1977 NHRA SUMMERNATS - COMPETITIONPLUS.COM

diamond P sports presents championship drag racing from the National Hot Rod Association the Summer Nationals [Applause] [Music] brought to you by anheuser-busch st. Louis Brewers of world renown Budweiser when do you say Budweiser and by English leather toiletries for men asked for English leather at fine toiletry counters everywhere and by Fram makers of boil air and fuel filters windshield wipers and auto light spark plugs at tune-up gets [Music] [Applause] [Music] Raceway Park English town New Jersey this huge facility nestled in the greenery of the Garden State capable of holding the 650 race cars that are here at the 8th annual NHRA Summer Nationals an overflow crowd on hand to watch these racers battle for a share of the over $300,000 purse hello everybody I'm Dave McClelland and welcome to the summer Nations you know the East Coast is the hotbed of Pro Stock racing that exciting side by side over 150 mile-an-hour action between the best of the factory hot rods joining me here today at the Summer Nationals is Steve Evans and he has a look at a Pro Stock Car thank you Dave great to be back with you on the NHRA championship trail if gear jamming wheels standing action is your style you're gonna love Pro Stock as much as $25,000 has been spent on these cars to transform them from typical Detroit production line items to all-out eight-second 150 mile an hour race cars some 24 cars entered in the Pro Stock category the best 16 have now qualified I believe that the most difficult cars in drag racing to drive and they'll be richly rewarded to the tune of some $20,000 here today let's meet some of the superstars of Pro Stock which is a suburb of Indianapolis Indiana world champion on two occasions Ford fans coast-to-coast count on Bob Glidden to fend off the rival banks I'm John Nicholson from Orange California in Atlanta Georgia the oldest active pro driver Nicholson captured the Gatornationals and the spring nationals already this year and leads the world championship points chase Warren Johnson Ridley Minnesota past national record holder Warren crashed off the end of the track in qualifying and has made miraculous repairs to race today East Coast champion in 1975 Engle Chevrolet improves with every outing and could be a dark horse favorite here at the Summer Nationals will return with Pro Stock action right after these words [Music] whenever the good times of movement - right the work is done Waga still having fun anytime the right time to say it when do you say [Music] tell the world what you think it was when you say but is what you'll be we've met some of the drivers and taken a look at a pro stock car but now it's time for action and the first round of pro stock eliminator 16 cars have qualified for pro stock eliminator and Carl Hobson of Baltimore Maryland drives the Chevrolet Camaro his competition and Amana Reno and the American Motors Hornet and a red light where Carl Hopson gives the win automatic no men Reno's time 8.77 seconds his speed 154 miles an hour for the Hornet next pair Ronnie Manchester out of Westport Massachusetts Manchester driving a 77 Chevy Monza Bob Gardner his competition from Springfield Virginia in a 77 Mustang [Music] Buster couch indicating into the staging theme the Bob Gardner they leave the line together front wheels bouncing off the ground for Ronnie Manchester Manchester the winner 8.8 zero seconds 155 miles an hour at the end of a quarter-mile here's Warren Johnson Steve told you earlier Warren Johnson ran off the track in qualifying you see the patch work done to the right front fender to repair the body damage to get him back into competition former world champion Bob Clinton his competition in a 77 Pinto both cars approaching the staging means the classic Ford vs. Chevrolet and leaving the line together Clinton with the front wheels high in the air drifting close the edge of the track there although and good the easy winner eight point six eight seconds his speed 156 miles an hour let's take a look in slow motion in the last portion of the quarter-mile Glidden about a car length and a half two car lengths ahead of Warner Johnson at the finish line [Music] here is Albin Gauthier of Montreal Quebec Canada driving a 1976 Plymouth Duster in this first round of Pro Stock racing the Chevrolet Monza driven by Richie Sewell Sewell formally campaigning his own car out of the New York City area now driving for Aaron Morrison from Arlington Texas Chevrolet Monza and the Plymouth Duster approaching the starting line waiting for the green light to leave the line together the chevy Monza pulling an early lead and extending that late in richy's ool the winner is elapsed time eight point seven five seconds his speed 154 miles an hour here in slow motion you see Zul with a big lead as he crosses the finish line let's go down now to the starting line for some observations from Steve came here at the midway point in postdoc there's no upsets but running very true to form all four winners were the quicker cars from qualifying the crowd seems very partisan Chevrolet so I'm gonna get out of the way and let the action continue here's another one of those favorites Chevrolet's Steve this one Joe sat Mary's big-block Camaro from Hammond Indiana butts at mary has his work cut out for him this American Motors Hornet of Wally booth has seen the winner's circle several times in NHRA national event competition a Chevrolet versus the Hornet let's watch a big hole shot by Jos at Mary you saw him leave the starting line before Wally moon and he hold by just a pout of few inches Joe sat marry the winner over Wally booth here's the elapsed time eight point seven eight seconds his speed 154 miles an hour but the big story is Wally booth though he lost the race he went quicker eight point six two seconds his speed 156 you see right there the amount of the difference for the winner Joe sat Mary in the Chevrolet and the crowd loved that one Dino Don Nicholson recent winner of the Spring Nationals championships his Ford Mustang against Bob Ingalls of possum in New York with a Chevrolet Monza [Music] ba-bing go leaving the line first drifting someone whoa it's Dino Don Nicholson 8.58 seconds equaling the national record elapsed time his speed 157 miles an hour here's we see them approaching the finish line Nicholson has already pulled up and passed Bob Ingalls and carried it through for about a 3-foot win at the finish line the world champion Larry Lombardo driving bill grumpy Jenkins Carr from Malvern Pennsylvania 277 Monza matched against the 77 plymouth arrow of Roy Hill from Randall the North Carolina the big lead crowd favorite Larry Lombardo eight point six two seconds a suite of 159 miles an hour top speed of the meat thus far for Pro Stock this is Don Campanella out of Wayne New Jersey his Chevy Monza matched against a similar Monza driven by Frank hyukoh neo totowa new jersey [Music] here in slow motion you see the burnout done by all-pro stalkers the purpose to heat the big wide racing slicks to get them as hot as possible you provide as much traction as possible to put these cars through the quarter mile a red light start for Don Campanella giving the win automatically the Frank Ionia campanella winning the race it is Frank Iook ownio your winner at 8.7 1 seconds as the red light by Campanella automatically disqualified him let's go to Steve with some observations about crew stop the logistics NHRA phases and directing one of these national events is almost as incredible as the action itself over 600 cars are checked pitted in various areas organized into staging lines the qualifying the eliminations it's just almost mind-boggling hundreds of officials involved let's take a ride with a Pro Stock contender and see it from the drivers point of view the race master light the Pro Stock sitting towards the starting line please the staging control director directs is official at the head of the lanes to bring out the pro stocks the next stop for our Pro Stock driver is in the burnout area where he'll heat warm the tires the starter then bringing them up to the starting line the starter flashes the Christmas tree amber light then green and it's locked down 1320 feet of asphalt his next stop is the scales a most important stop as there he is certified as to the correct weight for the class his fuel is check to make sure it's NHRA legal guess Li he gets his official elapsed time and speed often the first he knows of what he really ran if it's in eliminations it's a winning run they'll have as little as 20 minutes to be back in the lanes to race again if it's a losing run while it's on the trailer done for the day I think women are becoming a little more frightening to men these days maybe because we're freer to do much more but some men aren't intimidated at all they enjoy our freedom those are the men I like and you know those are the men who wear English leather cologne English leather fits the way they live so clean and natural and I love it so all my men were English leather well they were nothing at all look for English leather and a wide selection of gift sets the last thing you want at a time like this is for your engine to hesitate and of all the things that can cause a cetacean the last thing should be a clogged dirty air filter because in just a few seconds and for just a few dollars you can have a clean new air filter from Fran so don't hesitate it's better to pay for a Fran now let it pay for something else later Fran and autolite are Bendix companies back at the NHRA Summer Nationals Englishtown New Jersey and again at trackside Steve evidence for shear elapsed time and speed nothing beats Top Fuel Eliminator in fact this weekend Gerry Ruth of Seattle the old-time drag racing speed ever 255 miles an hour the engines are behind the drivers they like it that way so are the fires the hot oil and the parts let's meet some of the people that drive these land lock missiles yeah my name is Jeff Allen and I'm from Santa Rosa California Jeff won this race in 1972 at the age of 18 the youngest ever NHRA throw winner he was runner-up here last year and scored a Fall Nationals victory in 76 my name is Shirley Muldowney and my home is Mount Clemens Michigan sup premier female motor racer in the world Shirley has won the World Finals back-to-back spring Nationals and broke the track record qualifying here called king of the Northwest Ruth has more divisional crowns than any other driver is a former world champ and is looking to back up a new national speed record today a tough break for Jerry Ruth came in first round racing as the engine lost fire after the burnout Ruth unable to back up that record shattering 255 point six eight mile an hour run run of course coming during qualifying during the past two days and nights here at the Summer Nationals Ruth's driving Don Garlits car garlotte's based in Seffner Florida picking up the action in round number two Tony Siravo from the Bronx New York against Lee Weller from Westminster Maryland driving Jim and Alison Lee's top fuel dragster the burnouts completed on both cars approaching the starting line Tony ciraolo in the near Lane Lee Weller in the Farley well with a big lead and ciraolo up in smoke Lee Weller your winner 6.2 seven seconds 225 miles an hour advancing into the semi-finals Jim and Alison Leigh Leigh Weller uh Jeff Allen Santa Rosa California this competition Ron Atteberry from San Jose California here's a burnout in slow motion the fire is growing due to the centrifugal force and also the smoke coming off of them as they begin to heat up and get very hot all the cars in Top Fuel Eliminator doing the burnouts to keep the rubber compound used the 17 18 inch wide slick racing tires built specifically for drag racing at the age of 18 Jeff Allen was the winner in this event finished runner-up in Top Fuel here a year ago coming into the staging beam both cars free stage now inching into that light beam across the starting line indicates there states the green comes on Ron Atteberry having problems Allen low elapsed times thus far in eliminations five point nine nine seconds 223 miles an hour that took him just under six seconds to cover thirteen hundred and twenty feet from a standing start the defending world champion Richard sharp driving the Candy's & Hues dragster car hailing from Dallas Texas the team of candies and hues from Houma Louisiana competition for Tharp grants tops sums actually from East Brunswick New Jersey not more than five miles away from Raceway Park located near English town burnouts completed both cars leave the line together with the win 6.0 three seconds at 243 miles an hour for Tharp here we see the problems with grants Tom's is a slight fire erupt you'll see it right behind the parachute there it comes out of the engine of grants Tom's indicating a lot of motor problems and a lot of oil on the racetrack this race plagued thus far with breakage problems throughout both first to the second round racing this is Pat bacon taken out of the state of Ohio the pennant against Shirley Muldowney winner of the spring national pull down a low qualifier here 5.77 seconds but she has not been close to it as track conditions have changed considerably from the day and night qualifying for the past two days a close race Shirley Muldowney by about a half a car length takes the victory over Pat Dakin six point zero five seconds 243 miles an hour and here we see it they leave the starting line together surely beginning to haze the tire she backpedals beautifully gets back into it and holds on for the victory over Pat Dakin as you can see by about a half a car length Shirley Muldowney a very tired lady is the heat and humidity taking its toll on these drivers drag racing zone creation a 240 mile an hour fiberglass body vehicle known as a funny car Steve's with them right now the most exciting and dramatic class in all of drag racing double a fuel funny cars now fill the staging lanes they have already completely rewritten the raceway park record book there's over 20,000 dollars at stake let's meet some of these pros donford own Kannada Hills California pink what can you say about the snake the winningest NHRA driver ever world champ the last two years but has gone windless the last two events and that's a drought for predominant my name is Tom Hoover I'm from Minneapolis Minnesota a Top Fuel star some years ago Hooper has yet to win a major NHRA Funny Car event he has the equipment and talent to do so at any time Edie McCulloch Sanger California at the ace McCulloch ruled the roost in funny car action until freedom duck over in 1972 Edie won four national events the fans are on their feet ready for some funny car ground-pounding let's go racing and racing we do Steve and round number two eight cars remaining in Funny Car Eliminator Waco Willie they call him Billy Meier from Waco Texas is against Dodger Glen Dodger Glen out of New Castle Delaware drives the frantic Ford both cars having completed burnouts inch their way into the staging beams ready for a blast Alba quarter-mile let's take a look to win easily his elapsed time six point eight two seconds his feat only 170 miles an hour he knew Dodger Glenn having his share of problems the low qualifiers Don Prudhomme the defending champion at the Summer Nationals dome also the reigning world champion you can see the big number one proudly displayed on the side of his plymouth arrow this competition at the ace McCulloch who are the top professionals in drag racing look I'll look into problems right off the starting line Prudhomme without standing six point two six second elapsed time 227 miles an hour where's Tom Hoover boomers competition car out of stanton california gary bergen Coover based in Minneapolis Minnesota over good through the finish line as Hoover notches a 6.45 second in laughter time this be 216 miles an hour jørgen running into problems right off the starting lines here we see in slow motion Burgin the hazing the tires the car losing traction right off the line and that's enough to give the win to Tom over the crew on the return road lifting the bodies so Hoover can get out and start to disrobe from the extremely warm fire suit worn by all drivers in Top Fuel and funny car RC Sherman in the black magic car this one of the few Corvettes in drag racing Tom the Mongoose McEwen three stage lights lit on the Christmas tree now the staging feeds down the stars but doing it the problem amazing the fire and his RC Sherman all the way at 6.90 seconds 156 miles an hour he also knowing that the queuing in trouble shutting it down saving the engine for the next round there you see if the race loss right there has not only did he haze the tires also possibly some mechanical problems NHRA championship drag racing a thrilling spectacle no matter how you look at it Top Fuel and funny car absolutely unbelievable you changing to cam two motor oils like falling in love [Music] if Roger Penske is willing to risk $100,000 car and a million dollar race on km - I'm with him cam - you know it's tough and you love it after I got the grass trim the hedges on second thought [Music] a total of eight Eliminator categories up for grabs at the Summer Nationals and age is no barrier in championship drag racing 59 year old Admiral of Winfield New Jersey proved that driving his Mercury Montego into the winner's circle in stock eliminator the other side of the coin 22 year old herb cuts of Altoona Pennsylvania winning Super Stock Eliminator let's take a look now at the action in the modified Eliminator finals a pair of Corvettes coming to the starting line and modified eliminator palma cure driving for david Searles of Fayetteville North Carolina is matched against the big number one Larry Kopp from Baltimore Maryland number one indicating of course the world champion in modified eliminator the christmas-tree counting down and a red light start for Palma cure giving the win automatically to Larry Cobb and NHRA championship drag racing there are four handicapped [Music] stocke Superstock modified and competition eliminator in these four categories one car actually gets a physical head start over the other in slow motion we'll take a look again at the start of this race and you'll see the Christmas tree counting down in slow motion and there's the red light by Paul McHugh circled at the bottom of the screen Larry Kopp automatically the winner it modified eliminator competition eliminator a former pro stock car converted to an economy altered the chevy Monza but now powered by a Ford engine that's John Lingenfelter from Decatur Indiana from Louisville Kentucky the six-cylinder roadster of 23 Model T body 6-cylinder Ford engine Joe Williamson Williamson getting close to the edge of the track is going to have to play catch-up here candy doing John Lingenfelter competition Eliminator champion a 938 145 mile an hour run in slow motion you'll see Joe Williamson trying to make the move on John Lingenfelter but unable to catch him a big lead as he crosses the finish line the leader in the grace Cup points chase John Lingenfelter Pro Comp Eliminator sees a pair of alcohol burning supercharged dragsters this is 18 year old Scott wetting of Spring City Pennsylvania interesting point here about Scott he took over the driving chores from his dad Walt after Walt won a Gatornationals championship matched against Scott is kensey need 2-time champion at the Summer Nationals he has in fact the defending champion having won Prokop Eliminator here of the past two years in a row they leave the line together and something going wrong with God when he's gone it is born powered rectory finish line 676 201 miles an hour the winning run one of the leaders in the world Championship Series race in Pro Stock eliminator is 50 year old Dino Don Nicholson the winner of the spring nationals Steve's with Dino Don right now thank you Dave in a rare relaxed moment Don Nicholson is going to take us back in his many years of drag racing and it's been a long long time hasn't it done yeah sure I got 1949 we were 10 first drag strip ever open in Santa Ana California but it was really 61 NHRA style at the first winter Nationals wasn't it yeah that's the first time we made a big time I guess you'd say and this was the car yeah 61 Chevy we came back in the next year and I won with a 62 and two years in a row there with the stock eliminator Chevrolet kind of got out of it you know and we went with the mercury team then and this was where the first mercury car we built the wagon proved real successful in fact so successful that they got us into a coupe because everybody was complaining about front of wagon nobody else had one well here's one any diehard drivers in van remembers it was the first of its kind that's right that was the first flip top funny car ever built by anyone and of course it was a forerunner of what we see now in the funny cars and we had we won as many as 39 right races in a row and that thing without ever losing one now that was an unblocked R this is supercharged machine 68 we finally decided was going to have to go to the supercharged cars to keep up we've the tires are getting better and more horsepower and and supercharged cars definitely with a way to go in 68 then you got out of funny cars why well those superchargers we get a lot of fires a lot of guys were getting burnt and I felt like that without the onboard fresh fire equipment that we got now on the cars they just weren't safe enough to drive and I seen where I could make a living going back to the match race Superstock cars so I made a switch back and NHRA I think kind of seen the handwriting on the wall they come back with a postdoc class force in in the 1970 this was really the first of the contemporary style prose ducks right 70 maverick on and this is the card on you hope will cure you to a world championship here in 77 yeah we sure hope so Steve we've been going all the way with a fish here and we plan on being there at the end well best of luck thank you we take all the luck we can get David back to you Dino Don proved that you do get better with age as in round number two racing in Pro Stock eliminator he established a new national record of eight point five seven seconds elapsed time with his Ford Mustang that's eight point five seven seconds from a standing start to cover a quarter of a mile distance plenty quick for Dino Don let's take a look now at the rest of the racing in round number two Pro Stock Eliminator - 77 Chevy Monza's on the starting lines Frank Iook ownio against Ronnie Manchester they lead the line together something's gone wrong with Ronnie Manchester Winn Manchester another victim of the mechanical problems that have plagued so many cars here at the Summer Nationals 875 elapsed time 155 miles an hour for Iacono this overflow crowd highly partisan towards the Chevrolets has their chance to root for the big number one that's Larry Lombardo on the far side of the track driving bill Jenkins Ponza his competition number six in the world last year former world champion Bob Gooden in the Ford Pinto classic Ford vs. Chevrolet let's watch Lombardo with a slight lead at about mid track and something going wrong with glidden's car as it's Larry Lombardo eight point six six seconds elapsed time 156 miles an hour gluttonous lowing 908 at only 121 miles an hour just incredible the mechanical problems here at the Summer Nationals Joseph Murray from Hammond Indiana thinks the Pro Stock world must be all-american motors in round number one with a hole shot he beat Wally booth here he is facing Andy Mannarino driving the horn attacks and a red light start for Joseph Perry he tried it once again I liked it for the red light would come on but to no avail and II Mannarino driving around him to take Phu in eight point seven zero seconds at 155 miles an hour the point of interest with losing time 878 so he did have to try for the holeshot we'll be back with more summer nationals action injustice sooner or later they all come to me some of them regrettably before their time if you want to keep your car from coming to me prematurely look after it change the oil regularly and put in a fram oil filter when you're supposed to it could help keep your engine from coming to grief the choice is yours see me now or see me later Fran and Auto light our Bendix companies I think women are becoming a little more frightening to men these days maybe because we're freer to do much more but some men aren't intimidated at all they enjoy our freedom those are the men I like and you know those are the men who wear English leather cologne English leather fits the way they live it's so clean and natural and I love it so all my men were English leather well they were nothing at all look for English leather and a wide selection of gift sets the almost impossible task of selecting the best engineered car award has again been accomplished the judges have picked this beautiful double-a alcohol drugs to have convenient wodsworth Ohio ken took what is basically a Ford Pro Stock motor never intended to be supercharged and through a miracle of machine work has adapted almost everything you see on the front of this engine specially machine drive for the ignition for the fuel pump for the supercharger even had to make his own gaskets so the Fram corporation's best engineered car award to the EE Alcohol dragster of Ken vini Pro Stock eliminators started with 16 cars now only four remain in the semifinal round it's Andy Mannarino and an American Motors Hornet matched against the defending world champion Larry Lombardo driving bill grumpy Jenkins Chevy Monza the other half of the bracket the record-holding Ford Mustang of Dino Don Nicholson against the Chevy Monza of Frankie Akoni Oh if any man should know this raceway park tract service it's Frank Iook ownio operating out of a home base of totowa new jersey raceway park is home racetrack Dino Mickelson at home at any racetrack anywhere in the country looks like neither driver wants to stage but of a staging battle going on here starter Buster calf saying stage and then just throwing up his arms both cars just sitting there [Music] which driver it's Dino Don Nicholson moving first in the Far Lane Frank Iook OTO into the veins and a slight hole shot where Frank I Antonio he leave just a little bit ahead of Nicholson Nicholas been running everybody putting nothing on here tonio with a big upset win eight point seven five seconds elapsed time the losing time for da Nicholson eight point six seven it shows you he was just a little bit late off the starting line the next pair nd Mannarino getting close to the outside edge of the track as Larry Lombardo and Bill Jenkins Monza takes it easy win Steve Evans is with Dino down in the pits right now well these guys most of guys I run against here they know a lot like stage last so they come around running me they they always try to make me stage first and I held it along as I could the engine was getting hot we set there for probably I don't know a minute or two and finally I would have sided go ahead and bump it in and when I did he come on in and it was a quick light and he just got out on me a little bit couldn't quite catch him about it if I'd had the horsepower I hit in my engine I broke I could he still caught him but not with this that was fair engine David back up to you semi final action in Top Fuel and funny car eliminator a young man that won this race when he was 18 years old back in 1972 Jeff Allen drove his dragster to the winner's circle finished runner-up in Top Fuel here a year ago is matched against Lee Weller driving Jim and Alison Lee's car the other half of the bracket finds the defending world champion Richard Tharp at the wheel of the candies and Hughes machine against the leader in the world championship series at the moment Shirley Muldowney in Funny Car Eliminator RC Sherman is pitted against Billy Mayer while Don the snake Prudhomme defending champion goes against Tom Hoover's twenty-three-year-old professional racer billy meier they call him Waco Willie of course that for his hometown of Waco Texas Billy travels the country in style utilizing a sixteen wheel tractor-trailer rig RC Sherman driving a black magic car based out of Rockville Maryland we're into the semifinals in Funny Car eliminator at the summer nation burnouts completed both cars approaching the starting line [Music] lots of troubled and billy meier with lots of problems too all that smoke indicating a lot of serious engine damage burned pistons most probably for billy meier you see as time 6.66 seconds is speed only 193 miles an hour but RC Sherman had his problems right off the starting line car going into a tire shake situation the tires then losing traction that's the tire smoke you see as Billy Meyer keeps it glued to the ground but the motor letting go as he crosses the finish line and the smoke from the burned pistons pouring out of the headers Meyers Camaro bodied funny car Don Prudhomme and his plymouth arrow Tom Hoover from Minneapolis Minnesota has the unenviable job trying to defeat freedome in this semifinal race this our motion let's take a look at results turn out the burnout designed to heat these huge tires to the point of optimum traction of course basic purpose of these cars to cover a standing start quarter-mile as quickly as possible both cars coming into the electronic staging feet actually a light beam going across the track into a photoelectric cell Coover out of control off the starting line for a dull justice great with the win 6.31 seconds and 220 miles an hour let's take a look at slow-motion at Hoover losing this race right at the starting line now Billy Meyers pits Steve Evans well here's the story in the billy meier camp seven pistons and seven rods laid out the crew thrashin preparing the block to install seven out of eight brand-new piston and rods Billy it's a good thing you've got the biggest trailer in the pits because you sure have gone through some parts no we need that to carry the parts we kill a fuel pump that run and we're just now changing and I hope that changes it we need it for about three days anyway you qualified it at 6:17 and then have just gone progressively slower at motor problems is at the track no last night the track was a lot looser and we just kind of slipped around and played around to try to get it not to hurt herself and then today the track is just really bad for my for my combination well best of luck against Don Purdum in the final David back to you back in 1972 Jim Allen was 18 years old when he first won this race he was runner-up here a year ago Lee Weller driving for that highly successful team husband and wife Jim and Alison Lee of the plane Virginia both cars ready for their blast down the quarter-mile they're together at the middle of the course Jim Allen winded by about a car length but an expensive victory as engine problem set in for Jeff Allen you saw the smokes in the oil coming out means a lot of work for Jeb and his crew between round 6.04 and only 209 miles an hour that speed indicating the engine going away here in slow motion you see the great race that Lee Weller gave Jeb Allen's side-by-side until just about that point and that's where Jeb's engine started to go away by about a car length the winner Jeff Allen into the finals for the second year in a row the defending world champion Richard sharp driving for candies and accuse current leaders the World Championship Series race in Top Fuel Shirley Muldowney winner the spring Nationals last major events on NHRA Championship trail we leave the line together if Favre out of control he keeps it on the racetrack Shirley Muldowney with engine trouble but with a big win Shirley Muldowney moves into the finals for the second event in a row Richard Tharp encountering severe tire shake that's phenomenon when the car just shakes so badly the driver can't even see where he's going does a tremendous job keeping the car on the racetrack Shirley Muldowney with engine troubles still wins the race let's join Steve in Don Prudhomme spitz in the pits of our top Fuel and funny car finalists it is just absolute mayhem hot parts everywhere dozens of hands in the act the wrenches are fly but there's one glaring exception and that's in the pits of the sports ultimate professional Don Prudhomme just real cool and orderly everything in good shape right snake yeah Steve it's it's been going good we have been heard very many parts and everything is just cold so long without divulging any secrets what do you attribute that to I mean everywhere just nothing but burned pistons burn to heads crews thrashing and here you are just doing basic maintenance well I'd say 16 years or so on the business kind of helps out you know I burnt my share of Pistons and blown up my share of engines and I'm sure we still will but for now things are kind of going pretty good in the engine department I'll care to tell us how much nitro you're putting in there no I don't okay well good luck thank you very much back to you Dave the final fields are set and we'll be back to the summer Nationals from Raceway Park Englishtown New Jersey in just a moment changing to cam to motor oils like falling in love [Music] you imagine racing this oil for eight years if it's tough enough for them it's tough enough for me cam - you know it's tough and you love it you know the price of that engine jobs about five hundred dollars this is a fram oil filter about five dollars if that guy had looked after his car I like this guy did including changing the oil and putting in a new friend filter when he was supposed to chances are I wouldn't be spending all this money now but the choice is yours you can pay me now I'll pay me later Fram and auto light are Bendix companies we've talked many times about the mechanical miracles in the pits at these drag races and it's going on in both Shirley Muldowney scamp and Jeff Allen but there's really quite a contrast allen is really piecing together a motor Pistons out of one heads off another motor he's not really sure if it'll run at all let alone if it's capable of beating Shirley Muldowney Shirley on the other hand installs a fresh motor out of her trailer that has been tested that was run just last weekend and very very strong she's confident and smiling Jeb Allen is thrashing temperatures reaching into the upper 80s and low 90s the heat taking their toll on the mechanical parts and theses at this summer Nashville's championship Larry Lombardo driving Bill grumpy Jenkins Chevy Monza Frank I echo leo was partner Ray Allen into the finals for their second race in a row and it's a red light for Frank I echo do Larry Lombardo taking the Summer Nationals championship at NHRA championship competition with some $14,000 eight point six eight seconds the winning time the losing time also eight point six eight very close except for the red light Don the snake Prudhomme into the finals of the summer Nationals for the second year in a row he's the defending champion and he's the only man on the racetrack there's trouble in the billy meier camp fire changed seven Pistons in his engine between the semifinals of the finals and apparently some problems have set in as the car has yet to fire competition director Steve gift giving the signal that's it and it's a single for Don Prudhomme an easy way into the winner's circle at approximately fourteen thousand dollars in cash and regaining the lead in the world championship series a big number one Don Prudhomme six point four two seconds 186 miles an hour padam easing off at the finish line winning the summer nation and a dejected Billy Mayer the engine unable to start let's join Steve with Don Prudhomme snake he'll take him any weight you can get him right you bet you bet I think I was a little lucky on that one got about the three-quarter mark and laid down on me I fit stuck a rod out of it it would hurt the injury was fortunately out he wasn't beside me well it's only been really a to meet drew out for the snake but I know losing any of it frustrates you tremendously yeah it really does you know we've had our share of problems but we've been working on a situation where we're not killing the engine all the time and a lot of people like because we have sponsors and so on that we can kill parts and burn up pieces it doesn't matter but it sure does and we went to work on it so that we didn't hurt those parts were you aware that back in this gelling line your crew even along to your started billy meier to try to help him make the final run oh yeah absolutely matter of fact they said that they may have a starter motor problem I don't just fine go ahead whatever it takes for him I know your fans are excited and congratulations Summer Nationals Funny Car champion Don the snake Prudhomme David thank you Steve and incredible the breakage at the summer national it's another single run in the finals Jeff Allen unable to start his engine Shirley Muldowney for the second major race in a row we'll be the winner and extending her lead in the world championship series surely not about to back off of it and excellent six point zero two second elapsed times 234 miles an hour and for the second year in a row it is Jeb Allen the runner-up at the Summer Nationals there's not a smile in the crew of Jeb Allen and it's a difficult difficult day to work that hard between the semifinals and the finals to get the car ready to run and yet the engine not starting Jeff Allen getting out of the car taking off the fire suit and a tough tough break for the Santa Rosa based driver Jeb Allen here Steve again with Shirley Shirley Muldowney our summer nationals Top Fuel champion your pre race confidence it was well-deserved I don't know what to say Steve you know we worked awfully hard Jeb was really hard you know I was worried about him Patti de Caen was really tough to get by I mean he was right there what can I say you know we all did our jobs right today just the track made it a little hard on us and you extended your point's lead towards the world championship would that be something your lifelong dream yeah you know we have a very comfortable lead now you know we used up a lot of races we had hard luck at the winter nationals but we have a comfortable lead now and I'm I think my dream is gonna come true well here comes kind of your crew chief and your son John and all the boys and I'm sure you want to hug them and they want to congratulate you again congratulations Shirley Muldowney top feel champion David back to you we'll be back with more from the summer Nationals in just a moment when do you sing just as soon as I catch the world's biggest now that's a multiple choice question Friday night Saturday how about now [Music] [Music] Simmons gets a Dear John letter from his girl so he takes it out on the majors car starts by breaking three spark plugs do I give him extra duty no I give him auto light spark plugs all the white insulators are 50% stronger than the best-selling plug so they're less likely to crack and make your car run wrong so strong that even Simmons can't break them but heaven knows he tries auto light and Fram our Bendix companies a great day of summer Nationals racing Steve Evans has been in the pits all day Steve what's your thoughts about this race David it's been an exciting and unusual and sometimes a frustrating day of championship drag racing I just had a ball and said at this capacity crowd here at Raceway Park in Pro Stock the crowd favorite from the very outset Larry Lombardo and bill junker Jenkins Chevrolet that was a hard fight Frank hyukoh neo knocking out Dino Don Nicholson who appeared to be on the last times the favorite set a new national record so he goes home with something single car finals nobody really likes to say him but stars the caliber of Don Prudhomme and Shirley Muldowney who could possibly complain we're reminded that sometimes when things are broken they just can't be fixed Jeff Allen tried and so did billy meier all in all a great day I look forward to the next one thank you Steve and we look forward to the next one to our next stop on the diamond P trail Ontario Motor Speedway and the NHRA World Finals for Steve Evans this is Dave McClellan did Raceway Park Englishtown New Jersey saying so long for now the NHRA summer Nationals has been brought to you by Fram makers of oil air & fuel filters windshield wipers and auto light spark plugs that do not gets and by cam 2 motor oil you know it's tough and you love it and by anheuser-busch Brewers of world-renowned Budweiser when do you say Budweiser the executive producer of diamond V Sports Harvey pal H our producer director John Mullen [Music] this has been an NHRA presentation a diamond piece sports production

Channel: CompetitionPlusTV

Views: 182,257

Rating: 4.7948718 out of 5

Keywords: National Hot Rod Association, Summernats, Drag, Racing, Burnout, Burnout (vehicle), Mustang, Race, Ford, Cars, Ford Motor Company, Corvette, Camaro, drag racing newa, drag racing

Id: X3RNDcVfBk8

Length: 53min 6sec (3186 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 28 2012