 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for sports and athletics .(June 2023) |
| National Hot Rod Association | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Auto Club Raceway |
| Location | Pomona, California |
The 1968 NHRA Winternationals (commonly known as the Winternats) were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California on 4 February. [1]
Top Fuel hosted several well-known racers, including Don "Big Daddy" Garlits (in Swamp Rat XIIA , Jerry "King" Ruth, Tom "Mongoo$e" McEwen (who qualified #2), Mike Snively (who qualified a Roland Leong-owned fueller #3), Don "The Snake" Prudhomme (1965 champion), and 1966 champion Mike Snively. [2]
Jim Warren, who qualified #4, eliminated #20 qualifier "King" Ruth. [3]
Bob Downey lost to Warren. [4]
Conrad "Connie' Kalitta, #27 qualifier, was overcome by Ron Rolsted, and #24-qualifier Garlits fell to Warren. [5]
Rolsted was eliminated by Dwight Salisbury (in the Rocky Childs car), while Dave Beebe lost to Warren. [6]
Warren defeated Salisbury, taking home a US$12,500 prize. [7]
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
The Altered class win went to William "Wild Willie" Borsch, at the wheel of the AA/FA Winged Express. [8]
In Top Gas, eventual winner Gordon Collett qualified #16. On the way to his win, he eliminated Gary Cochran, Rico Paris, and Norm Wilcox, before meeting Jack Jones in the final. The win earned Collett a US$8000 prize. [9] It was Collett's third class win in a row at Pomona. [10]
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
The 1968 Winter Nationals Super Stock final was a match-up between Dave Wren driving his old school 1963 Plymouth Savoy vs. Al Joniec in his 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet. When Dave Wren triggered the red light at the start, the Title went to Joniec and his Mustang, clocking an ET of 11.56 at 120.64 mph. This was the first National win for the Ford Drag Team's new 428 Cobra Jet Mustang.
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
Shirley Muldowney, also known professionally as "Cha Cha" and the "First Lady of Drag Racing", is an American auto racer. She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to drive a Top Fuel dragster. She won the NHRA Top Fuel championship in 1977, 1980, and 1982, becoming the first person to win two and three Top Fuel titles. She won a total of 18 NHRA national events.
Bruce Larson (1937) is an American retired drag racer from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He became nationally known for his match races. He quit funny Car racing in 1972 after a bad fire and raced in the Pro Stock class for 2 years. He then returned to the Funny Car class and match racing until 1987 where he fought his way to the NHRA Funny Car Championship in 1989.He led the points chase from start to finish collecting 6 National Event wins, 5 runner ups and the Car Craft Funny Car Driver of the Year award. That championship car is now one of only 2 drag race cars in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, the other being Don Garlits' rear engine dragster. He was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2006. Larson is remembered for his red, white, and blue USA-1 Chevrolet Camaros
Chris Karamesines is an American drag racer and one of NHRA's early pioneers and nicknamed "The Golden Greek" or just simply "Greek". In 2009, he became the first driver in NHRA history to compete and become the fastest driver at over 78 years old at the final event of the 2009 season at Pomona driving in the Top Fuel category. But he would lose in the first round against Brandon Bernstein. The following year, he made an attempt at Firebird International Raceway in Arizona and made the field, but again lost in the first round. Karamesines would break his own record in 2018 at Brainerd Raceway, running a 305-mile per hour pass at 86 years old.
Dave Strickler was an American drag racer during the 1960s.
The NHRA Winternationals are an annual drag racing event held by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.
Shirley Shahan is a pioneering American woman drag racer.
The 1971 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Pomona, California on 7 February.
The 1978 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, on 5 February; rain halted eliminations after round one was complete. Racing resumed on 13 February, only to have an unusual snow storm interrupt again; the final was held on 14 February.
The 1962 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California on 18 February.
The 1969 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Pomona, California on 2 February.
Carl Olson is an American Top Fuel Dragster driver.
The 1963 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event held at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California on February 17, 1963.
Lew Russell Robinson, nicknamed "Sneaky Pete", was an American drag racer.
Gaspar Ronda, better known as Gas Ronda, was an American drag racer. He was also a restaurateur. In 2016, Ronda was made a member of the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
The 1980 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, on February 3.
The 1964 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California on 16 February.
The 1967 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California on 5 February.
Jim Warren is an American Top Fuel Dragster driver. He won two National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and two American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) national events.
The 1987 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California on 1 February.
Dale Emery, nicknamed "The Snail", was an American drag racer. Emery raced Fuel Altereds and Funny Cars, and briefly in wheelstanders, as well as serving as crew chief for several top teams.