The National Hot Rod Association first sanctioned a Winter Nationals in 1960 at Bunnell-Flagler Field (now the Flagler County Airport), the former NOLF Bunnell. The event was co-sanctioned with NASCAR (which was a member of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States when the NHRA was not at the time) in order to gain national sanction as at the time, NASCAR, USAC, and SCCA were the three sanctioning bodies that formed the FIA-designated national governing body of motorsport. It was held the week before the 1960 Daytona 500, and was the attempt to solve problems with illegal street racing at Daytona during Speed Weeks. Wallu Parks and George Schorb worked with the South Florida Timing Association and NASCAR official Ed Otto. Schorb worked to help stop illegal street racing first in Miami.[1] Until the 2020 season, the race was usually held in early February, often the week after the Super Bowl.
The event moved to the Los Angeles area in 1961. 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.[2] Cox drove a 1961 Pontiac Ventura with a 348cuin (5,700cc)V8, which was driven (not trailered) to Pomona.[3] 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 107.65mph (173.25km/h), but says nothing about it being a first for a woman, dismissively calling her a "'powder puff' handler".[4] Some racers believe a class win is more difficult to achieve than a handicap (eliminator) win.[5]
At the 1966 event, Shahan was the first woman to claim a national event eliminator crown, by taking Stock Eliminator.[6] The win put her on the cover of National Dragster.[7]
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.[8]
The Funny Car Eliminator title at the 1971 Winternats would go to Leong's Hawaiian.[10] with Butch Maas at the wheel.[11]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.[12] 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.[13] The year's award for Best Engineered Car went to Jim Busby, with a dragster powered by a pair of injected255cuin (4,179cc)DOHC Ford Indy V8 engines.[14] (Hank Westmoreland failed to qualify the car, and it never ran again.[15]) Canadian Barrie Poole repeated his 1970 Winternats win in Super Stock, in a Sandy ElliotMustang.[16]Don Enriquez (in Gene Adams' A/FD) won Competition Eliminator, turning in a pass of 7.34 at 199mph (320km/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.[17]
The 1971 meet was marred by the death of "Sneaky Pete" Robinson, who wrecked his TF/D in qualifying, with a 6.77 pass.[18]
Altereds were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s, at the 1977 Winternationals, more than 75 drivers contested for the Comp Eliminator title.[19] Among them was Ed Prout, who brought his A/Altered from Connecticut.[20]
In 2021, the Winternationals was moved to July because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and restrictions imposed by California. The NHRA will move the Gatornationals to the season opening slot. In an unusual fashion, the Top Fuel final was determined by default when one finalist was pulled out by NHRA officials over driver safety when he had heat exhaustion. Because of the moving of the Super Bowl that was made in effect for 2021, the NHRA has moved the Winternationals to the spring, and the Gatornationals in Florida now starts the season.
↑ 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.
↑ 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)
↑ 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)
Tom McEwen was an American drag racer who was a winner of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) U.S. Nationals. His racing career spanned 45 years. He is ranked at number 16 on a list of the 50 most significant drivers of NHRA’s first 50 years.
Dave Strickler was an American drag racer during the 1960s.
Roland Leong was an American drag racer from Honolulu, whose "Hawaiian" brand cars achieved many victories. He later went on to act as crew chief in Funny Car races.
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.
Carol Cox was a pioneering American woman drag racer. She was the first woman to win at a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) national event.
Carl Olson is an American Top Fuel Dragster driver.
The 1961 NHRA Winternationals was a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Pomona Raceway at Los Angeles County Fairgrounds on 19 February.
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.
The 1968 NHRA Winternationals were a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing event, held at Auto Club Raceway, Pomona, California on 4 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.
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