media guides no longer give the makes used by the winners, but we see Don Little and others as we
The Pro Stock Hometown Disadvantage
You would think the birth of Pro Stock would have seen some of the big-name SoCal Mopar drivers triumphant, but it was not to be. The late Dick Landy had won at Pomona in 1969 and 1970 driving Dodges in Modified, but a Pro Stock crown was not to be. Butch Leal did win in the 1980s, but he was driving for Brand X at the time. Indeed, other than Ronnie Sox' expected '71 crown and Bill Glidden's surprise victory in his one-year-wonder Arrow in 1979, Pro Stock wins eluded Chrysler at this event until the Wayne County era, when Darrell Alderman posted wins in 1991 and 1995. Nonetheless, returning driver Jeg Coughlin has one of the best records at this racetrack. In 27 career appearances at Auto Club Pomona Raceway, which is also the site of the season-ending Auto Club Finals, Jeg has a round win record of 48-20 in Pro Stock competition. During his career, Jeg Jr has raced in 12 final rounds in Pomona, claiming six victories. Allen Johnson, of course, continues as well, and showed he was ready for 2012 when test driver Richie Stevens turned in a run of 6.466-seconds at 212.51 mph in Bradenton, Fla. in January. The current official NHRA Pro Stock record is 6.477-seconds, making this one of the quickest unofficial runs in NHRA history; Johnson is returning after off-season surgery to his right bicep.
Photo by Lynn Wineland Archive,...
Photo by Lynn Wineland Archive, www.quartermilestones.com
While all Top Fuel and Funny Car entries use Hemi-derived technology, we can go back to the very start of the breed to see them in action at Pomona. Leal and Landy made an exhibition run in their yet-to-be-painted altered-wheelbase cars during the 'longest day,' the 1965 Winternationals, which were held on a single Sunday following rain issues. Gene Snow took his new Dart to the Comp crown in 1968, and Larry Reyes backed up his spectacular wreck at this event in 1969 driving Roland Leong's Hawaiian Charger with a victory in the reconstructed version in 1970; Leong would claim victory a second time in 1971 with Butch Maas on the loud pedal. 1972 and 1973 were won by Ed 'the Ace' McColluch's Demon and Don 'The Shoe' Schumacher's 'Cuda, respectively. It was again back to back in 1977 and '78 when Don Prudhomme sheathed the Snake 'Army' entry in Arrow skin. Dale Pulde's War Eagle with a Challenger shell won in 1980, the Al Segrini did it in '82 with an Omni, followed the next year by eventual World Champ Frank Hawley in the Chi-Town Hustler Charger. Segrini was back in '85 with a Daytona, posting a graphic sunset win as the clutch disintegrated in the lights. Jim Epler and K.C. Spurlock won in 1992 and 1994 in Daytonas as well. Then we end up stretching all the way to 2007, when Gary Scelzi won this race in the new-generation Charger; Ron Capps, who was also with the redeployed Mopar funny car army of Don Schumacher Racing, took the crown in 2008, and that team has consistently gone rounds at this track, either at this event or the season-ending World Finals. World Champion Matt Hagan is the record-holder at 4.009 seconds on the 1,000 foot pro fuel course.
And A Final Note...
In my opinion, the most exciting news of the offseason was not NHRA related, but rather from the ADRL (American Drag Racing League), who is creating a heads-up class for the Challenger / Mustang / Camaro late model supercars. We'll address this one soon...
Want to follow Pomona as it unfolds? We recommend the Summit sponsored www.dragracecentral.com, which updates round by round. Check your local listings or www.NHRA.com for television coverage of the 52nd Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries.