Historic video: Jim Nicoll’s 1970 US Nats Clutch Explosion And Massive Crash


Historic video: Jim Nicoll’s 1970 US Nats Clutch Explosion And Massive Crash

It’s not often that a wreck cements a guy into near legend status, but this one did the trick for Top Fuel racer, the late Jim Nicoll. Facing down the far better funded, equipped, and known Don “Snake” Prudhomme in the finals of the 1970 US Nationals, Nicoll suffered one of the most horrifying wrecks in NHRA history.

Clutch explosions were the bane of Top Fuel racers in the late 1960s, killing drivers like Mike Sorokin of the famous Surfers team and others. The disasters would occur at the top end of the track with the motor and car at full song. The clutch would explode and the pieces would literally saw the chassis in half, sending the drivers’ section into an often deadly series of snap rolls. Imagine a bowling ball with a man inside at 200 mph. Oftentimes drivers extremities would work loose and hang outside of the rolling mass with predictable results.

Nicoll drove the wheels off of his car all weekend long. The US Nationals were and are a grueling, near week long torture test of man and machine. He was the ultimate underdog in the final and threw the kitchen sink at “Snake.” Damned if it almost worked. Prudhomme was so horrified by what he had just seen (he was convinced Nicoll was dead) that he actually said he would quit the sport on the spot. Obviously that didn’t happen and he is now known as one of the greatest drag racers of all time.

The other thing that makes this clip special is the fact that Keith Jackson was the commentator on the TV broadcast when this happened. Jackson is one of the, if not THE best TV sports guy of all time. He did auto racing just as well as he did college and NFL football, baseball, and other sports. Jackson’s call of the whole incident is perfect.

PRESS PLAY BELOW TO WATCH THE VIDEO!


  • Share This
  • Pinterest
  • 0