1980 NHRA Winternationals

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The 1980 NHRA Winternationals (commonly known as the Winternats) were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California, on February 3. [1]

Contents

Top Fuel Dragster

Shirley Muldowney qualified her all-new (and later signature) pink digger $6, [2] at 5.90 seconds and 245 mph (394 km/h), and Connie Kalitta, who turned in a #1-qualifying 5.85 second pass. [3] The field also included Rance McDaniel (with a 5.85 second/249.30 mph (401.21 km/h) pass), John Kimble, Frank Bradley, Chris "The Greek" Karamesines, and Gary Beck; Don Garlits' 6.05/243.24 mph (391.46 km/h) pass was not good enough to qualify. [4]

Kalitta defeated former world champions in all three early rounds: Rob Bruins, who redlighted; Beck; and Richard Tharp.. [5] Muldowney faced #14 qualifier [6] Mark Oswald in round one, Dave Uyehara (qualified #10 [7] ) in round two, and #4-qualifier Kimble in round three. [8]

The event win went to Muldowney, who defeated Kalitta in the final, their fourth final round meeting in a row, and Muldowney's fourth win. [9] Muldowney's winning pass was 5.94 seconds at 247.25 mph (397.91 km/h), to Kalitta's 6.03/233.76 mph (376.20 km/h). [10]

Muldowney also claimed Low E.T.(5.83) and Top Speed (249.30 mph (401.21 km/h), tying McDaniel) of the meet for the class [11] Low qualifying e.t. paid Kalitta $1000 from 7-Up. [12]

Top Fuel Funny Car

Dale Pulde's War Eagle Dodge Challenger qualified #8, at 6.12/238 mph (383 km/h). [13] In round one, he defeated the Pontiac Firebird of Jim Dunn (qualified #10) [14] in round one, Hank Johnson in round two, and Kenny Bernstein, whose fueller got badly out of shape, in the semi-final. [15] (qualified

War Eagle suffered chassis cracking, which was repaired with the assistance of every other team in the class, just before the final round. [16]

In the final, Pulde faced off against Ron Colson, in Roland Leong's Hawaiian Dodge Omni, who qualified #11; [17] Colson was disqualified after crossing the centerline. [18] Pulde recorded a pass of 6.25 seconds at 238.72 mph (384.18 km/h). [19] War Eagle's chassis broke at the end of the winning pass. [20]

"240 Gordie" Bonin's #13-qualified [21] Firebird took top speed of the meet in class, with a pass of 245.23 mph (394.66 km/h), before hitting a safety net. [22] Low E.T. in class went to Kosty Ivanof's Chevrolet Corvette, at 6.05. [23] Low qualifying e.t. also paid Ivanof $1000 from 7-Up. [24]

Pro Stock

The event win went to Lee Shepherd, after Jim Meyer was eliminated in round one and gearbox trouble took out Bob Glidden in the second round and a broken chassis claimed Kevin Rotty in the semi-final. [25]

Rotty, in a 1980 Camaro owned by Jack Manchester, recorded Low E.T. and Top Speed in class, at 8.49 seconds and 161.57 mph (260.02 km/h). [26] Low e.t. earned Rotty $500 from 7-Up. [27]

Top Gas Eliminator

The newly-introduced class was won by Bob Tietz, topping a thirty-two car field; at the wheel of a Chevrolet-powered '23 Model T, he defeated Bruce Williams in the final round, with a pass of 9.88 seconds at 117 mph (188 km/h). [28]

Pro Comp

Pro Comp Eliminator was won by Brian Raymer's gas dragster, with a 6.67/207 mph (333 km/h) pass, defeating an unexpected finalist, Fred Hagen, in the BB/FC Darkhorse. [29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  2. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  3. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
  4. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
  5. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
  6. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  7. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  8. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  9. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.52-3.
  10. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  11. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  12. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  13. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  14. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  15. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  16. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.52-4.
  17. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  18. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.53 caption.
  19. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
  20. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
  21. ↑ Ultimateracinghistory (retrieved 9 November 2018)
  22. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.53 caption.
  23. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  24. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  25. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.
  26. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  27. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.55.
  28. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, pp.53 caption & 54.
  29. ↑ Wallace, Dave. "Shirley Wins the West!", in Hot Rod, April 1980, p.54.

Sources

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