CLASSIC VIDEO - 1979 NHRA SUMMERNATIONALS

diamond he sports presents the fastest sport on wheels championship drag racing the site of the largest drag race on the eastern seaboard this is beautiful Raceway Park near English town new jersey over 300 acres of facilities catering over 60,000 spectators at the Summer Nationals hello everybody I'm Dave McClelland and I'll be at track side calling the racing action of this 10th annual event bringing you the color excitement and all the stories from the pit area and the finish line will be our good friend and associate Steve Evan Dave it's hot and it's humid but nobody seems to care thousands of people roaming the pits here watching the racers make final preparation for eliminations the track conditions couldn't be any better 12 of the 16 top tumors in the fives the snake the Mongoose Shirley Muldowney Big Daddy they're all here for the summer nationals the race the entire eastern seaboard has been looking forward to thank you Steve there's some three hundred thousand dollars in cash and contingency Awards hosted for this event we'll be back with the start of racing in just a moment all forms of transportation being used to take the lovely ladies to their grandstand seats for the start of racing here at the Summer Nationals we're kicking things off with top Fuel Eliminator the fastest accelerating cars in all of drag racing of course drag racing is a contest of acceleration pitting two cars side by side over a measured quarter of a mile from a standing start these top Fuel dragsters the long slender machine with the huge rear tires the back their engines for this thing's up to the horsepower this is Larry Dixit he has the unenviable task of beating Big Daddy Don Garlits the man who synonymous with Top Fuel racing been doing it for over 20 years who sceptre Florida he calls himself the swamp rat this is the first round of Top Fuel Eliminator here at the Samba nation they start by Dixon garlic smokes the tires loses traction over barely to come back five point nine seven seconds his speed over 246 miles an hour as we watch it again an instant replay you see garlotte's losing traction you see the advantage at the starting line the Dixon seemed to have gained but in all went for not as garlotte's goes past him to win at the finish line by approximately a car length at the starting line Bruce hagstead now driving for Larry Frazier out of Denver Colorado getting set to go against the defending Top Fuel world champions Kelly brown from Calabasas California Brown himself changing rides over his world champion ride of a year ago we leave the over-the-hill gang car and brown is late egg Stan is right on time with a big advantage off the starting line and it bigger margin of victory at the finish five point nine three seconds his speed 238 miles an hour but listen to this the losing time for Kelly Brown five point nine nine seconds here at 245 miles an hour trying to catch Bruce hegh stead as we look at it again you can see the whole shot that's the starting line advantage definitely going to a Bruce hagstead let's join Steve Evans with Kelly brown you fouled at the Spring Nationals the last event did that have anything to do with maybe you're a little more conservative uh probably back in your mind somewhere that could be a contribution to that but I don't think so I practiced on the lights out here in qualifying and was right on so I don't know what happened there but it's something that's unfortunate and I feel bad about it but we have to go on you know side by side five-second elapse time Bruce ex-dad the winner this is Dave Uehara against Bob Joyce this is the car that carried Holly Brown to his world championship last season driven this year by Bob Noyce the winter Nationals champion here is Dave Yahara velasco Cohen and Oswald is the team they call themselves the good the bad and the ugly they're out of Santa Clara California great start by both drivers a slight advantage may be the noise and the finish line in stave Yahara coming around him with another 5.9 to second elapsed time his speed at the finish line 245 miles an hour a close race as Bob Noyce ran 6 seconds flat again that's the time it takes to cover that quarter of a mile from a standing start so little difference at the finish line as Uehara wins it by about a half a car length two former world champion surely Bogany against Richard Park carpet the wheel of the can decent huge dragster surely has had lots of problems in qualifying primarily in the engine Department to help she's got them ironed out for this event as Richard Sharpe is qualified exceptionally well the fan decent used car making lots of horsepower running consistently over 245 miles an hour making it one of the fastest cars in all of drag racing by both drivers religions are pulling away quickly at the spark and even further at the finish five point nine four seconds and thus far the fastest feet of the meat of 247 miles an hour as he brings the candies in Hugh's car Noah bouncing the hall surely running a very quick six point zero eight seconds her speed was 242 miles an hour as we watch again Richard Thorpe gaining the advantage quickly off the starting line he continues to extend his lead Lilly wins it big at the finish barb headed back to the pits to get the car ready for the next round of racing in the summer Nationals is Connie Kalitta making a look over into the opposing lane see of his competitor Johnny Abbott is ready to approach the staging lights they nod at each other and say yes they are a concentration on the discus tree starting device as Johnny Evon of Denver Colorado driving now for jeg Coughlin out of columbus ohio takes on pas-de-calais doe electronic sliding device known as this was both cars shaking a lot trouble all over the track Ronny Abbot by about a car length of six point one six seconds his speed 243 miles an hour khalida trailing at a 621 very close as you see both drivers having their hands full using up a goodly portion of their lanes as they head down that quarter-mile for the finish line with avid about a car lengths ahead Johnny Abbott debuting a brand new car here at the Summer Nationals and John it shook violently yeah very bad Steve we attempted to just throw in the towel yeah but I'm still ahead and so I shifting got it straightened out and they saw him there and the cars pulled right away / how's your vision when the car shaking that heart can't see didn't see it you must be pleased with the new mount though it's tough to do any new cut in the middle of the season right well I'm real happy with it just got a few things to work out to the way I Drive cuz I Drive the car little different so the clutch were just not on the clutch yet two-time national champion former world champion Garry Beck coming back into his own bringing out the car that carried into so many victories he was low qualifier here a year ago and was runner-up at the Summer Nationals racing against Bill prior driving for Jim narramore his top Fuel racing first round thousand horsepower engine behind the drivers pasted the roll cage that qualifying very well again at this race tremendous first round racing up for a number of five second off times its back off on a flipper no prior getting very close to the outer extremity line but another five second elapsed time is carried back five point nine five seconds but over 242 miles an hour the beats bill prior here let's watch his prior heads dangerously close to the grass surface off the racing area let's go again to Steve you're a low qualifier here last year made it to the finals are you running the same combination do you just go back in your logbook and duplicate it well we did certainly we had to make a little little different application to the race track with the clutch but the engines running virtually the same and the tracks awful good this year all the way you know this is way that all the qualifiers have runs the five ATS is because it's a 1320 rice track this year and and it takes a lot of horsepower nuts it's hard on the engine of them last hundred feet Jeff Allen the defending champion at this summer nationals we want it way back in 1972 when he was only 18 years of age is against Bobby Hilton driving for Jim and Alison Lee tilted at the wheel of one of the more unique machines in all of drag racing this semi full bodied semi streamliners car police Jeff out of the more conventional rear engine top fuel dragster the defending champ gets a break in this round is probably held in something goes wrong with the cheb analysis at leak art he coached the sleep rewind machine across the finish line Jeff out of not hurting those parts in the last hundred feet the only records a 6.1 three-second elapsed time but he gets the all-important win as Bobby Hilton breaks well this Englishtown event has got to be Jeb Alan's favorite you want it when you were just 18 and you wanted to get in last year Jeb yeah and weezing the final round two other times besides that so I just you know I'm hoping for another win this weekend the car shook that time that I think we can overcome it we got Kelly Brown out of the race but everything is working just right we're not trying to run 580 we're just trying to win the youngest driver in history to win an NHRA championship that was Jeb Allen just a few years ago right here the final two cars of this unbelievably close first round of Top Fuel racing it's Frank Bradley against a is settled wearing one of the new Darth Vader's style of helmet settles is driving the new blue max top fuel dragster that's right a top fuel car now joining Raymond beetles Blue Max funny car and the blue max top fuel car with settles the number one qualifier here at the Summer Nationals has astounded Top Fuel racers by recording a string of five-second elapsed time about a month ago and another great run he wins at 5.82 seconds at 234 miles an hour bringing an end to one of the closest first rounds of Top Fuel racing seen in quite a while with over 600 cars starting qualifying at the Summer Nationals the fields are getting smaller as unique to championship drag racing when you lose you can leave the single elimination round tournament in the first round of funny car racing saw an exciting race between Don Prudhomme and Ron Colson driving the hawaiian of roland leon this was a rematch of the 1978 race which saw Rob Paulsen defeat Don Prudhomme both drivers very intent on the Christmas tree starting system for Hawaii against the snake a great start by both cars side by side six point two eight seconds to a very close but quicker six point two six seconds that's right steak a little bit quicker than Colson but he was just a few seconds late off the starting line let's go to the finish line in the Steve Evan I'm very discouraged Don Prudhomme Dave domina you're really appeared to have a handle on it snake qualified low at 6:09 what happened oh it got through the middle attack and it wanted to drop a cylinder and then it picked it up again it was too late he got out ahead of me there and it was over who would you pick those that remain I don't know the harsh reality of losing itched on the face of Don Prudhomme four-time world champion first-round loser at the summer nature picking up action in the second round of funny car eliminator there's trips you make inside Johnny loafers funny car you see the driver encased in the roll cage and right at his feet mm our nitro burning engine one of the great dangers for funny car racers is fire with what strips you make before on the diamond piece sports coverage of championship drag racing as he's experienced fire and Johnny loafers funny car his competition is Tom McEwen but he's nowhere to be seen as Jimmy gets ready for his burnout McEwen recording a very quick but thus far has not made any effort to show for this second round of eliminations let's go back now into the pits and see if Steve can tell us why David's trip to make accepts his gift here in the second round Tom McEwen by his car which apparently is just not able to run right Steve well you know we ran low E to the first round 6:15 and I thought everything was really finally coming around we burn a piston and it hurt the rod is fun and burying a crank and I'm even with all the help from all my friends we still won't wear out a part so as far as we can go for now a tough break for atomic yuan but a great one for our trip to make as the extreme post competition here at the Summer Nationals and he takes advantage of it he does not run the car all the way through shuts it off very early and just idles it through to save the wear and tear on the very expensive parts and pieces the engines now going for approximately sixteen to seventeen thousand dollars soaking up some of that theme New Jersey sunshine two lovely ladies just watching Tripp coast by and head back into the pits to get ready for the semi-final bluemax funny car Raymond beetle asked olio against Dale quality and the fabulous War Eagle the burnout using a water where they smoke the tires from weakly both cars now just doing their driver now making sure the construction is there for these highly volatile bloody cars the gorgeous car of Dale rolling it's hard to believe that the entire grille and headlight assemblies on these fiberglass cars just hit on artists across the country and our great smart by both drivers and it is Raymond beetle and amenities needle smoking some distance at the finish line but winning it matching the qualifying time of Godfrey dome at six point zero nine seconds the losing time elapsed time for Dale Baldy a six-point 11 the quickest side-by-side funny car race in the history of the sport of drag racing and by less than a half a calling this man Raymond beetle Windsor I couldn't believe Raymond Biddle and Dale public killing each other down here that was one of the best funny car runs in years here we left together I looked over and I miss Dale from it and I run it through the back and I knew Dale would run to 40 or better on me but he didn't pass me that's good may have been well we tee at the event if not very close okay thank you we're gonna try anyway this is gonna help a lot in the world points Danny we're looking good now snake got knocked out first round in little luck so we need could be all blue in the winner's circle like this afternoon that's what we're pulling for Raymond beetle with two cars in this event both doing well the jubilation of a win for Raymond beetle as the next pair of cars two Corvettes two of the best in the country Tom Hoover the Showtime in the lane nearest us across the way John Force to Fullerton California world champion to lead but John Force after having a lot of trouble qualifying actually making it on his final qualifying attempt on Saturday night not exceptionally well at holder smokes the tires wanted to be headed on this run wins it six point two four seconds his feet over 231 miles an hour and after all the work and effort to just make the program he's doing exceptionally well with eliminate first out winner over da Bruno Ron Colson at the wheel of this van spark you let us talk about Roland layoff well this is the Hawaiian himself the mana zone several national championship cars this one of his best the funny car driven by rod Colson alongside of him Jim Glenn's are driven by Jim paid off but a dog breaks right there you saw it he doesn't take it easy though 6.27 seconds his speed 230 miles an hour we watch again we see right at this point the transmission goes away in Jim Adolf's car giving the win four on Colson in the Hawaii will run between your excellent driving and a break here and there round three coming up feels good I thought after that first when we get the tough one now the way we handle the rest that's two years in a row that you have hole shot of your way to victory over Dunford um well last year I call a hole shot this year was to hundreds difference we just had a little edge but I'm darn guarded that was on our side I must really get up when you raise this neck mentally oh yeah you have to I mean you're going against somebody like that you know more NHRA wins and anybody in history for World Championships in a row if you can't get up for him you can't get up for anybody there comes rolling then your guys good luck in round three thank you David Steve the close racing of the top dealers accentuated even more by the funny cars but now we're ready to go in the second round of Top Fuel Eliminator the defending champion Jeff Allen this is a rematch of last year's final as Gary Beck losing at that event he had mechanical problems the engine would not start but this time it running and running strong against Jeff Allen here they're meeting in the second round the winner in that into the semi-finals for Jeff Allen something goes wrong with mechanical problems once again strike Gary back out of the show and elated Jeff Allen waving to the crowd and counting on the cowl of his car heads down to the turnoff pair hitch fence clapping his hand Gary back though not a wave to the crowd or anybody as he's dejected as he heads back into the pits Jeff Allen climbing out of his car while it's still rolling giving the thumbs-up sign in the turnaround the twists of fate work strange things that a drag race Johnny Abbot used to drive this car if this event it's driven by Bruce egg Stan where is Johnny Abbott today he is sitting in the cockpit of the unpainted machine owned by jeg Coughlin so Johnny haven't running against his former car driven by Bruce egg Stan habit now at the wheel of the jeg Coughlin entry twelve scarred by both drivers a bit of an engine appears and 234 miles an hour let's go back and look at that one again because it's close leaving the starting line almost together you see Abbott trailing a little bit at this point he tries to pull it out in the last few feet but it's Bruce Hague stand by a wheel leg a new face Dave on the major event trail Bruce heggs did that was a closest race of the day I do believe man I could see his wheels all the way down I didn't think they were going to come around there it must be a unique experience having to face the man who occupied this cockpit for so many seasons Oh giant I've been friends for a long time we wished each other good luck and it just turned out this way he's a great guy and Johnny didn't even know he lost it must have been very very close oh yeah yeah it was yeah the wheels are just you know right next to each other and our car finally pulled add a little bit more there see you in round 3 a Volkswagen dealer from Denver Colorado whose hagstead the summer Nationals has been full of interesting matchups of none more so than this the grand ole van Don Garlits looking patiently as Richard clawed the per wheel of the candy you start get to push back obviously he got a lot of nitro fumes in his helmet he's having difficulty see he's wiping his eyes with a handkerchief he weighs the lake Paul candies the car owner still shaking his head hopefully you can see garlic just watching all this taking place and both cars running very cleanly garlic opening the face mask on his helmet to get a breath of fresh air all this is over where as they approach the staging beam wellit's again fun and another close race and listen to these times 5.9 one second to 246 miles an hour for garlic and we talked about the holeshot and there was one as scarf was just a little bit quicker at five point nine zero seconds his speed top speed of the meat 248 miles an hour your impression of the track conditions right now it's a little shake out there just the taste not bad especially in this lane no the lane is too smooth it's gonna take any more horsepower I don't know it's it's hard to say you we need more of the pedals is running awful good you know and they say that's more like a funny car Big Daddy that be thought of that would you consider joining that kind of combination no I don't like that combination well it's certainly Big Daddy's one more Top Fuel race is anybody else in drag racing so uh if he doesn't like it what can you say Thank You Stevie thank you done this is the man they're talking about Dave settles and this is the car when they talk about the funny car combination it's the way they run their engines the compression ratio the amount of nitromethane the amount of boost from the super jerk and the signal goes to Dave settles he's going to have an easy one a bi run as Dave you Amara at the wheel of a good fat in the ugly riding out of the starting line instead of the finish line something going wrong giving a single the day in settles and the park everybody's talking about the Blue Max top Fuel racer tire shake right off the line but settles clicks it to a 5.92 second his speed 235 miles an hour Dave you aha with a sad wave to the crowd waiting for his push truck to come move him away performance and luck that's going to be a tough combination defeat David the good one they fell off a little bit that time check the tires a little I'm a single run you could take it easy and save your parts and pieces you elected not to well there's a couple of ways of looking at that one now of course is saving your equipment but another is all-important Lane choice at times I hate to be the one to tell you this but Rutledge is going to have Lane choice five hundredths of a second is that right well one day chicken next day feathers you know how important the factor is that you think now I don't think it is but it could be if somebody was to oil the track real bad in front of you or you know but that's just the philosophy Navy settles the bluemax Claire has been the dominant fuel at this event never out of the fives and we'll be watching it in the semi-finals as Dave Yahara heads back to the pits at the Summer Nationals recognizing the resurgence in motorcycles NHRA has formed the National Motorcycle Racing Association one of its superstars is its current world Pro Stock champion Terry Vance earlier today Steve talked with Terry Terry most people come here to the Summer Nationals expecting a totally automotive event but there's an exception your Pro Stock motorcycles come reaction do you get from the people when they find you in the pits here oh well you know see that people really love it they come here and they expect to see car thing and they see the motorcycle thing you know and most of them have motorcycles at home in the garage so they come here and they can really associate with these Pro Stock looking bikes their stock repairing and they they really kind of root for them you know because that's the kind of bike they ride and there's a lot of makes and models involved kind of like pro stock with the automobile exactly the same thing they have to be stock comparing motorcycles and people can relate to him they see him and they say that looks exactly like the bike I have you know and then it works out pretty well because there's all the major brands here and people really get into it well you're a young fella but you've been racing a lot of years well yeah I have I've been racist it's like 1971 as you know and the it's come a long way since the time we did it just on a Wednesday night thing on a bracket thing you know and we'd go everyone's dying kind of practice and get our stuff together and it's kind of evolved into a pretty big thing so it's not a hobby with you oh no not at all it's a job Joey Vance three-time national champion in the Pro Stock bikes and making into the finals is Vance writing is GS 1000 Sasaki is against Cornwall Heights Pennsylvania's Bob carpenter the whole qualifier on his palace hockey running off the ProStart Christmas tree one amber light and then the green roof side-by-side racing between these top-of-the-line motorcycle Terry says it takes a lot of strength Oh hold on buddy watching his competition Bob carpenter 9.04 seconds at over a hundred forty three miles an hour the close Summer Nationals racing taking yet another world champion out of the event the competition just as close in the five sportsman categories in stock eliminator it was Ray cook in the near Lane against Jeff Merkel in the Far Lane stock eliminator and super stock judged on a handicap phases based on indexes for the cars you cannot run quicker than the index and that's what happened to Jeff Merkel giving the win to Ray cook if Super Stock Eliminator George Cureton in the near Lane gave away the Head Start to John Heffernan but Marlin also falling victim to the index and breakout rule the winner in the near Lane George Cureton in Super Stock the wheel standing garli Daniels missing a shift into third gear and giving the wind of Billy Mansell in the floral a competition eliminator for the fourth time in history one owner had both cars in the final of an eliminator category rich delici owned them in a spectator or far lane is Dennis Ferrara the winner Dempsey Hardy the loser Volkoff Eliminator our heads up category featuring all types of cars but to dragsters made it to the finals joe amato winner of the gator nationals with a modern type car the rear engine dragster Dale hall for branding Connecticut former Grand National Champion driving the older-style front engine dragster with a very small engine about 350 cubic inches of Chevrolet almost 500 cubic inches of Hemi and the lake Paulo rear engine dragster and it's a little light start for awawa which automatically gives the win to Dale hall but they'll get there first colorado's wife very disappointed as she saw her husband lose to Dale hall the red light at the starting line indicating instant defeat watching again just a few hundredths of a second too quick was Joey Votto Dale Hall congratulations our Pro Comp champion you knew you were in tough against tomorrow had been quicker all day shows the tough boy to beat he's with excellent good driver and consistent I'm so happy I can't believe it did you see the red light no I didn't I didn't I don't think Joe knew the red light came on either because he ran a fair all the way through to this is only about the third time that his mobile like Chevrolet has won in a Pro Cup championship well we won one in 74 some good friends of ours smoked piece a Mallick one last year and then we got this one well congratulations this promoted car is no dinosaur we'll be back with semifinal racing from the summer Nationals in just a moment drag racers have long been known as creatures of innovation nowhere is that more evident than in the best engineered car here with that car is Steve Evans overall quality of construction and particularly some notable safety items have earned this double a fuel Funny Car the Fram corporation's best engineered car award here at the summer nationals it's owned by the Tom Ryan Racing team of Trenton New Jersey and the car builders sandw race cars have come up with a real innovation a device that vents the fuel tank any excess pressure is rotted throughout the tubular frame and it completely eliminates really the chance of a fuel tank explosion Roy Harris has driven the car to one of the top spots in funny car qualifying four cars remain in Funny Car eliminator this fan Rajani loafers hit it against Raymond beetle in the blue backs who has to be the favorite at this moment to make it all the way to the winner's circle just one round to go he recorded low elapsed time of eliminations in 6.09 seconds but he injured the motor by that I mean he burned the Pistons literally melted one of the aluminum pistons necessitating a complete teardown between rounds if the voter is good looked for Raymond beetle to lay down a good number drip shumake of course had that easy run he did not have to run it hard as this competition Rob McEwen was unable to make the call for round number 2 in funny they're out together beetle with a slight head start he's extending it and in him Raymond beetle into the finals six point one eight second 235 miles an hour very happy crew heads down the big up Raymond beetle heads back to the pits and get the car ready for the finals Nina will race one of these two cars rod Colson into Hawaii great green Corvette against the other Corvette the Far Lane is John Force morsel bit of a surprise to make it this far he at difficulties qualify that a buying job in the previous round feeding table over very consistent of 620 and the big balls of well the lay off the bar owner and crew chief or Colson noted for making horsepower and he's stickin to the wrath no he cannot focus on iron and it's all owner is John Moore Street to another win six point two nine seconds his fee 233 miles an hour so it will be Raymond beetle in the blue back as John Force wins it right there let's join Steve Evan John Force no matter how big the margin you never seem to know if you want or not you never know yeah I had tired it left good but it shook hard I seen him a nose on me a bit and then you did one you didn't read like it come out of the shake I didn't know it's kind of like playing close but I heard I needed to get around we're a little better but I've heard I still need it cuz uh Roland he knows how to hit your first year on the Pro Tour and your second final round appearance you've got to be really happy with yourself I love it I love it out here and it's kind of a simple deal for me because all I do is is kind of keep the sponsors happy and do what they need to make it work and the rest I got a Hannah old feebler cuz he's got to make this whole thing well he's gonna have to find a tenth of a second to race the blue max well leave it to flooger he'll figure it out John fourth going into that final round it'll be the crafty veteran Raymond beetle against the newcomer John for the finals of funny car right now though it's the semifinals in Top Fuel the man that is the defending champion is Jim Allen he is against Bruce hagstead who's driving this car for the first time ever in national event competition and has brought Larry Frazier's car from Denver Colorado all the way to the semifinal round apparently some problems though with Jeff Allen's car they're working on it looks like they're working around the injector system which is located on top of the supercharger the starting line through holding saying alright everything's okay the engines still running and it appears there's a rag trying to the injector which possibly means a very slight fuelling one with the driver in front of the car does not provide any hazard to him but certainly enough to possibly break his concentration Jeff Allen in the near Lane Bruce hagstead in the Far Lane hagstead appears out first with smoking desires losing traction and it is Jeff Allen in the final six point zero six second 231 miles an hour Jim is absolutely is static and there you see the smoke from the fires off a Larry Frazier's car Bruce hagstead losing to Jeb Allen here again Steve Evan Jeff Allen what happened on the starting line we had a bit of a few leak as you can see that it David he really didn't hurt things the car ran fairly well I think but you know whatever 606 606 I have to step up a little bit huh yeah well we'll see here the airs changed the whole bunch and the track starting to roll up so Steve to tell you the truth I'm damn happy to be in the final how many years does this make it you've made the final four years in a row to be in the final in Englishtown here where sponsor English leather isn't she couldn't be better for us let's go back to the starting line and see who Jevon Jeff Allen will race in the final Steve it will be one of these two men Big Daddy Don Garlits probably the most feared panel all of populism or this a brand-new Blue Max top fuel dragster with Dave settled former world champion regarded as one of the finest dragster drivers in the country today the Blue Max has the edge here by elapsed time Big Daddy Don Garlits the edge by experience let's watch and scholars out in front as they leave the starting line Kim settles caching can he come from behind and he does thanks party five second elapsed time the fists of the air saying to the assembled multitude I beat big teddy as we look at it again we see settled side by side with garlotte's and just beginning to pull away as they near the finish life let's go down to Steve Evans who Quint Don Garlits Don Garlits checking out a flat front boy oh boy you were in it all the way though yeah through it all from the lighting up renting the lights this has to go down is one of the hardest fought tough you'll build in a long time pretty tough there's no doubt about it then good hard runs all them side-by-side 12 of the 16 qualifiers in the fives that doesn't happen in a long long time no it hasn't it seems that the guys are you know working on a little harder and they work for a while tiring it's tiring says Big Daddy after four hard days of racing all that's left at this 10th annual summer Nationals is the finals and the professional categories of championship drag racing not very many cars but a lot of spectators jammed into this 300 acre facility here's Dave settles car the crew hard at work you see the supercharger off the engine they're putting it back together after going through it in a funny car pit a little work on the clutch in the transmission Steve's down there with both drivers blue trailers blue trucks blue cars obviously this is the camp of the blue max Raymond beetle goes into the final in Funny Car Dave settles in Top Fuel Raymond the condition of your car right now we're changing motors putting the brand new and in for the final which we don't like to do but we would have changed it last run we had a head stud pull out so the motors are identical so we think we still have just as good a chance and your card David well we're running the same same engine we've been running for the three races that the car has been competing at and just keeps on running we change a couple of Pistons around and that's about it it's just performing flawlessly let's be okay to have a mount that's only three weeks old looking for maybe its second victory here and everybody's talking about it it feels great from a driver's standpoint you know you got the power to go out there and and drive around people the man that's going to try to stop that is Jeff out on the defending champion the crew hard at work in the heat and humidity that has taken its toll on many a mechanic and driver here at the Summer Nationals in John Force pit area final preparations underway the oil being poured into the engine preparatory to the supercharger being put on but before we get to the finals in Top Fuel and funny car this is Pro Stock the final round Frank hyukoh neo at the wheel of the Chevrolet he is matched against the man that has dominated the Pro Stock circuit Bob quit and we love his world champions number one both cars into the staging beams and a red light light request well done with the disbelief the second line a championship swap with red lights away overcome with excitement of fans and official just cannot believe that Frank I Antonio from totowa new jersey the hometown boy defeats Bob woods in the vinyl the red lights start giving the win automatically to Iook Tony oh concentration so hard on the Christmas tree he is still in disbelief that he won the race he gets out of his car turn around the area here at Raceway Park the finals of Funny Car eliminator some ten thousand dollars up for grabs near to the winner this man John Force had difficulty even making the program it took his final qualifying attempt late on a Saturday evening just to make this very tough sixteen card show and believe it or not here he is in the final but it's not going to be an easy final because he's running the car that has to be the heavy favorite the flew back he's dominated the racing as Raymond beetle has driven this car to low elapsed time of eliminations at six point zero nine seconds matching the multiplying time of God so John Force in his first year on the circuit is into the finals for the second time he has yet to win the big one Raymond beetle runner-up thus far three times in 79 he was runner-up at the winter nationals the Spring Nationals the mile high nationals and as he got a lead here as a summer nation and in if the last time somewhat slower at six point three seven seconds than his previous round but as it goes in drag racing he got to the finish line ahead of John Ford giving him the big wind and moves it into the number two place in the world championship points chase let's go to Steve Evan Raymond beetle looking back at the starting line at this top fuel car is preparing to race but beetle congratulations moniker champion thank you we smoked guitars Aaron I thought for a minute we messed up but we did okay I tell the money yelled out luck could come and even after you changed the motors you still had some problems in the pit well we started up we had a brand new manifold only with crack so we had to change it so I guess your day it's your day and the motor change is no longer it jinx I hope not oh okay let's watch as the Blue Max meets Jeff Allen the blowbacks top Fuel dragsters Dave settles the driver the low qualifier low elapsed time of elimination and again some leakage problems apparently with Jeff Allen's car we saw it in a semifinal but this time they've got a dick no ranked tight around the fuel line it is Dave settles trying to make it an all Blue Max final in Top Fuel and funny car both cars possibly into the winner's circle if he doesn't it will be the first time in history Jeff Allen of course trying to repeat he won it last year can he do it again penny does Dave settled break something right off the starting line it is Jeb Allen for the third time in his career is Top Fuel Eliminator at the Summer Nationals give the lap time a six point one seven seconds only 227 miles an hour but who needs a five when your competition breaks jump wife Jane settle just there appear to be some drivelines imploded a very happy Jeff Allen you may have had 98 in the tank not he 8% not you but you didn't really need it something happening to Davey settled no well you know when it's your day it's your day we've run the race all weekend we've made the car run good we picked our racer we had to race with we went up against him with what we were doing just played it safe you know and you get a break when you win a race and that was our break right there you must come to Englishtown with the tremendous amount of confidence as well as you've done here well we came here just last week the best we get the car no matter of fact in seven months the car hasn't run five seconds until this very weekend and I try to keep that ball rolling all year and it's awful tough that's a enthusiasm it's a sport we need more competition or not more competition we need to be more competitive I don't know we need that we need to keep it following it all year long you know a puffed-up Jeb Allen Davis he wins the Top Fuel title and he looks back to those shows this was the first race he ever won in an injury competition when he was just 18 Jeff Allen our champion an excited general receiving the wallets of his crew a hug for his lovely wife at the Allen family about $10,000 more in their pocket is the winners of this summer nationals Steve and I will be back in just a moment the record-breaking crowd of over 61,000 people treated to some of the most exciting racing at this summer Nashville Steve what's your thoughts all in all day that was not a good day for the old guard here at Raceway Park in New Jersey all three world champions from last year glutton Pradhan Kelly Brown did not make the final rounds it was a great day however for the new cars and the new stars who came so close Davey settles in the blue max dragster John Forrest in the Wendy's car they're gonna be people to reckon with as the season progresses on the NHRA World Championship trail and for Steve Evans this is McClellan's saying so long from Englishtown New Jersey you

Channel: CompetitionPlusTV

Views: 14,981

Rating: 4.9572191 out of 5

Keywords: drag racing news, drag racing, #classicdragracing, Don Prudhomme, Raymond Beadle, Bob Glidden, Shirley Muldowney, Gary Beck, Jeb Allen, englishtown, raceway park, Nhra summernationals

Id: 7BD66wQjFY8

Length: 45min 30sec (2730 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 07 2020