NHRA Winternationals
National Hot Rod Association | |
---|---|
Venue | Auto Club Raceway |
Location | Pomona, California, U.S. |
First race | 1961 |
Circuit information | |
Length | 1⁄4 mi (0.40 km) |
The NHRA Winternationals (commonly called the Winternats) are an annual drag racing event held by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.
In 1962, under pressure from Peggy Hart (wife of track owner "Pappy" Hart) and Mickey Thompson, as well as fellow racers Shirley Shahan and Roberta Leighton, Carol Cox was the first woman allowed to race at an NHRA national event.[1] Cox drove a 1961 Pontiac Ventura with a 348 cu in (5,700 cc) V8, which was driven (not trailered) to Pomona.[2] Cox won the title in S/SA, making her the first woman ever to take a win at an NHRA national event; the 9 March 1962 issue of National Dragster recorded her as a "crowd favorite", with a winning pass of 13.06 seconds at 107.65 mph (173.25 km/h), but says nothing about it being a first for a woman, dismissively calling her a "'powder puff' handler".[3] Some racers believe a class win is more difficult to achieve than a handicap (eliminator) win.[4]
At the 1966 event, Shahan was the first woman to claim a national event eliminator crown, by taking Stock Eliminator.[5] The win put her on the cover of National Dragster'.[6]
NHRA debuted the new Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) class at the Winternationals in 1969; Funny Car Eliminator (FCE) would be won by Clare Sanders, teammate of "Jungle Jim" Liberman.[7]
In 1970, Top Fuel Eliminator (quickset fuel car of the meet, digger or flopper) went to Larry Dixon,
The AA/FC winner was the 1970 Dodge Charger, Hawaiian, of Larry Reyes (driving for Roland Leong). Barrie Poole became the first Canadian to win an NHRA national event, taking the 1970 Super Stock title.[8]
The Funny Car Eliminator title at the 1971 Winternats would go to Leong's Hawaiian.[9] with Butch Maas at the wheel.[10] Don Garlits' novel rear-engined dragster appeared at the Winternats that year, qualifying with 6.8; his best time of the meet was a 6.70, over Jim Dunn's 7.58, in the semi-final: Garlits would win, when Kenny Safford broke in the final.[11] The last Top Gas Eliminator crown, before NHRA abolished the class, went to Walt Stevens, at the wheel of Ken Theiss' twin-engined Odd Couple TG/D.[12] The year's award for Best Engineered Car went to Jim Busby, with a dragster powered by a pair of injected 255 cu in (4,179 cc) DOHC Ford Indy V8 engines.[13] (Hank Westmoreland failed to qualify the car, and it never ran again.[14]) Canadian Barrie Poole repeated his 1970 Winternats win in Super Stock, in a Sandy Elliot Mustang.[15] Don Enriquez (in Gene Adams' A/FD) won Competition Eliminator, turning in a pass of 7.34 at 199 mph (320 km/h), quicker and faster than Steve Woods' hemi-engined BB/Gas Ford Anglia; the field also included twin-engine straight-six-cylinder-powered D/Ds, and AA/FAs.[16]
The 1971 meet was marred by the death of "Sneaky Pete" Robinson, who wrecked his TF/D in qualifying, with a 6.77 pass.[17]
Altereds were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s, at the 1977 Winternationals, more than 75 drivers contested for the Comp Eliminator title.[18] Among them was Ed Prout, who brought his A/Altered from Connecticut.[19]
NHRA introduced a significant change to the Christmas tree, LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs, at Pomona in 2003.[20]
At Pomona in 2014, Alexis DeJoria became the first woman ever to make a sub-four second pass, with a 3.997-second e.t.[citation needed]
In 2018, Top Fuel Dragster went to Doug Kalitta, Top fuel Funny Car to Matt Hagan, and Pro Stock to Bo Butner.
In 2021, the Winternationals will be moved to April as part of an effort to alter the start of the season because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The NHRA will move the Gatornationals to the season opening slot.
Past class winners
Notes
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018): text and photo.
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
- ^ McClurg, Bob. "50 Years of Funny Cars: Part 2" in Drag Racer, November 2016, pp.42 and p.44 caption.
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ McClurg, p.46 caption.
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 18 September 2018)
- ^ Kommel, Dave. "Gallery: The Best of 1970s Drag Racing", written 25 April 2017, at Hot Rod Network (retrieved 22 May 2017)
- ^ McClurg, Bob. "Pure Heaven: The Life and Fast Times of Fuel Altered Pioneer Leon Fitzgerald", written 14 March 2017, at Hot Rod Network (retrieved 22 May 2017)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "A Christmas (Tree) Story", at NHRA.com (retrieved 22 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 24 September 2018)
- ^ Jodauga, John. "Greatest Races: 1961 Winternationals", at NHRA.net (retrieved 24 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Carol Cox: NHRA's first class winner", written 4 May 2018, at NHRA.com (retrieved 16 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1963(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1965(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Danica who? What about Shirley ... and Shirley? And Judi. And Judy?", written 21 April 2008, at NHRA.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Burgess, Phil, National Dragster editor. "Danica who? What about Shirley ... and Shirley? And Judi. And Judy?", written 21 April 2008, at NHRA.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1966(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1967(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1967(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1967(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1968(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1968(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1968(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net 1968(retrieved 5 December 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 20 September 2018)
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- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 24 September 2018)
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- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ NHRA.net (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 29 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
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- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
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- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Drag Race Canada.com (retrieved 20 September 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)
- ^ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 3 October 2018)