NHRA Summernationals

The NHRA Summernationals, hosted by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), was an annual drag racing event held from 1970 to 1992, 2002 to 2017 and again in 2020, mostly at the Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in New Jersey.

History

The first Summernationals was held near York, Pennsylvania in July 1970, at the York U.S. 30 Dragway. ^[1] Subsequent events began to be hosted at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park outside Englishtown, New Jersey.

"Dyno" Don Nicholson secured Ford's first pro stock win in his Maverick at the 1971 Summernationals. ^[2]

"Dandy" Dick Landy made his second, and last, final-round appearance at the 1972 event, where he lost to "Grumpy" Bill Jenkins. ^[1]

"Jungle Jim" Liberman is notable for performing a wheelstand in his Chevrolet Vega Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC) in 1974 and securing his sole NHRA national event win in 1975. ^[3]

The 1978 Summernationals saw Bob Glidden take the pro stock win in his Fairmont, ^[4] with Denny Savage winning the TF/FC title and ''The Ace" Ed McCulloch as runner-up. ^[5]

For the 1993 season, the event in Englishtown was moved from July to May and renamed the Mopar Parts Nationals. ^[6] The NHRA did not hold an event bearing the Summernationals name until it returned in 2002 at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas. ^[6]

Summernationals events were held in Topeka until 2012; the event returned to Englishtown in 2013. ^[6]

Old Bridge Township Raceway Park ceased all operations in 2018, and as a result the Summernationals event originally scheduled for 2018 was cancelled and replaced by the Virginia NHRA Nationals, hosted at Virginia Motorsports Park outside Petersburg, Virginia. ^[7]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHRA revived the Summernationals with the Lucas Oil NHRA Summernationals at Indianapolis, which was held Jun 18-19, 2020 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis. ^[6] The final rounds of the event were postposed due to rain and completed at the 2020 U.S. Nationals event. ^[8]

Winners

Year	Location	Top Fuel Dragster (TF/D)	Top Fuel Funny Car (TF/FC)	Pro Stock	Pro Stock Motorcycle	Source
1970	York	Pete Robinson	Gene Snow	Dick Landy		[9]
1971	Englishtown	Arnie Behling	Leonard Hughes	Don Nicholson		[10]
1972		Jeb Allen	Don Schumacher	Bill Jenkins		[10]
1973		Clayton Harris	Leroy Goldstein	Bill Jenkins		[10]
1974		Dale Funk	Al Segrini	Larry Lombardo		[10]
1975		Jim Bucher	Jim Liberman	Wayne Gapp		[10]
1976		Richard Tharp	Don Prudhomme	Larry Lombardo		[10]
1977		Shirley Muldowney	Don Prudhomme	Larry Lombardo		[10]
1978		Jeb Allen	Denny Savage	Bob Glidden		[10]
1979		Jeb Allen	Raymond Beadle	Frank Iaconio		[10]
1980		Dick LaHaie	Don Prudhomme	Lee Shepherd		[10]
1981		Gary Beck	Don Prudhomme	Lee Shepherd		[10]
1982		Mark Oswald	Don Prudhomme	Warren Johnson		[10]
1983		Joe Amato	Mark Oswald	Frank Iaconio		[10]
1984		Frank Bradley	Raymond Beadle	Bob Glidden		[10]
1985		Don Garlits	Kenny Bernstein	Bruce Allen		[10]
1986		Darrell Gwynn	Kenny Bernstein	Warren Johnson		[10]
1987		Gary Ormsby	Kenny Bernstein	Jerry Eckman	David Schultz	[11]
1988		Joe Amato	Don Prudhomme	Bob Glidden	Russell Nyberg	[12]
1989		Dick LaHaie	Kenny Bernstein	Bruce Allen		[13]
1990		Gary Ormsby	Chuck Etchells	Darrell Alderman		[14]
1991		Tom McEwen	Del Worsham	Darrell Alderman		[15]
1992		Joe Amato	Chuck Etchells	Warren Johnson		[16] [17] [18]
2002	Topeka	Darrell Russell	Tony Pedregon	Troy Coughlin	N/A	[19]
2003		Larry Dixon	Tony Pedregon	Greg Anderson	N/A	[20]
2004		Brandon Bernstein	Whit Bazemore	Greg Anderson	N/A	[21]
2005		David Grubnic	John Force	Greg Anderson	N/A	[22]
2006		Doug Kalitta	Ron Capps	Dave Connolly	N/A	[22]
2007		Brandon Bernstein	Mike Ashley	Greg Anderson	N/A	[22]
2008		Hillary Will	John Force	Ron Krisher	N/A	[22]
2009		Larry Dixon	Ron Capps	Allen Johnson	N/A	[22]
2010		Tony Schumacher	Robert Hight	Mike Edwards	N/A	[22]
2011		Spencer Massey	Robert Hight	Shane Gray	N/A	[22]
2012		David Grubnic	Jack Beckman	Allen Johnson	N/A	[22]
2013	Englishtown	Shawn Langdon	Matt Hagan	Mike Edwards	Michael Ray	[10]
2014		Richie Crampton	Cruz Pedregon	Jeg Coughlin Jr.	Andrew Hines	[10]
2015		Antron Brown	Matt Hagan	Greg Anderson	Jerry Savoie	[10]
2016		Steve Torrence	Ron Capps	Greg Anderson	Angelle Sampey	[10]
2017		Steve Torrence	Jack Beckman	Greg Anderson	Jerry Savoie	[10]
2020 [a]	Indianapolis	Justin Ashley	Matt Hagan	N/A	N/A	[23]
The final rounds of the event were postposed due to rain and completed at the 2020 U.S. Nationals event. [8]

References

1. Burgess, Phil (2011-02-08). "Fan Fotos: 1970 Summernationals". National Hot Rod Association . Retrieved 2020-03-15.
2. Voegelin, Rick (2001-07-21). "NHRA 50 Years, Top 50 Drivers: No. 18 Don Nicholson". National Hot Rod Association . Retrieved 2020-03-15.
3. Jodauga, John (2001-07-21). "NHRA 50 Years, Top 50 Drivers: No. 17 "Jungle Jim" Liberman". National Hot Rod Association . Retrieved 2020-03-15.
4. Waldron, Steve (2001-07-21). "NHRA 50 Years, Top 50 Drivers: No. 4 Bob Glidden". National Hot Rod Association . Retrieved 2020-03-15.
5. Dillashaw, Bruce (2001-07-21). "NHRA's 50 Greatest Drivers: No. 19, Ed 'The Ace' McCulloch". Motorsport. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
6. Burgess, Phil (2020-07-24). "The history of the Summernationals". NHRA. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
7. Lohnes, Brian (2018-01-16). "Bad News: Raceway Park Will Cease Drag Racing Operations – The End Of Englishtown Appears To Be Nigh". BangShift. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
8. McKenna, Kevin (2020-07-19). "Lucas Oil NHRA Summernationals final rounds delayed by rain; moved to U.S. Nationals". NHRA. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
9. "www.ultimateracinghistory.com". www.ultimateracinghistory.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
10. "www.ultimateracinghistory.com". www.ultimateracinghistory.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
11. "Racing Results;NEWLN:$869,150 NHRA Budweiser Summernationals at Old Bridge Township N.J., July 12 - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
12. "Auto Racing Results;NEWLN:$843,150 NHRA Budweiser Summer nationals at Englishtown, N.J. July 17 - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
13. "Bernstein wins Summernationals - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
14. "ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. -- Defending Winston champion Gary Ormsby, Chuck... - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
15. "McEwan earns first Top Fuel win - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
16. Archives, L. A. Times (13 July 1992). "Joe Amato of Old Forge, Pa., won..." Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
17. "Former Funny Car driver Etchells passes". NHRA. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
18. "The Warren Report". www.dragracecentral.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
19. "Drag Racing Story of the Day - 2002 NHRA Topeka Final Results". www.draglist.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
20. "Drag Racing Story of the Day - 2003 NHRA Topeka Final Results". www.draglist.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
21. "Topeka: Final round-by-round results". us.motorsport.com. 1 June 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
22. "www.ultimateracinghistory.com". www.ultimateracinghistory.com. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
23. Burgess, Phil (2020-09-05). "Justin Ashley's first Top Fuel win, victories by Hagan, Green, and Andras wrap up rain-delayed Summernationals event". NHRA. Retrieved 10 April 2024.